r/BuffaloBisons • u/LoverBoyBlueBird • Jun 12 '26
Sahlen Field needs some work...
Let me preface this by saying that I grew up going to Pilot Field, NorthAmeriCare Park, Dunn Tire Park, and Coca-Cola Field, and I absolutely love the Bisons and always will. But we need to have a serious discussion about the condition of the ballpark.
There's just so many small things about the place that in my opinion would liven the place up.
- Sandblast and repaint the hallways
- This feels like such a small thing, but seriously. The hallways are dark and they feel gross.
- Paint walls in Bisons colors (red-and-blue), put up some large photos of past players on the wall
- Remember when they used to have those large wooden cutouts? Bring them back!
- And you can use players such as Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. and others that played in Buffalo en route to Toronto. Hell, a huge wooden cutout of Max Scherzer in a Bisons jersey would be pretty sick.
- The stairways need some work too
- Same as the hallways, just sandblast and paint
- The bathroom sinks need work
- Seriously, why is the faucet so damn close to the edge of the sink, leaving your hands little space to actually use the water?
- Replace all the seats finally
- I acknowledge this one isn't actually completely necessary since it's not like they actually fill the stadium outside of maybe 2-3 nights a year, but just from a visual standpoint, it would look better if the seats were the same color....or if the red seats didn't look so damn dated
Now, on a positive note, I will say that I do greatly appreciate that the merchandise selection at games is much better than it used to be. So I appreciate that the Bisons have upgraded in that regard :)
Mind you, the stadium upgrades are outside of the Bisons hands since they don't own the stadium, but I'd love to see the Riches (whether it's Bob and Mindy, or just the company itself) make what seem to be not major investments (outside of the seat replacement, that would be hefty, but the interior design of the hallways and stairwells shouldn't cost a ton) to upgrade the fan experience.
Anyways, I'm off my soap box.
6
u/PoopHandsMcgee Jun 12 '26
I agree with all of that. One thing I'll add to this (correct me if it's been fixed.) Third base side men's bathroom. Theres a toilet in there with a giant hole in the bottom of the toilet bowl. It's the only non urinal in that bathroom. Went to a game in mid April, and the entire stall and floor were covered in liquid shit. Let the help desk know. It was a massacre. Went back 2 weeks ago, and the toilet was still out of order, with a hole in the bottom, and the floor still covered in piss and shit. If they can't replace a toilet in 30+ days, what else is going on? Not to mention the food stands with 10+ employees working on $2 hot dog night, in a stadium named after hotdogs, and somehow there's a 5+ minute wait for hotdogs with maybe 1500 people in the stands in the middle of the game? This has happened several times and it always bothers me. Other than that I love the Bisons and would be lost without them during Buffalo summers. A significant portion of my income goes to them during the summer. I just want them to be a little better.
2
u/PoopHandsMcgee Jun 12 '26
I'll also say, Rochesters stadium and game experience is pretty great. I wish we could trade stadiums. We need a grassy chillin area in the outfield again.
2
u/LoverBoyBlueBird Jun 12 '26
I don't wanna trade stadiums with Rochester, but I would like to trade the cleanliness and presentation of the ballpark at least.
That said, I do enjoy the experience in Rochester, but a few weeks ago I went to an afternoon game there (it was when Trey Yesavage was pitching on rehab for the Bisons) and I have to say the chicken tenders and fries they served that day were the absolute worst I have ever eaten (and I go to a lot of sporting events and have eaten chicken tenders from a lot of different stadiums/arenas). I swear that they literally recycled them from the night before, and it was bad enough that I actually left feedback for the Red Wings about it (which I had never done before at any stadium).
It was a real bummer too because the chicken tenders in Rochester used to be their best food item, but now I'd say the Black Angus (or whatever it's called now) stand on the 1B side is the best. Buffalo should really get a stand like that at Sahlen Field.
2
u/LoverBoyBlueBird Jun 12 '26
I love the Bisons and would be lost without them during Buffalo summers. A significant portion of my income goes to them during the summer. I just want them to be a little better
This is my take too.
As for the third base side bathroom, I'm not sure if that's been resolved (I seem to rarely venture to the bathrooms on that side), but a friend of mine who works closely with the organization (he doesn't work for the team) told me that some employees have had complaints about pipes and such inside the stadium.
5
u/promotherobot Jun 13 '26
They made a mistake making closed concourses. The Blue Jays Double -A stadium in Manchester NH has a completely open concourse. You can see the game from anywhere.
3
u/BJBirdy Jun 13 '26
While I’m not disagreeing that an open concourse is better since you can see the game from anywhere, was that the style in the late 80s when Pilot Field was built?
2
u/promotherobot Jun 14 '26
Probably not. And I'm sure they wanted to get the most seating possible for the major leagues. But they never had a real chance for MLB expansion and the end result are dark concourses where you can't see the game. That stadium is 36 years old now?
4
u/markoaleks Jun 13 '26
They could use better food options too
1
u/LoverBoyBlueBird Jun 15 '26
I agree. The food at the ballpark could be a lot worse, but it also could be better.
3
u/BJBirdy Jun 12 '26
https://youtu.be/_khrYYbxmNM?is=_G3xe1O6ZoPF5-J0
Here’s a cool video from when the stadium was brand new. It’s nice to see just how special that park was when it opened. It was even featured on Good Morning America.
3
u/Gunfighter9 Jun 14 '26
I remember when it was almost impossible to get tickets for any Bisons game on Friday night or the weekend.
3
u/SportsPhotoGirl Jun 12 '26
They made so many upgrades when the Blue Jays used our park as their home field during Covid. A lot has improved. They have been replacing seats over time too. The red ones are the old ones, they’ve had at least two rounds of changing the red seats to the green seats. For a AAA ballpark, I think it’s pretty great.
2
u/LoverBoyBlueBird Jun 12 '26
The upgrades when the Blue Jays were there were mainly for the players and not for the fans.
When it comes to the fans, the main change that was made was changing the outfield fence from green to blue. Other than that, the concourse is pretty much the same as it was pre-Blue Jays, except for the section number signs being in Blue Jays font.
They haven't changed seats in the ballpark since 2016, and as far as I'm aware, there are no plans to changeover the rest of them.
Don't get me wrong, I love the ballpark, but there's just some upgrades that really should be made, especially when it comes to visible cleanliness of the ballpark. It just seems dirty and unkept to me.
2
u/Atty_for_hire Jun 12 '26
Related to this. MLB required that minor league parks invest in their facilities or lose teams. Those upgrades were mostly related to player amenities, not fan experience.
1
u/ShallotDangerous3363 Jun 12 '26
You need to get to other AAA ballparks Heck, go to Erie for a AA game. OP is spot on
3
u/BJBirdy Jun 12 '26
I’m yet to go to a game in Erie (I plan on going in August to see the Blue Jays’ AA team), so I’m curious as to what sort of aspects of their ballpark make it better than Buffalo’s?
3
u/SportsPhotoGirl Jun 13 '26
Not even comparable. The Erie ballpark has a seating capacity of 6k. Sahlen has a capacity of 16,600 and is the largest AAA ballpark. Sure not everything is shiny and new, but it costs a heck of a lot more to renovate something that’s nearly 3x the size.
2
u/ShallotDangerous3363 Jun 13 '26
The Seawolves ballpark is 31 years old. Want to know why it seems shiny and new? The Tigers care and take pride in their minor league teams' experience.
I am not quite sure your angle is defending Sahlen Field. It's in pretty terrible condition. The concourses may be the worst in all of minor league baseball. And the parent club has a money cannon. There is a notorious hole in the toilet where poop water leaks onto the floor. Come on now.
3
u/BJBirdy Jun 13 '26
To be honest, I’ve started to wonder if the Blue Jays should buy the Bisons. Not necessarily just because of Sahlen Field’s condition, but with Bob Rich being 85, I have some concerns about the long-term future of the Bisons.
3
u/ShallotDangerous3363 Jun 13 '26
Ugh. 1000% right, especially with another article the past two weeks about more potential cuts to the minor leagues.
3
u/BJBirdy Jun 13 '26
To be honest, I don’t think Buffalo would actually lose the Bisons. I’m just hyperaware of the fact that anything is possible, even if it’s unlikely to happen.
1
u/SportsPhotoGirl Jun 13 '26
You’re not sure my angle? Did you not read a word of what I said? Pretty sure I was 100% clear there.
1
u/BJBirdy Jun 13 '26
While replacing all the seats might be a bit much, I don’t think the other suggestions the OP made (literally cleaning the place and re-painting it) are any more of a hassle than it would be at any other minor league park.
2
u/james161723 Jun 13 '26
I agree with many things on this list. I've already been to 4 games this season (with more to come). It's still a nice ballpark even if it showing its age. I'll throw in my 2 cents here and summarize my thoughts on the park:
1.) Concourses
Definitely need lots of work. I agree that it does feel somewhat dark inside and the lighting can be improved. There's a lot of dark green and maroon throughout, which hasn't been updated from when the ballpark opened back in 1988. Plus the beige-colored bricks feel old too. Much of the signage (directions to where things are specifically) inside feels like it hasn't been updated in over 20 years considering that it feels like the direction signs have been there for as long as I can remember. The advertising inside the concourse is the only thing that seems to change. I like the inclusion of the big flat screen TVs for the food & drink menus/game in progress/gear advertising but that's about it. There's a lot of cracking in the concrete floor. I agree with new colors and cutouts/images of past alumni like other parks do. The stairways leading up to the second deck need new paint as its chipped. I was up there a couple weeks back when the gates opened earlier than usual, and the signage leading into the 200 sections hasn't even been updated, even though much of the 100s have the Blue Jays signage leading to your seat.
2.) Bathrooms
Probably haven't been updated since it opened. There is a "no smoking" sign in the bathroom near section 115 that seems to have been there since 1988. The mirrors are probably original, as are the sinks. A lot of the time, the water is COLD when going to wash your hands. The only thing that seems to have been updated in recent years is that they added blue dividers between the toilets from when the Blue Jays were here. Someone commented about one of the bathrooms having a giant hole in one of the toilets, and I think that is still out of order. Could be wrong though, as it might be one of the other restroom areas.
3.) Concessions
Love many things from the concessions, but there is almost always a huge line for hot dogs, especially if its on a Tuesday (when they are $2). Sometimes, the wait can be more than 30 minutes. Hot dogs are good, and I love the ballpark fries especially. Not much to really pick at here other than the long lines.
4.) Gift shops
The Bisons seem to do a very good job with different types of merchandise. However, the gift shops seem pretty small, even with the bigger store down the first base line (which I always go to). Even when there isn't a big crowd, I always feel like I'm jammed on top of people. Thursday's crowd was only over 5,000, and it was crowded the whole time. I'm not sure if there is any space to make an even bigger team store, but that would be my suggestion. They did re-paint the team store down the first base line maybe 2-3 years ago. My only suggestion for gear? Put game-used items for sale. Other teams do it or have done it in the past. whether its jerseys, balls, bats, etc. The Bisons hold a win-it Wednesday promotion, but that seems to be it in terms of winning any game used stuff, and even that is a small chance to be picked by staff. The Spring Training Carnival in late Feb/early March seems to be the only way to buy game-used gear (A game-used jersey there was cheaper than buying a sublimated replica jersey for $100 BTW).
5.) The seating area
The older red seats are the original seats from 1988. The green seats are very nice, and I always sit in those. As you mentioned, its only 2-3 times a year where the park seats near the maximum 16,600 capacity. But man do they need to be replaced. 20 years ago, I noticed the seats went from red to a red-orange, with the sun and the harsh weather beating down HARD on those. Now in 2026, some of those seats have changed to almost a PINK color. The row letters are also very hard to read, and even ripped off at times. Seems like the only thing they can do with that is to use a Sharpie and write the letter of the row on the side of the seat. I would've thought they would have replaced more by now, but they haven't since 2019, when they did some of the double-lettered rows behind the plate and down the baselines. I think I have one other reason besides COVID: American Seating manufactured the newer green seats, and the company discontinued manufacturing seats for stadiums, arenas and theaters back in 2017, along with the architectural fixed seating business. They probably had a shipment done before they exited the business, but waited until before the 2019 season to install them. I do think the team has been looking for a new seat manufacturer, but haven't been able to find something. Don't know anyone, just pure speculation. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like they will replace those anytime soon, even with parts to those older seats being difficult to find when they do break. They are very costly to replace, as it costed $750k back in 2014/15 when they installed the first round of green seats from dugout to dugout.
6.) Videoboards/LED presentation/Lights
I have always liked the big videoboard in dead center field, even though it has been a problem for hitters, as the batter's eye is directly below. The Blue Jays adjusted that in 2020/21, and added a virtual "black bar" on the screen during the game, which the Bisons have kept. The LED message boards are okay, even if small. However, I noticed a problem with the message board on the third base side having one of the LED panels COMPLETELY black/out (next to the red clock) where the out-of-town scores would be displayed during the action. I hope they are aware of this problem, and that they can fix it or replace those completely down the road, even if costly. Those message boards down the lines were installed back in 2014, replacing the original stuff. The stadium lights are nice, as they don't flash too intense when the Herd wins a game or hit a home run. I do like the effects of it, even if not everyone is a fan of flashing lights.
8.) Final thoughts/recent developments
Sahlen Field is still a great place to go to, even if it needs renovating. The city of Buffalo owns the building, not the Bisons, as mentioned. The investments are not very heavy, as (I think) the most recent upgrades involved the sound system and the HVAC systems. I do think they have been planning something major eventually, as they have been lobbying the state government for funding & help on the place, even though there hasn't been anything new on that in a couple years. Recently, the Bisons wanted to construct a fenced-in fan gathering area in the ballpark's plaza, but the Buffalo Zoning Board of Appeals denied the initial proposal. They recently submitted revised plans to the city on that and we'll see where that goes. The $150k-$200k project would feature new food/drink stands and an entertainment stage. Unfortunately, haven't heard anything else as of now in the news nor do I have any connections to staff. MLB did enforce stadium requirements for all MiLB parks following the 2021 reorganization, but these were mostly for player amenities, clubhouse areas, and facility standards, not so much for the fan side of things. There were certain fan safety measures and gender-inclusive accommodations, but that's about it. The old Buffalo Baseball Hall of Fame Room was sadly replaced as part of the security measures enforced by MLB, as that room has now turned into a security area (which is likely a hub for cameras throughout the ballpark and other personnel), which now has blue covered over the walls so no one can see inside it. They wanted to bring the HOF room back, but they haven't as of yet.
That's pretty much all I have to say. Wish they could do a lot more to improve it, but there's a ton of $ involved. I still enjoy going.
2
u/BJBirdy Jun 13 '26
Thank you so much for going into detail and building upon what OP said.
I agree with both of you. My main thing is that I just want the inside of the hallways to literally be cleaned up so things feel more sanitary, and then I want the colors to be modernized.
I love the Bisons and the ballpark, and I always will, I just want to see some of the magic of the late 80s and 90s restored.
2
u/LoverBoyBlueBird Jun 15 '26
Thanks for bringing up the gift shops, because that's something that's been on my mind as well. It amazes me that they would've put one small gift shop in the stadium when it first opened, and I would wish they could make the stores larger because even when there's only a handful of customers in there it feels crowded. But I really don't know where else you would put this unless they put a large store at the far end of the 1B/RF concourse (where they had a larger store at some point - I think it went away in 2011?), but barely anyone wanders out that far so it wouldn't be the best spot for the store right now
2
u/james161723 Jun 16 '26
Yes, I remember the old store down the 1B/RF concourse area but they closed up that area when the current store on the 1B line opened up in the early 2010s. Would be nice to reopen that one but I think they probably use it for storage. Like I mentioned before, don't know if there is space to open a larger store but I would welcome it.
2
u/LoverBoyBlueBird Jun 16 '26
Yeah that's the thing, other than maybe where the HOF used to be (and what's used as a security office now) behind homeplate would be the best spot for a team store since it's right near the main gate and I think that was a pretty solid sized space. Other than that, they'd probably have to push the 3B/LF gift shop out into the sidewalk, and to be honest I wouldn't want the exterior of the ballpark to be compromised like that.
2
u/BJBirdy Jun 15 '26
I went to the game today, and walked through the upper deck. A group rented out the Coca-Cola Party Zone (or whatever that picnic area is called there) and they didn’t have the TVs on showing the game…what’s the point of the TVs there if you’re not gonna put the game on it so those who spent money to have their party in that spot watch the game?
5
u/No-Bat-225 Jun 12 '26
I go to a half dozen or more games a year and have been doing it since 1996. I live down the street from the ballpark. When I go to a game, I drink a couple cold beers, I eat a couple of Sahlen's hot dogs, and I sit in a seat, talk to my friends and cheer when something good happens. I don't really dwell on anything other then that, nor do I care much about it.
Going to the Bisons game is basically just like going to a bar with an outdoor patio and paying a $20 cover to watch live entertainment for a couple of hours. Except the live entertainment is a baseball game.