Triple-A All-Stars Play at Buffalo Wednesday

A day after major league baseball’s All-Stars play in Cincinnati, 48 of the best players at the highest level of the minor leagues will be on display in the first Triple-A All-Star game.

The game Wednesday night will feature the top players in the American Assn., International League and Pacific Coast League paired off on National and American league teams according to their club’s major league affiliation.

Officials of the American Assn. Buffalo Bisons, who lobbied to stage the game at the city’s new 19,500-seat Pilot Field, view the contest as another way to showcase the stadium and boost the city in their efforts to land a future major league expansion franchise.

“We’re going to have on our Sunday best and really show them how serious we are about baseball in Buffalo,” said Michael Billoni, Bisons vice president and general manager.

The game will be televised by ESPN at 5 p.m., PST.

Billoni pointed out that many members of the major league fraternity who will be in Cincinnati for the July 12 major league summer classic will make the trip to Buffalo the following day.

“We already have a number of major league executives looking into making the trip from Cincinnati to here,” he said. “The national baseball media hasn’t passed through Buffalo. Since we have so many of them coming in here for this game, they’re going to leave with the amazement of what a great sports town this is.”

Many of the major league front office personnel will be getting a good look at some of the players who will be added to their rosters near the end of the season. For example, three teams, Tidewater of the International League and Las Vegas and Albuquerque of the PCL, will have three players each on the National League squad.

Tidewater, top farm team of the New York Mets, will send starting pitcher Dave West, outfielder Mark Carreon and infielder Gregg Jeffries, while Albuquerque, the top Los Angeles Dodgers affiliate, will have first baseman Tracy Woodson and outfielders Chris Gwynn and Mike Devereaux on the team.

Las Vegas, a farm club of the San Diego Padres, will have catcher Sandy Alomar, second baseman Joey Cora and pitcher Greg Harris on the NL club.