My view at Coca-Cola Field during the Bison's 12-3 victory.
Yesterday afternoon, the Buffalo Bisons had their first home game of the 2012 season. Instead of staying home watching the Mets like I normally would, I decided to venture out into the cold, windy, and rainy weather to attend the game. It was the first of many games I will be attending this season.
The Bisons play at Coca-Cola Field in the middle of downtown Buffalo, NY. If you are in town, it is worth coming down to the park for a game or two. Tickets range anywhere from seven to twelve dollars, and Coca-Cola Field is one of the largest and nicest parks in all of Minor League Baseball.
The food, fans, and family friendly atmosphere make this park a great one.
Some of the unique features of the park include a full-scale upper deck, a large picnic area in center field, and many different seating options.
One of my favorite details of attending a game here is the ushers do not object to moving freely around the park during the game, so you are free to try out some different views as long as the seats are not taken.
The attendance at the park was just around one thousand. It was quite cold, but this is around the average attendance for a weekday afternoon game. Friday night games typically sell out on a regular basis.
Other than Fridays, tickets are readily available and can be found via promotions and giveaways regularly around town.
The Bisons ended up defeating the Scranton Wilkes-Barre Yankees by a score of 12-3. It was a one-sided, but exciting game where several Mets prospects flashed their potential.
One of the main reasons I chose to attend yesterday’s game was the fact that it was Jeurys Familia’s first start in Buffalo. After reading scouting reports and watching video for so many years on Familia, I was very excited to finally see him in person, and he lived up to my expectations.
Familia’s fastball averaged between 92-95 mph and his curve ball was much better than it had been described to be. He lasted five innings and struck out eight batters while walking three. I was extremely impressed with his performance.
He let up three runs on a home run, but other than that he looked like he could be effective in the Majors as soon as this year.
Offensively, the Bisons knocked around Yankees prospect Dellin Betances and company, posting up twelve runs. Zach Lutz hit two home runs to left field, Jordany Valdespin hit a deep homer to right field, and fan favorite Valentino Pascucci hit a home run of his own aswell.
While he is an older prospect, Lutz looks like he can be a contributor if he can stay healthy. If Jordany Valdespin can increase his walk rate and cut down on errors, he could be a special player at second base or in the outfield.
Overall Bisons games are a tremendous value. For around ten dollars, seeing the future Mets play is well worth the low price. From the beautiful ballpark to seeing the future of the Mets, Coca-Cola Field is a must visit if you happen to be in the Buffalo-Niagara area.
For more information on Coca-Cola Field and the 2012 Bisons, you can visit there official website. Or if you would like to ask any questions, you can ask me on my twitter, @tysim19.
