Editing Chillicothe Paints (section)

==Frontier League era==
The Chillicothe Paints were one of the eight original franchises to begin Frontier League play in 1993. Two teams, the [[West Virginia Coal Sox]] and the [[Tri-State Tomahawks]], did not complete the season as the league struggled with stability.<ref name="auto" /> In 1994, the Paints featured [[Brian Tollberg]] who went 7–4, 2.48 ERA, and was then signed by the [[Milwaukee Brewers]] organization. Tollberg would become the first Frontier League alumnus to make the [[Major League Baseball|majors]] when he started for the [[San Diego Padres]] on June 7, 2000, pitching 7 innings in a 3-1 Padres victory.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.jefflouderback.com/brian-tollberg-book-the-long-awaited-day-chapter/ |title=Brian Tollberg Book: "The Long-Awaited Day" chapter |website=Jeff Louderback |date=April 8, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/t/tollbbr01.shtml |title=Brian Tollberg Stats |website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]}}</ref>

The league solidified and the Paints found their footing by 1996 when Chillicothe dominated the league with a 48-26 (.649) record, advancing to the Frontier League championship, losing to the [[Springfield Capitals]] 3–0 in the best of five series.<ref>{{Cite news |first=Mark |last=Soxka |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79484120/chillicothe-gazette/ |title=Paints come up dry |newspaper=[[Chillicothe Gazette]] |date=September 3, 1996 |page=5 |via=[[newspapers.com]]}}</ref> This was the first of six championship series appearances for the Paints during the Frontier League era, none of which resulted in a championship. The 1996 Paints were led by a trio of power bats in Scott Pinoni (.384 BA, 11 HR, 65 RBI), Jackie Jempsen (.340 BA, 13 HR, 57 RBI) and Mitch House (.305 BA, 18 HR, 53 RBI).<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/stats/t-cp10878/y-1996 |title=1996 Chillicothe Paints minor league baseball Statistics |website=StatsCrew.com}}</ref>

Manager Roger Hanners had the team in the championship series again in both 1998 and 1999, dropping the 1998 series to Springfield 2-1<ref>{{Cite news |first=Doug |last=Kimsey |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79484288/chillicothe-gazette/ |title=Heartbroke again |newspaper=Chillicothe Gazette |date=September 11, 1998 |page=7 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |first=Doug |last=Kimsey |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79484378/chillicothe-gazette/ |title=Paints |newspaper=Chillicothe Gazette |date=September 11, 1998 |page=8 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> and the 1999 title series to the [[London Werewolves]] 2–0 in a best of three.<ref>{{Cite news |first=Doug |last=Kimsey |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79484501/chillicothe-gazette/ |title=Not Again! |newspaper=Chillicothe Gazette |date=September 9, 1999 |page=7 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> The Paints were led at this time by the stellar hitting of Gator McBride, a former [[Atlanta Braves]] farmhand, who came to Chillicothe and would finish his Frontier League career with a .423 BA, .758 slugging percentage, 27 homers, and 111 RBI. The [[Boston Red Sox]] took notice of his resurrected career and signed him after 39 games of the 1999 season.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=mcbrid001cha|title=Gator McBride Minor & Independent Leagues Statistics & History|website=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79494394/chillicothe-gazette/ |title='Gator' a hit with Paints fans |first=Monk |last=Sonka |newspaper=Chillicothe Gazette |date=July 2, 1998 |page=6 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> His career was cut short by injuries sustained in an automobile accident in February 2000, forcing him into retirement.<ref>{{Cite news |first=Phil |last=Gray |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79484567/chillicothe-gazette/ |title=New beginning |newspaper=Chillicothe Gazette |date=February 2, 2003 |page=11 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |first=Phil |last=Gray |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79484600/chillicothe-gazette/ |title=Beginning |newspaper=Chillicothe Gazette |date=February 2, 2003 |page=12 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.courierpress.com/story/sports/2017/07/09/castle-grad-mcbride-named-frontier-league-hall-fame/103479910/ |title=Castle grad McBride named to Frontier League Hall of Fame |first=Gordon |last=Engelhardt |newspaper=[[Evansville Courier & Press]] |date=July 9, 2017}}</ref>

The Paints returned to the Frontier League championship in 2001 with a division-winning 51-31 (.607) record, but were upset by the [[Richmond Roosters]] 2–0 in the series.<ref>{{Cite news |first=Phil |last=Gray |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79492008/chillicothe-gazette/ |title=Tough night in Chillicothe |newspaper=Chillicothe Gazette |date=September 8, 2001 |page=6 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> Rick Blanc (13-1, 3.24 ERA), Matt McKay (.345 BA, 1 HR, 48 RBI), Darin Kinsolving (.327 BA, 10 HR, 62 RBI) and Joe Colameco (.325 BA, 10 HR, 60 RBI) paced the balanced Chillicothe squad.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.thebaseballcube.com/minors/indy/teams/stats.asp?Y=2001&T=10140 |title=2001 Chillicothe Paints |website=The Baseball Cube}}</ref>

Former major-leaguer [[Glenn Wilson (baseball)|Glenn Wilson]] took over as manager in 2005<ref>{{Cite news |first=Phil |last=Gray |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79484954/chillicothe-gazette/ |title=Wilson laid back and ready for the season |newspaper=Chillicothe Gazette |date=April 6, 2005 |page=6 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> and took the Paints to back-to-back championship appearances, dropping the 2005 series 3–2 to the [[Kalamazoo Kings]]<ref>{{Cite news |first=Michael S. |last=Johnson |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79485186/chillicothe-gazette/ |title=Hard to swallow |newspaper=Chillicothe Gazette |date=September 20, 2005 |page=1 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |first=Michael S. |last=Johnson |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79485228/chillicothe-gazette/ |title=Paints |newspaper=Chillicothe Gazette |date=September 20, 2005 |page=2 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> and the 2006 series 3–0 to the [[Evansville Otters]].<ref>{{Cite news |first=Phil |last=Gray |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79485321/chillicothe-gazette/ |title=Otterball does it all |newspaper=Chillicothe Gazette |date=September 16, 2006 |page=6 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> John Martinez (16-4, 3.11 ERA), Jose Rodriguez (.380 BA, 5 HR, 36 RBI), and John Ramistella (.317 BA, 20 HR, 73 RBI) led the 2005 Paints,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/stats/t-cp10878/y-2005 |title=2005 Chillicothe Paints minor league baseball Statistics on StatsCrew.com |website=StatsCrew.com}}</ref> while Kurt Hartfelder (10-5, 16.7 ERA) and Travis Garcia (.289 BA, 11 HR, 66 RBI) led the 2006 team.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/stats/t-cp10878/y-2006 |title=2006 Chillicothe Paints minor league baseball Statistics on StatsCrew.com |website=StatsCrew.com}}</ref> VA Memorial Stadium had grass from 1993 to 2005, but the ballpark installed FieldTurf in 2006, the first baseball field in the United States to have a 100% FieldTurf playing surface, including base, mound and home plate areas.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79485841/chillicothe-gazette/ |title=Always Greener |newspaper=Chillicothe Gazette |date=March 19, 2006 |page=9 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |first=Phil |last=Gray |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79485905/chillicothe-gazette/ |title=Field |newspaper=Chillicothe Gazette |date=March 19, 2006 |page=11 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref>

[[File:Va memorial stadium scoreboard chillicothe ohio 2006.jpg|thumb|Paints outfielder in front of the VA Memorial Stadium scoreboard in 2006]]

The Frontier League had changed from predominately rural and smaller towns into a suburban league over the years, and the Paints faced financial and attendance challenges as a result.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79486648/chillicothe-gazette/ |title=Paints have given the fans, town lots of memories |newspaper=Chillicothe Gazette |date=September 4, 2008 |page=4 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79486688/chillicothe-gazette/ |title=Letter to the Editor: Community owes a lot to Paints' owner |first=John |last=Herrnstein |newspaper=Chillicothe Gazette |date=September 7, 2008 |page=4 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> Following the 2008 season, the ownership announced that they would leave the Frontier League, becoming an amateur [[List of collegiate summer baseball leagues|collegiate summer baseball]] team. The Paints were the longest tenured franchise in the Frontier League in 2008 and the last remaining original Frontier League team in the league.<ref>{{Cite news |first=Phil |last=Gray |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79485993/chillicothe-gazette/ |title=The final fling |newspaper=Chillicothe Gazette |date=September 4, 2008 |page=6 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |first=Phil |last=Gray |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79486104/chillicothe-gazette/ |title=Future of Paints comes into focus |newspaper=Chillicothe Gazette |date=November 13, 2008 |page=A5 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |first=Phil |last=Gray |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79486140/chillicothe-gazette/ |title=Paints |newspaper=Chillicothe Gazette |date=November 13, 2008 |page=A6 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref>

The Paints are represented in the Frontier League Hall of Fame by owner Dr. Chris Hanners, 1B Scott Pinoni, infielder Mitch House, OF Willie Edwards, pitcher Bobby Chandler, OF Gator McBride, and 3B Travis Garcia.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://frontierleague.com/hall-of-fame/|title=Hall of Fame – Frontier League}}</ref>