Built prior to the 1988 season, Sahlen Field, home of the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons, is one of the most significant ballparks in baseball history. The first 'classic retro' ballpark, it was built before such stadiums as Camden Yards in Baltimore and Coors Field in Colorado, and it's construction triggered a stadium boom at both the minor and major league levels. Still one of the largest ballparks in minor league baseball, Sahlen Field is home to the top six attendance marks in the history of minor league baseball and hosted the first ever Triple-A All-Star Game in 1988. In 2020 and 2021, the ballpark hosted 49 Toronto Blue Jays home games putting Sahlen Field at the top of the list for non-MLB parks hosting Major League games.
Sahlen Field Stats
Capacity: 16,600
Playing Surface: Natural Grass
Dimensions: LF (325), CF (404), RF (325)
HR Fence: LF (12'), LCF-RF (8')
LF Screen: 60' high
Scoreboard: Daktronics, 80' x 33' in HD
Ballpark Design: H.O.K Architects (Kansas City)
First Game: April 14, 1988 (Bisons 1, Denver 0)
First Pitch: Swinging strike by Denver's Billy Bates
First Hit: Bisons Jim Reboulet (single)
First HR: Bisons Tom Prince (solo HR to LF)
First Win: Bisons Bob Patterson