Many times, in conversations with people in cities we visit, we may use the expression that we’re “just passing through” or on vacation. We’ve had many people visit our city at some point in their life, but some who’ve “just passed through” our little city, have gone on to play some pretty big stages in their lives. I guess that means that Jamestown’s a part of individuals playing in some pretty big arenas, so I think we can say Jamestown, (and surrounding areas of Chautauqua and Cattaraugus Counties) too, is “playing the palace.”

We all know Jamestown’s been home to some pretty noted people and centers over the years. People like Lucille Ball, Robert H. Jackson, Reuben Fenton, Roger Tory Peterson, Charles Goodell, are just a few. We’ve seen some athletes reach pretty lofty perches in their careers, from Jim McCusker to Stephen Carlson, and many in between. We’ve seen great performers in the theaters of drama, comedy, and music, start their paths in Jamestown, or at least make this area a stop on their professional journeys.

In baseball, we’ve seen former players who’ve reached great heights on field and in dugouts, some even entering Halls of Fame. We’ve seen visiting players who’ve succeeded in baseball, or different sports even though they played baseball in our stadium. Donn Clendenon, a World Series MVP player here. Players, Nellie Fox, Wade Boggs, John Elway, Randy Johnson, and more, reached Halls of Fame in their career. They all played on our Falconer St. ball yard at some time in their life. And this doesn’t even cover the many who played for our local Jamestown teams and went on to have great MLB careers.

In my time with the Jamestown Jammers, as the Camp/Clinic Director, I had the pleasure of working with players Dave Roberts, and Gabe Kapler, both of whom would later play roles in delivering championships to the Boston Red Sox. This summer, I was in attendance, and watched Dave Roberts manage the National League, at the MLB All-Star Game. Toward the end of this season I was in Cleveland for the Phillies/Indians series, and got to see Kapler skipper the Philadelphia team. Both managers started their professional baseball careers at College Stadium/Russell E. Diethrick Park in Jamestown. I’ve also seen Jason Kipnis numerous times in Cleveland, even had a chance, six years ago, to go onto the field before a game, meet him at second base, and talk to him. Kipnis played on our Eastside ballpark field, and oh yeah, his manager while in the NY-Penn League was Travis Fryman, former Gold Glove Third Baseman of the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians. As an official scorer for the Jammers the last two years before they moved on to West Virginia, I got to see the grandson of Baseball great, Carl Yastrzemski, play for the Aberdeen Iron Birds of the NY-Penn League. This summer, I saw the replay of him hitting a home run for the San Francisco Giants in the ageless old ballpark where his granddad earned his spot in the Hall of Fame, Fenway Park. Yet, young Mike’s beginnings included a couple stops in Jamestown. An 80s Babe Ruth World Series player, Steve Aldridge, who Sally and I hosted at our home, was later signed as an undrafted Free Agent by the New York Yankees and came back to play at College Stadium as a member of the Oneonta Yankees. He was a backup catcher who also played third base. Starting catcher for Oneonta was one Jorge Posada.

The list goes on. 10,000 Maniacs, Natalie Merchant, Mitchell Anderson, Brad Anderson, Ed O’Neill, Roger Goodell, Shane Conlan, Bill Bergey, Dave Graf, Dave Criscione, Chuck Crist, Connor Gray, all grew up here or within 30 minutes from here. Mike (Giancarlo) Stanton, Marquis Grissom, Delino DeShields, Brandon Inge, all played here. Lewis Black, Dan Aykroyd, Jerry Seinfeld all performed here, and these names just scratch the surface of those who’ve let Jamestown, and surrounding area, have the honor of being one of the stops in their celebrated careers and lives.

Not bad for those who refer to our city as “Little Old Jamestown.”