JAMESTOWN, N.Y. - Members of the new Jamestown Jammers were introduced Wednesday during a meet and greet at the city's Gateway Erie Train Station.
"Jamestown is just a real baseball town. When we get to meet these players, these players are coming here so they can get drafted which means we're going to have really good baseball," said Lee Harkness, Jamestown Gateway Erie Train Station general manager.
"I go to school in Buffalo. I look forward to summer ball. Meeting a new group of guys from all over the country, just listening and then teaching guys back at school about what they learn," said Vinny Mallaro, Syracuse.
The team is part of the Prospect League, an amateur collegiate summer baseball league that signed on with the city last fall. The minor league, single-A team ended its longtime run in Jamestown and relocated to West Virginia at the end of last season.
"I'm glad to be back. It's awesome. I played here in 2008 in the Babe Ruth World Series so it's exciting to be back, playing in the same place, ready to get going," said Tyler Anderson, Missouri.
"We've had this date circled on our calendar now from months, and it's finally here," said Mayor Sam Teresi, D-Jamestown.
City leaders said the new team has already generated just as much, if not more excitement and revenue than the former Jammers did.
"People staying in hotels, whether they be scouts looking at these players, family members coming in or people just knowing that we have high-caliber national baseball here in Jamestown. There's a good economic impact to baseball in any community fortunate to have it," said Teresi.
The regular season ends the first week of August.