The More Things Change...

The more things change, the more they stay the same. That's not a new saying, but if you were to sum up the transition from the Frontier League to the Prospect League for the Chillicothe Paints with that saying, you would be pretty spot on.

Rest assured, many things have changed since the end of last season. The players from the previous roster have moved on to either continue their professional careers playing the game that they love or to take a step back and realize that it was the end of the line for them. That's a critical thing, and it's similar to something that all people, even people like you and me, make. We all make tough decisions in our lives to pursue something that really matters to us. If it's something worth fighting for, then go all out for it. In Spring Training, that's what baseball players do. They fight for roster spots to show that they are capable of playing the game that they love. That's passion for you. For some players from last year's Paints team, they decided to give it another go, while others felt content with what they did and they have no regrets stepping away from the game of baseball.

Of course, it was gutwrenching to see just how the 2008 edition of Paints baseball fade away from the spotlight of the Frontier League. When you stop and think about it, we were at a disadvantage since day one of that season. The odds were not in our favor. We were playing against The House. Some reports came that certain players (and I won't name any names) refused to sign on with the Paints because of the low quality facility that the team would play in wasn't sufficient for them. V.A. Memorial Stadium became, in the eyes of the top players of the league, obsolete. Compared to the shiny new ballparks that every other team was building, ours was old news. We had a classic ballpark, but it was probably too classic at that point.

For us diehard Paints fans, that was hard to take. If you know us, then you would know we have grown to love V.A. Memorial Stadium, and so much so that it has become a home away from home for us. It's a place to temporarily get away from the common everyday struggles of life that may not look so appealing. That's our ballpark, and especially with the help of team owner Dr. Chris Hanners, we made that ballpark what it is today. It was special back then, and it still is now. Think of the players in the past who called the V.A. home. Scott Pinoni, Mitch House, Brian Tollberg, Gator McBride, Steve Martin, and Travis Garcia.

Those names I just mentioned all have their numbers retired, never to be worn again. There are different reasons for why their numbers were retired, and one only needs to go back into the archives of this franchise to understand just what went on in the cozy ballpark near the V.A. hospital. All of those numbers tell some sort of story. Those stories are gripping and telling. Those stories make you appreciate that player, but more so, it teaches you something. The one thing that remained constant was the passion and true competitive spirit that they had when they played the game.

I have gotten to know one of these players personally. Travis Garcia wore the number 24 for the Paints from the 2006 season to the 2008 season. He played shortstop for the Chillicothe Paints. He did a good service for the community of Chillicothe while he was here. He was as nice as they came, and he was one of a kind. I was thankful when I first spoke to him in the beginning of the 2007 FL season because at that point, I will admit, I wasn't full of confidence. I wasn't sure of myself. It's funny how things play out because everything just got better after I had established a true friendship with Travis. Things just became much more clear for me. Every day that I had with him was special, just to say hello and to check on how he was doing. That alone made it worth it not only for me, but for him as well.

Travis Garcia now plays for the South Maryland Blue Crabs of the Atlantic League, and last I checked, he's doing quite well. In 29 games played, he's batting .266 with 5 doubles, 4 homeruns, and 18 RBIs. He currently leads the Blue Crabs, along with another player, in total hits with 33. He's second on the team in RBIs. Putting those numbers aside though, Travis is still the kind hearted person that he was back in Ross County. He still plays the game with the same intensity and passion that he's always had dating back to his early days of playing ball.

2009 will be the beginning of something new for Paints fans. The Paints will be back, but in a new league. That league is called the Prospect League, where players who are still elligible of playing in college will be playing in this league. They have the same passion and love for the game of baseball. The game itself never changes even though the setting does. Dr. Hanners vows to make the experience of watching the game fun again, something that he notes that the organization got away from in recent years. Fun will be back in the ballpark, and it doesn't hurt to have more fun at the V.A. Paints fans who were with the team since the beginning in 1993 will recall the countless stories of how fun and humorous it really got at the ballpark. Those memories, unlike the value of franchises, are priceless.

So relax and sit back. The more things change, the more they stay the same. This is still the game of baseball we're talking about here, so enjoy your time at V.A. Memorial Stadium. Cheer on the new squad of Paints players as they hit the FieldTurf surface. 2009 will be a fun year for all of us.