Sahlen Field facts for kids
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The Jewel of Downtown Buffalo
The House That Jimmy Built |
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Sahlen Field in 2023
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| Former names | Pilot Field (1988–1995) Downtown Ballpark (1995) North AmeriCare Park (1995–1999) Dunn Tire Park (1999–2008) Coca-Cola Field (2009–2018) |
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| Address | 1 James D. Griffin Plaza Buffalo, New York US |
| Coordinates | 42°52′52.7″N 78°52′27.4″W / 42.881306°N 78.874278°W |
| Elevation | 600 feet (180 m) |
| Public transit |  Buffalo–Exchange Street Reddy Bikeshare Seneca Washington & Seneca, Route 8 |
| Owner | City of Buffalo |
| Operator | Bison Baseball, Inc. |
| Executive suites | 26 |
| Capacity | 16,600 (2019–present) 16,907 (2017–2018) 17,600 (2015–2016) 18,025 (2005–2014) 21,050 (1990–2004) 19,500 (1988–1989) |
| Record attendance | Baseball: 21,050 (June 3, 1990 / August 30, 2002) Concert: 27,000 (June 12, 2015) |
| Field size | Left field: 325 ft (99 m) Left-center field: 371 ft (113 m) Center field: 404 ft (123 m) Right-center field: 367 ft (112 m) Right field: 325 ft (99 m) Backstop: 55 ft (17 m)  |
| Acreage | 13 acres (5.3 ha) |
| Surface | Kentucky Bluegrass |
| Scoreboard | Daktronics LED |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | July 10, 1986 |
| Opened | April 14, 1988 |
| Renovated | 2004, 2020, 2021 |
| Expanded | 1990 |
| Construction cost | US$42.4 million ($105 million in 2022 dollars ) |
| Architect | HOK Sport |
| Project manager | Ben B. Barnert |
| Structural engineer | Geiger Associates |
| General contractor | Cowper Construction Management |
| Tenants | |
| Buffalo Bisons (AA/IL/AAAE) 1988–present Buffalo Nighthawks (LPBL) 1998 Buffalo Bulls (NCAA) 2000 Empire State Yankees (IL) 2012 Toronto Blue Jays (MLB) 2020–2021 |
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Sahlen Field is a cool baseball park located in Buffalo, New York. It's home to the Buffalo Bisons, a minor league team. The stadium first opened on April 14, 1988.
This ballpark can hold up to 16,600 fans. That makes it the biggest Triple-A baseball stadium in the United States! Over the years, it has had a few different names, including Pilot Field, Dunn Tire Park, and Coca-Cola Field.
Sahlen Field was the very first "retro-classic" ballpark ever built. This style mixes old-fashioned stadium looks with modern features. It was even designed with the hope of bringing a Major League Baseball (MLB) team to Buffalo.
In 2020 and 2021, the Toronto Blue Jays of MLB played some of their home games here. They needed a temporary home because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Besides baseball, Sahlen Field has hosted concerts, wrestling events, and even the National Buffalo Wing Festival!
Contents
History of Sahlen Field
Baseball in Buffalo: A Long Tradition
Buffalo has a long history with professional baseball, going all the way back to 1877. Many teams have played in the city, including earlier versions of the Buffalo Bisons. For a long time, the Bisons played at War Memorial Stadium.
In the 1960s, there were hopes of Buffalo getting an MLB team. Plans were even made for a big domed stadium. However, these plans didn't work out, and the city lost its professional baseball team for a while in 1970.
Building a New Ballpark for Buffalo
In 1978, the city's mayor, James D. Griffin, helped bring baseball back to Buffalo. A new Buffalo Bisons team started playing at War Memorial Stadium. Then, in 1983, Robert E. Rich Jr. bought the team and made it a Triple-A team, which is just one step below Major League Baseball.
The Bisons became very popular, drawing huge crowds. This led to strong support for building a brand-new stadium. The city chose HOK Sport (now called Populous) to design it. They wanted a stadium that looked classic but had modern comforts.
The land for the stadium used to be home to a church and then a hotel. Eventually, it became a parking lot before the city bought it for the new ballpark.
Designing a Retro-Classic Stadium
Sahlen Field was designed to look like older, classic ballparks. It used architecture from nearby historic buildings in Buffalo. The outside of the stadium has cool arched windows and stone-like details. It was also built close to public transportation, making it easy for fans to get there.
The baseball field itself has a Kentucky Bluegrass surface. The field dimensions were made to be "pitcher-friendly," meaning it was harder to hit home runs. This was a change from the old stadium, which was known for easy home runs.
Construction started in July 1986. The stadium was built with 19,500 seats, making it one of the largest minor league stadiums at the time. It also had special club seating and luxury suites. The total cost was about $42.4 million, mostly paid for with public money. There were even plans to add more seats if Buffalo ever got an MLB team.
Opening Day and Early Success
The stadium officially opened on April 14, 1988. The Buffalo Bisons won their first game there 1-0 against the Denver Zephyrs. It was a big event, with famous people like Governor Mario Cuomo throwing out the first pitch.
In its first year, the Buffalo Bisons broke the all-time record for Minor League Baseball attendance! Over 1.1 million fans came to watch games. The stadium quickly became famous, with many news outlets praising its design. One writer even called it "the best ballpark built since the construction of the game's holy triumvirate – Wrigley, Fenway and Briggs."
Hopes for Major League Baseball
From 1990 to 1995, there were many efforts to bring an MLB team to Buffalo. The stadium was even expanded in 1990, adding 1,400 bleacher seats to increase capacity to 21,050. This was done to show that the stadium could handle a major league crowd.
The Bisons' owner, Robert E. Rich Jr., tried to buy existing MLB teams and move them to Buffalo. He also put in bids for Buffalo to get a new expansion team. However, despite huge fan support and record attendance for the Bisons, Buffalo was not chosen for an MLB team.
Stadium Changes Over Time
Over the years, Sahlen Field has seen many changes. In 1996, the outfield fence was moved closer to home plate. This made the park more "hitter-friendly" and helped the Cleveland Indians, the Bisons' MLB partner, evaluate their young players.
In 1999, a large LED video screen was added to the center field scoreboard. More renovations happened in 2004, including removing some bleachers and building a "Party Deck" in right field. This reduced the stadium's seating capacity.
New LED scoreboards and a better sound system were installed in 2011 and 2014. The stadium's original red seats were gradually replaced with wider green seats, further reducing the total capacity to 16,600 by 2019.
MLB Comes to Buffalo (Temporarily)
In 2020, something exciting happened! The Toronto Blue Jays, an MLB team, needed a place to play because of the COVID-19 pandemic. They chose Sahlen Field as their temporary home. This meant Major League Baseball was finally played in Buffalo!
The stadium received $5 million in upgrades for the Blue Jays. These included new LED lights, instant replay technology, and a new infield. The Blue Jays played 49 MLB games here over two seasons (2020 and 2021).
More renovations happened in 2021, like new batting cages and moving the bullpens. The stadium was even named "Professional Baseball Field of the Year" in November 2021 for these improvements.
Recent Updates and Future Plans
In September 2023, a fire caused some damage to a concession stand at the stadium. The Buffalo Bisons are currently looking for funding to make more improvements to the stadium for fans. In March 2025, the Bisons announced that the sound system would be completely updated, with the first part finished before the 2025 season.
Stadium Names Over the Years
The stadium has had several names since it opened:
- Pilot Field (1988–1995): Named after Pilot Air Freight.
- Downtown Ballpark (1995): A temporary name.
- North AmeriCare Park (1995–1999): Named after a local health company.
- Dunn Tire Park (1999–2008): Named after a tire company.
- Coca-Cola Field (2009–2018): Named after the famous drink company.
- Sahlen Field (2019–present): Named after Sahlen's, a local food company.
Exciting Events at Sahlen Field
Baseball Games and Records
Sahlen Field has hosted many memorable baseball events:
- The first-ever Triple-A All-Star Game was held here on July 13, 1988. It hosted the game again in 2012.
- On June 3, 1990, a game with a post-game concert by The Beach Boys set a baseball attendance record of 21,050 fans. This record was matched on August 30, 2002.
- Bartolo Colón of the Buffalo Bisons threw the stadium's only no-hitter on June 20, 1997. A no-hitter is when a pitcher doesn't let the other team get any hits!
- The Buffalo Bisons won the Governors' Cup championship here in 2004.
College Baseball and Softball
The stadium hosted the baseball events for the World University Games in July 1993. Teams from around the world competed. It also hosted the "Big Four Baseball Classic" tournaments in 2004 and 2005 for local college teams.
Sahlen Field has also been the site of fun charity softball games. Jim Kelly, a famous football player, held his "StarGaze" events here in the early 1990s. More recently, Micah Hyde, another football star, has hosted his Charity Softball Game here since 2019, raising lots of money for kids' foundations.
Concerts and Festivals
Music fans love Sahlen Field! The Buffalo Bisons have a yearly Summer Concert Series after games. The stadium also hosts big music festivals like Edgefest and Taste of Country. In June 2015, a Taste of Country event headlined by Dierks Bentley set an all-time concert attendance record with 27,000 fans!
Other events include professional wrestling shows and the popular National Buffalo Wing Festival. The Wing Festival, which features a chicken wing eating championship, will return to Sahlen Field in 2025.
Cool Features of Sahlen Field
Field Dimensions and Wind Effects
The way the stadium faces and the winds from nearby Lake Erie really affect how baseballs fly. A steady breeze often blows from right field to left field. This means right-handed batters often have good luck hitting balls into left field for home runs.
The field has "cozy" dimensions, meaning the fences are not super far away. For example, it's 325 feet to left field. A tall 60-foot fence in left field protects cars on Oak Street from flying baseballs!
Stadium Rules for Play
Here are some special rules for playing at Sahlen Field:
- If a fair ball gets stuck in the outfield fence padding, it's a ground rule double.
- If a fair ball bounces off the outfield fence padding and goes over the fence, it's an automatic double.
- If a fly ball hits the foul pole caps or metal supports beyond the outfield wall, it's a home run.
- If a bounding ball hits the unpadded cement wall near the foul poles, it's still in play.
Food and Drinks at the Park
Sahlen Field has a restaurant called Pub at the Park. It has indoor and outdoor seating with great views of the field. It's open for special events and on game days for ticket holders.
The stadium also offers lots of delicious local food! You can find beef on weck sandwiches, craft beer from local breweries, hot dogs from Sahlen's, pierogies, and pizza from La Nova Pizzeria. The stadium is cashless, so you'll use cards or mobile payments for your snacks.
Honoring History and Heroes
The Buffalo Bisons like to mark where their players hit home runs into the right field parking lot. This is a rare feat! Russell Branyan holds the record with three such home runs.
The initials of Robert E. Rich Sr., the father of the Bisons' owner, are on the press box as a tribute. He was a very important person in Buffalo. The stadium's address was also changed to One James D. Griffin Plaza to honor former Mayor James D. Griffin. A bronze statue of him, called The First Pitch, stands outside the stadium.
Inside the stadium, you can see a "Championship Corner" banner. It celebrates the Bisons' many wins and honors retired numbers of famous players like Jackie Robinson (number 42). When the Toronto Blue Jays played here, they also honored their retired numbers above the press box.
Getting to Sahlen Field
Sahlen Field is easy to get to! It's located right off Interstate 190. There are also parking garages nearby.
You can use public transportation too. The Buffalo Metro Rail has a station (Seneca Station) just one block away. Amtrak trains stop at Buffalo–Exchange Street station, which is right across from the stadium. There are also bus stops and a bike-sharing station close by.
Images for kids
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Field dimensions
