Christian Talavera, Brent Connelly and Mike Cutshaw were strangers to me the first decade and a half of my life, but that summer they took up residence in my parents’ Mayville home for the better part of two weeks and created memories that will last a lifetime.

The Antioch, California Babe Ruth team rolled through the 16-18-Year-Old World Series that year at the newly renamed Russell E. Diethrick Jr. Park.

Left-handed pitcher Kyle Turner was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player and later was drafted by Kansas City, spending parts of three seasons in the Royals organization.

Talavera was the team’s second baseman, and I thought it was awesome that he used my bat during the tournament. Connelly was a quiet, reserve outfielder and Cutshaw was a bullpen arm.

Players from Topeka, Kansas and their hostesses ride through Jamestown during the Babe Ruth World Series parade in 1992.

That was the second time that I know of the Mayville community coming together to host a visiting Babe Ruth team — and some families did it at least one more summer after my siblings and I grew older.

The first team we hosted was Topeka, Kansas in 1992. Back then, the tournament was played with a double-elimination format, meaning your team could lose a pair of games on the first two days of competition and be flying home soon thereafter.

Topeka did just that.

We hosted catcher Jason Stoops and pitcher Kevin Wicker that summer. Looking back, we probably only housed them for less than a week, but 26 years later — with the assistance of social media — it seems like we’ve known them our whole lives.

That’s what’s so great about hosting Babe Ruth World Series ballplayers.

Bryant, Arkansas host family members line the streets of Jamestown during the 2008 Babe Ruth World Series parade.

While several tournament Most Outstanding Players have gone on to play in the Major Leagues — Rod Beck, Paul Byrd, Floyd Bannister, Mike Lavalliere and Mickey Lolich to name a few — most of them don’t.

But hosting players creates memories and friendships that last a lifetime. Players that my family hosted back then have gone on to get married, have children and coach youth baseball teams of their own.

After my parents hosted teams in the ’90s, we got the itch to return the favor as my wife and I began our family.

Despite living in Jamestown, we joined up with the Frewsburg crew in the summer of 2008 to host the Southwest Region champions from Bryant, Arkansas.

We were quickly indoctrinated to the idea that teams hosted by Jon & Kim Blanchard don’t lose. In fact they have very successful World Series experiences.

Players and families from McComb, Mississippi are pictured with their host families during the 2011 Babe Ruth World Series.

Lo and behold, that Bryant team lived up to the Blanchards’ standards and walked away with the 13-year-old title in 2008.

We banged on bleachers and were taught Arkansas chants by our kids’ parents.

We enjoyed pool parties and barbecues.

Our boys — Daniel Richards and Zach Cambron — treated our then-6-year-old son, Cooper, as their own brother.

And we put up with teammates teasing Daniel about his then-girlfriend Shelby (they’re now married).

Players from Topeka, Kansas are greeted at the Jamstown Airport at the start of the 1992 Babe Ruth World Series.

Three years later, now with 3-year-old Claire a member of our household, we hosted the Southwest Region champs from McComb, Mississippi — again with the Frewsburg crew.

While our boys weren’t as successful as the Bryant team — Tri-Valley, California won the 13-15 championship that summer — the days were just as memorable. We wanted them to win a game so bad during that week in August.

With another child on board — 1-year-old Curtis — for the 2015 13-year-old World Series, our Norton Avenue house was full. We were bummed that we may not be able to take part in the hosting experience that summer, but Babe Ruth Inc. decided to switch to “Ambassador Families” for their 13-year-old tournaments meaning that families would still be assigned teams to root for and help make comfortable with the host community, but the kids would stay in hotels and not in family homes.

We matched up with the teenagers from Mountain Home, Arkansas, for the week.

While it was still an enjoyable experience, we longed for the days of the true host-family experience.

Lucky for us, the 16-18-year-old World Series is returning to Jamestown this summer.

The Frewsburg crew will be at it again, and this time the Spielman family is living in the heart of the hamlet.

Other families should jump at the chance to host.

Communities around Jamestown should come together for friendly host-family competition.

If even less than 10 families in each community — Jamestown, Falconer, Lakewood, Bemus Point, Mayville, etc. — step up, all of the players from the nine visiting teams could have homes for the mid-August tournament.

Our hosting experiences have created friendships with the players and their families, as well as strengthened our relationships with fellow host families in our very own community.

The Blanchards, Caldwells, Yosts, Proctors and a number of other families have become friends that we barely knew before our first hosting experience in 2008.

I strongly encourage anybody on the fence, or even remotely thinking about hosting kids this summer, to do it.

You’ll be glad you did.

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The Jamestown Babe Ruth World Series Committee is looking for host families and hostesses for the Babe Ruth 16-18 World Series, which will be held Aug. 4-11 at Diethrick Park.

Host families will be needed for the players from the time they arrive in Jamestown on Aug. 2 until their departure Aug. 12. Hostesses are also needed to serve as ambassadors to the World Series and the players. Hostesses must be a resident of Chautauqua County and be 16-18 years old. Details and application are also available online at www.jamestownworldseries.org.

For more information, contact Kathy McMaster at kmcmaster@windstream.net or phone 488-0928 (host family); and Kim Ecklund at email kimberlyecklund@yahoo.com or phone 664-0405 (hostess). Additional information is also available on Facebook (Jamestown BRWS).