2009 Buffalo Bisons Preview

You asked for it ... so here it is. Actually, I'm pretty sure nobody asked for it save A.F.O.M.G., who has a secret Buffalo fetish that only emerges when the moon is full. Regardless, it's me, Cheddar Ben, chiming in from law school with a quick cameo to spotlight the Metsies' new AAA affiliate.


To recap. Long, long ago, in a galaxy far, far, away, the expansion New York Mets had a top minor-league affiliate. The name of that franchise was the Buffalo Bisons. For three years, from 1963 to 1965, the two organizations loved each other dearly. They exchanged rings, shared wonderful, blissful moments together and talked almost every day on the phone. Cleon Jones and Ed Kranepool actually walked in on the Mets and Bisons making out in a hot top in Tonawanda one night, which was somewhat awkward. But the two teams swore they would be together forever.

We know how these things often end, though, and in the fall of 1965, the scene got bad. Things were said that couldn't be taken back, and the Mets ended up walking away. The Bisons locked themselves in their rooms, listening to "Crying in the Chapel" and "I Got You Babe" over and over again. Out of spite, the Mets hid their AAA players in faraway coastal Virginia for nearly four decades, first as the Tidewater Tides and then, beginning in 1993, as Norfolk. The Tides' major accomplishment during this period was, so far as I can tell, to inspire a young David Wright to take up the game of baseball. For that, in and of itself, they deserve a round of kudos. Kudos, Tides. Kudos.

For the last two years, then, the AAA scene shifted to New Orleans, where the Zephyrs (formerly of Denver, where they were displaced by the expansion Rockies) did their thing before small crowds amidst stifling humidity and general disinterest. Not that I can blame anyone there. If I had a choice between rebuilding my city and plopping down money to watch David Newhan, I know where I'd spend my evenings. For their trouble, the baseball faithful of New Orleans got to witness the resurgence of Fernando Tatis and a whole lot more of Anderson Hernandez than any one city should be exposed to. Clearly, this was not a relationship built to last.

And so it came to pass that the Mets, for the 2009 season, decided to bring it all back in-state, naming the Buffalo Bisons as their AAA partner on a two-year deal. The romance was rekindled. This caused much rejoicing amongst the small-but-strange Mets/Bisons fanbase, all of whom immediately envisioned great things for the rekindled partnership. They yet may be proven right! It's too early to tell at this point. Still, we fans of the Bisons, and true love, know that there's plenty to be excited about for this upcoming season.

Change is afoot

The Bisons have responded to the Mets deal by spiffing themselves up in a bunch of different ways. The new logo and uniforms, modeled on New York's colors and designs, look fantastic. The team sensibly signed an agreement to air a bunch of games on SNY, the television home of the Mets, which is kind of cool.

Even better, the organization dumped one of the crappiest naming rights deal for a professional stadium in favor of ... a slightly less crappy one. "Coca-Cola Field" isn't all that bad, right? Right? It's not like it's demonstrably worse than "Citi Field," and it's a damn sight better than "Dunn Tire Park," its previous iteration. It's also about a million times more catchy than "North AmeriCare Park," the title from 1995 to 1998. That was a somewhat traumatic part of my high school experience, let me tell you. "North AmeriCare Park" sounds like a triangle of grass outside a nursing home where old people cruise in Hoverounds and play chess.

The team will be fun to watch

We think. The final roster isn't set yet, but fans in Buffalo will be able to watch at least two would-be Mets on a regular basis, including top starting pitching prospect Jon Niese and future reliever Eddie Kunz. Niese, most everyone is aware of at this point. A decent 3.04 ERA and 112 Ks in 124.1 innings at Binghamton as a 21-year-old last season, followed by a solid late-season promotion to the Big Easy (39.2 IP, 3.40 ERA, 32 K, 14 BB) and three rather unsuccessful starts in the Bigs. No big deal. He's got a nice sinking fastball (not a Pelfrey-esque dive bomber, but more of a moving two-seamer) and above-average control, and he may be pitching in Queens before too long, depending on how the Mets' 5th starter situation shakes out. [Shudder.]



Kunz, though, has the real thing -- a huge, heavy sinker. I've been rooting for this clown since he was pitching alongside by boy Cole Gillespie back at Oregon State, and he's going to make a hell of a ground-ball reliever before very long. He's a big boy (6-foot-5), and once he gets his control down pat, it's on.

As far as the rest of the roster, meh. I love me some fat baseballers, so it'll be good to see Robinson Cancel chug around the basepaths at Coca-Cola Field, but that's not the sort of thing that draws you out on a cold April evening. Argenis Reyes? Yawn. Nothing to see there. I hope Fernando Martinez will be up before very long, and it's possible he'll crack camp with the Bisons. If so, that'll be a huge reason to come out and watch as often as possible.

Major disappointments

Little known fact about Cheddar Ben -- the man is a certified Kansas City Barbecue Society judge. "What's that?" you say. "Cheddar is qualified to taste and evaluate competition-level brisket, chicken, pulled pork, and ribs?" Indeed he is. One day, he'll tell you the story of how he earned his stripes as a KCBS man. Here's a little teaser -- the story involves a 450-pound mentor, a rainy drive through Eastern Massachusetts, and a bag of marijuana. Come to think of it, I'm pretty sure that's how most KCBS members got their start, but never you mind.

The point is, I know my stuff in this area. And as such, I'm utterly horrified that the Bisons, after years of offering truly mediocre fare at the park, finally decided to upgrade their concessions with some barbecue only to go out like a punk. More specifically, they went national, opting to offer the horrifyingly awful Famous Dave's to the menu. Bad choice.

Talk about unimaginative. You might as well slap some sauce on a McDonalds chicken sandwich and call it barbecue. I don't know how much the chain is paying them for the concession, but it can't be much. More importantly, it can't have been enough to outweigh the far superior local options, like Fat Bob's or the plucky little Smokin' Toms.

[Note: Citi Field will offer Blue Smoke barbecue, which should be absolutely great. Expect a full food review of the park later this summer.]

That said, the team has decided to offer Tim Horton's coffee at the park, which is a step in the right direction.

NL weirdness

The Bisons had been affiliated with the Indians for a while, which has meant that the DH rule has been in effect in Buffalo for a while. Now that they're linked up with a National League club, that's going to change ... kind of. Apparently, the rule in the International League is ... well, I'll let the club explain it:

The Bisons will not be able to use a designated hitter when they take on another affiliate of a National League team. Therefore, in games against Lehigh Valley (Phillies), Syracuse (Nationals), Louisville (Reds), Gwinnett (Braves) and Indianapolis (Pirates), the Bisons pitcher must take his normal turn in the batting order. When the Bisons play a team affiliated with an American League team, both clubs will be able to use a designated hitter.

A little bit strange, right? You'd think there would be a home-away thing going on, like they have in the World Series, but apparently not. Anyways, fans in Buffalo will get to see pitchers hit a bit this summer, which will speed up games and increase the chance of a Chien-Ming Wang-type disaster, which is always fun.

Pure class

And just so everyone is aware of what type of organization the Bisons are, this is how they're going to kick off the season:

The Buffalo Bisons, Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets, today announced that they will offer up to four FREE tickets to Opening Day 2009 to any person who has lost their job.

The Bisons recognize that many of the same fans that have helped the team set numerous attendance records have now fallen on hard times with the downturn in this country's economy. With the hope and promise of Spring and a new baseball season, the team wanted to make sure that all their great fans and their families have a chance to attend Opening Day on Thursday, April 9 against the Pawtucket Red Sox (3:05 p.m.).

That's what's up. Let's go Bisons.