MEDICINE HAT, Alberta - The road to Bank One Ballpark starts here tonight in the land of Chinook winds and hockey players.

Some 16 months after being granted a major league baseball franchise, the first Arizona Diamondbacks' Pioneer League farm club, the Lethbridge Black Diamonds, takes the field against the Medicine Hat Blue Jays in the first official game in franchise history.

The Arizona Diamondbacks don't begin major league play until April 1998 in their new retractable-domed stadium being built in downtown Phoenix.

The Baseball Hall of Fame already has called Diamondbacks officials, asking for an autographed ball from Wednesday night's game here that can be shipped to Cooperstown and put on display.

''We're certainly fired up and ready to get everything going,'' Lethbridge manager Chris Speier said after smacking fungoes Tuesday at Lethbridge's Henderson Field. ''The kids are ready to play and we're ready to see what kind of players we have.''

After spending a week in the 100-degree-plus temperatures of Peoria, Ariz., for a mini-camp, the Black Diamonds found 50-degree temperatures and wind gusting to 60 mph waiting for them in Lethbridge.

Clad in sweatshirts, most of the players were happy to be in town despite rubbing their hands together occassionally for warmth.

''I can take this easier than that 110-degree stuff in Arizona,'' said third baseman Ron Hartman, an 11th-round draft pick from the University of Maryland.

Cuban right-hander Vladimir Nunez will start Wednesday night's historic game while Larry Rodriguez, another Cuban defector signed to a six-figure contract by the Diamondbacks, will pitch Thursday night.

''This is cold. (The skin on) my hands are cracking and dry,'' Nunez said. ''I'm going to try not to give up too many fly balls here because of the wind.''

After road trips to Medicine Hat and Great Falls, Mont., the Black Diamonds return to Lethbrige for their first home game Monday against the Butte Copper Kings.

Only a few of the 3,000 tickets are left for the game.

The Montreal Expos had a minor league team here for two years (1975-79) and the Los Angeles Dodgers spent six years here until 1983.

''You can just tell how much the level of professionalism the Diamondback organization has. Everything is first-class, and having players here who have a real shot at getting to the major leagues will be a real treat,' said Lethbridge General Manager Dan Wingold.'