The Chillicothe Paints play baseball the way it was meant to be played -- talented young men chasing their dreams to play pro ball before sell-out crowds in small town America. A charter member of the Frontier League, the team has thrilled local fans at historic V.A. Stadium for over a decade. It was from Chillicothe that the Frontier League sent its first alumnus, pitcher Brian Tollberg, in 2001, up to the big leagues. And major league legends from Reds Country -- Johhny Bench, Pete Rose, Marty Brennaman -- have become a regular part of promotional evenings at the V.A., attracting a packed house every time.

All this local baseball excitement has deep roots in Chillicothe, dating back to the city's entry into the Ohio State Association in 1884.