Bison Baseball

Official Review by Andrew Kulyk, Stadium Journey Regional Correspondent

Opened in 1988, Coca-Cola Field, nee Pilot Field, is the home of the Buffalo Bisons, the AAA affiliate of the New York Mets. Beginning the 2013 baseball season, the Bisons are AAA minor league affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. The Bisons play in the International League. Located right in downtown Buffalo off the I-190, the venue is one of the original "retro ballparks", with an original capacity of 21,500 seats, and was designed with the idea of being expanded for an eventual Major League Baseball expansion team. Since that dream ended, numerous renovations and enhancements have shrunk the capacity to 17,679 seats, still one of the largest at the AAA level.

Food & Beverage    5

Buffalo is legendary for its great cuisine, and the ballpark is a great place to sample some of the best that the city has to offer. Sure there is the Buffalo staple - the chicken wing, and the Ballpark Wing standing down the right baseline is the place to get those. But there are two other specialty sandwiches worth a try - the Beef of Weck, thinly sliced roast beef served on a hard roll studded with salt, is available at the Red Osier stand behind home plate. Slather on some horseradish and it's a real treat.

Then try the Fried Bologna sandwich served with peppers, onions and cheese on an egg roll, a unique and understated Buffalo thing. The in house restaurant on the mezzanine level is named Pettibones and offers a more upscale dining experience.

Atmosphere    3

The team generally averages 7,000 fans a game, a far cry from the days when the city was a Major League expansion contender and drew a million plus fans to the ballpark for five straight seasons. With the large capacity, when the ballpark is full it feels like a big league experience. When there are a thousand or fewer fans in the stands the place is barren and windswept.

The Bisons Big Board video scoreboard is old technology and the ballpark is sorely in need of technological enhancements (ribbon board, new video board, etc.) to bring it up to par with its peer venues.

Neighborhood    4

Being right in the middle of downtown, the ballpark integrates nicely into the adjoining neighborhood architecture, which includes the stunning old post office building right to the north, since rehabbed into the main building of the local community college. A number of bars and eateries are located right near the ballpark, and otherwise the stadium is situated amidst office buildings. The outfield panorama is the I-190 Thruway and beyond that industrial buildings and grain elevators. HSBC Arena is three blocks south of the ballpark right down Washington Street.

Fans    4

Buffalo is a great sports town and working class city and the Buffalo Bisons, who have a history going back to their roots as a National League team in 1879, are very much a part of the sports fabric of the community. Since moving to their current ballpark in 1988, the team has enjoyed much success both on and off the field and fans continue to support the franchise, which consistently ranks among the top attendance teams in the International League.

Access    5

For a downtown venue, parking is ample. The stadium's main ramp is just beyond right field, and plenty of surface parking and other downtown ramps are just a short walk away. Meters on the streets are not monitored evenings or weekends. In addition, the Metro Rail light rail line connects downtown with the northern part of the city, and fans can ride the rail and exit at the Seneca Station a block away from the ballpark.

Return on Investment    4

Ticket prices run from $6-$11. The team has Monday night promotions with discounted tickets and dollar hot dogs. Concession prices are pretty decent here, and the entertainment value, from the on field contests to the entertaining mascots and food vendors all make this a fun place to enjoy a game.

Extras    2

Some of the zaniest things that go on around the ballpark are fan driven. Watch for superfan Mark Aichinger who sits next to the tunnel directly behind home plate. His shrieks and razzing of the visiting team are well known to players and fans, and he loves leading the charge with his own unique dance to the tune of "Chacaron Macaron".

Final Thoughts

While Coca-Cola Field has been eclipsed by some of the newer ballparks which offer newer state of the art comforts and amenities, this ballpark opened in an era when minor league venues were considered to be dusty and old backwaters and nothing more. Its opening in 1988, and the telecast of the first ever AAA All Star game that year nationally on ESPN, raised awareness around the nation that Buffalo is one of the premiere minor league baseball cities, bragging rights that are still embraced to this very day.