Baseball has a rich history in the Jamestown area.

Babe Ruth once played in Celoron while on a barnstorming tour. The old Jamestown Expos sent dozens of players to the major leagues, including Randy Johnson, Andres Galarraga, Delino DeShields and Marquis Grissom. Executives who built major league teams, men like Frank Wren, got their start in Jamestown.

Thanks to the Rich family of Buffalo, Jamestown continues to find itself part of the shrinking minority of Rust Belt cities to house a minor league baseball team. Oneonta, once a longtime home to the New York Yankees’ New York-Penn League team and later a member of the Detroit Tigers’ organization, lost its franchise years ago. Cities like Pittsfield, Watertown, Niagara Falls, Elmira and Auburn have all seen their teams moved to newer stadiums in bigger cities.

City officials are working to make sure Russell E. Diethrick Park remains up to date enough to continue hosting the Jammers. A civic-minded group of area residents has spent the off-season working to breathe new life into the game-day experience. Tickets remain inexpensive – $8 for adults in the club seats, $7 for adults in the grandstand or $6 for adults in general admission seating. Tickets for children are $7.50 for club seats, $6.50 for grandstand seats and $5.50 for general admission seats.

If you haven’t been to a game in a while, Friday is as good a time as any. The Jammers open their season at 7:05 p.m. Friday against Mahoning Valley with fireworks following the game.

Step up to the plate, Jamestown, and take in a game or two. You won’t regret doing so.