Can you have fun at a Paint's game knowing nothing about baseball?
CHILLICOTHE— When I moved to Chillicothe earlier this year so many people told me to make sure I see the Paints, the only problem is that I know nothing about baseball.
Well, that's a lie I know you have a hitter, a pitcher and four bases to run. Other than that I know nothing about baseball.
When the managing partner of the Chillicothe Paints, Bryan Wickline, told me you don't have to be a baseball fan to enjoy a Paints game I was intrigued. How could I have fun if I didn't have a clue what was going on? With this in mind, I decided to take a chance and see if it was possible to have fun at a Paints game with very little knowledge of the game itself.
Saturday afternoon I pulled up to the VA Memorial Stadium ready to watch the Paints take on the West Virginia Miners. Even though they would be playing a double header that day I would only be staying for one of the games.
Luckily, I wouldn't be completely lost during the game as I had sports writer Raven Moore there helping me learn the rules. She was very helpful in telling me things such as how long an inning was and what terms like designated hitter meant. The more I watched the game the more I understood what was going on, it felt very easy to pick up the basics.
Once the game started I was interested in what was happening but quickly became bored with the stop-and-start feel of the game. During some innings it felt like plays were constantly being made with multiple runs and points being scored, in other innings, it felt like nothing was happening. This pacing, personally, made it hard for me to get too excited because every time I did the action would die down. Between innings, games involving players and kids were played, flowers were given out, and music was played. These small events helped keep my attention focused on what was happening on the field. The stadium also offers a covered play area for kids to play in during the game which could help entertain younger fans during the slower parts of a game.
One thing I was not expecting was how loud the fans were, I'm not sure why but I always pictured baseball as a quiet sport. Maybe it was the beer, maybe it was the fact that the game started late because of a missing umpire, either way, the crowd was loud. There seemed to be a mix of heckling and cheering depending on where you sat. The seats near the first and third base had much more heckling and taunting aimed at the other team. The seats behind home base had less heckling and more cheering. It was obvious that the crowd was hometown proud as they cheered on the Paints. As I bounced around the stadium it was clear that different seating areas had different atmospheres, some were more baseball-focused while others were more focused on socializing.
Getting away from the actual game and focusing more on the mechanical aspects of the night, getting to the VA Memorial Stadium, where the Paints play, was easy. Any guests could easily find the stadium and find a place to park. The same goes for the entrance and layout of the stadium, it was very clear where everything was. Whether you are looking for food and drinks or the restrooms it would be hard to get lost. All the seating areas also provided a good view of the field so you could enjoy the game from almost any location.
Ultimately getting to watch the Paints win was fun and exciting. While there are parts of baseball that I still don't understand, like strategy or what it means when you are in the bottom of an inning, I can confidently say that I did have a fun time at Saturday's game. Watching the Paints was a great way to spend my weekend as it was a way to get outside and experience something unique to Chillicothe. Wickline was right, you can have fun at a game even if you aren't a huge baseball fan.
To learn more about the Chillicothe Paints, or to check their schedule to find a game you can go to you can visit their website.
Shelby Reeves is a reporter for the Chillicothe Gazette. You can email her at SReeves@gannett.com or follow her on Twitter @Shelby_Reeves_
This article originally appeared on Chillicothe Gazette: Can you have fun at a Paint's game knowing nothing about baseball?
