The Chillicothe Paints were a minor league baseball team based in Chillicothe, Ohio that operated from 1926 to 1950. While the team itself had a relatively short existence, cards featuring Paints players from the late 1940s have developed a cult following among vintage baseball card collectors in recent decades. Let’s take a deeper look at the history of the Paints franchise and what makes their rare baseball cards such a fascinating part of the early minor league card landscape.
Chillicothe first gained a professional baseball team in 1926 when the Chillicothe Mudcats joined the Class D Ohio State League. They played at Mudcat Stadium through the 1930 season before rebranding as the Chillicothe Indians for 1931 and 1932. In 1933, the team changed its name again to the Chillicothe Paints, adopting a nickname that paid homage to one of the largest industries in the region at the time – paint manufacturing.
The Paints spent the bulk of their existence competing in the Class D Ohio State League and West Virginia-Pennsylvania League through the late 1930s and 1940s. Notable players who got their professional start with the Paints include Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner, early MLB star Early Wynn, and longtime MLB utilityman Johnny Wyrostek. While the level of play was hardly major league caliber, the Paints developed a loyal local fanbase in the Chillicothe community during their two-plus decades run.
In the late 1940s, the Paints were one of several minor league teams to have their players featured on colorful, regional sets of baseball cards. From 1947-1949, the Paints had cards included in the Return of the Stars and All-Star Baseball Card sets produced by Ohio-based manufacturer World Wide Gum Company. These sets captured the likenesses of Paints players alongside stars from other Midwest-based minor league squads.
What makes the roughly 50 total Paints cards extremely rare and desirable today is that World Wide Gum only had a short run in the late 1940s before going out of business. Very few of their sets were ever printed, distributed, and survived to modern times. Fewer than a dozen examples of each Paints player card are believed to still exist in collectible condition nearly 75 years later. Their scarcity has seen values skyrocket to thousands of dollars per card for high-grade examples.
Some of the most iconic and valuable Paints cards include the 1947 issue showing slugging outfielder Bob “Lefty” Smith. Nicknamed “The King of Swat,” Smith smashed over 30 home runs in each of his two seasons with Chillicothe. His regal moniker and prolific power production made him a fan favorite. His card routinely brings $5,000 or more at auction.
Another highly coveted Paints issue is the 1948 card picturing pitcher Dick “Turk” Lown. As a 23-year old rookie that season, Lown went 15-8 with a 2.90 ERA to lead Chillicothe to a winning record. His impressive debut caught the eye of major league scouts and he was signed by the Boston Braves in 1949. Lown went on to enjoy a 10-year MLB career, mostly as a reliever. His iconic Paints rookie card can sell for upwards of $10,000 in top condition.
While stars like Smith and Lown moved on to higher levels of professional ball, the Chillicothe Paints franchise continued chugging along through 1950 at their home park along Paint Creek. Declining attendance and the rise of televised major league games led to the demise of most minor league circuits in the early 1950s. The Ohio State League folded after the 1950 season, bringing an end to the Paints after 24 seasons in Chillicothe.
In the decades since, the memory of Paints baseball has lived on through items like their exceedingly rare 1947-1949 baseball cards. For collectors of early minor league and oddball issues, Paints cards represent the pinnacle and are endlessly fascinating pieces of history from a bygone era when over 100 minor league teams dotted the American landscape each summer. As one of the few tangible remnants from Chillicothe’s long love affair with minor league ball, the old Paints cards continue fueling nostalgia and commanding top dollar from collectors with a passion for obscure vintage cardboard.
