Buffalo, Aiming for Major Franchise, Opens New Stadium Next Thursday

The city will cry out “Play Ball” for its new $43 million baseball stadium Thursday, hoping the luster of its diamond will someday attract a major league franchise.

The 19,500-seat Pilot Field will open with the triple A American Assn. Buffalo Bisons playing host to the Denver Zephyrs, but club officials are looking to the day when the opponents will be the Yankees, Red Sox or the Mets. The stadium, wedged in the heart of the city’s downtown business district, can be expanded to 40,000 seats if the major leagues ever show interest in Buffalo.

The team had played in aging War Memorial Stadium--affectionately referred to by residents as “the Old Rockpile”--since it entered the American Assn. in 1985. Fans, anxiously awaiting the new stadium, bought out all tickets for this year’s opening game in about 90 minutes.

“The opening of Pilot Field is going to be the keynote in the renovation of downtown Buffalo,” said Michael Billoni, Bison vice president and general manager. “We feel that people will come to see the stadium because of its uniqueness.”

“The stadium will have a great economic impact on the City of Buffalo,” said Mayor James Griffin, an avid backer of the stadium project. “It’s going to be a lot of fun for everybody here in western New York.”

The facility has big league dimensions--325 feet down the foul lines, 348 feet in the power alleys and 410 feet from home plate to straightaway center field.

Buffalo, which has been mentioned along with other cities as possible baseball expansion sites, has a rich baseball tradition dating back to 1877. The city’s professional baseball record books include the names of Luke Easter, Mayo Smith, Vic Wertz, Don Mincher, Hal McRae, Johnny Bench and Tony Pena as its stars.

Billoni points out that when the club mentioned a possible major league bid years ago, “people would laugh at us. People aren’t laughing anymore.”

“The question now should not be if it will happen, but when will it happen,” he added.

Billoni said the Bisons, who drew a team-record 497,000 fans last season, have their sights on 1 million fans seeing them play this year at the new stadium.

The goal seems attainable, with the new stadium set as site of the 7th annual National Old Timers Baseball Classic June 20 and first Triple-A All-Star game July 13.