On July 4th, Bisons honor 100-year-old veteran

For 100-year-old Roy Kinyon, it was a night 80 years in the making.

In 1942, the high school baseball star was set to try out for the Buffalo Bisons, but he turned them down to join the U.S. Navy and fight in World War II. On Monday, the Blue Jays’ Triple-A affiliate signed the veteran to a one-day contract to officially put him in the history books as a Bisons player eight decades later.

Buffalo honored Kinyon with a pregame ceremony that included him officially signing his contract, greeting every one of his new teammates and throwing out the first pitch. After inking his name and officially becoming a Bison, Kinyon donned a jersey with his last name and the number 100 on the back.

The crowd stood and clapped as each young teammate came up and fist-bumped him, exchanging words and laughs as Kinyon geared up to throw out the first pitch.

With the whole team behind him, Kinyon was all smiles as he stood halfway between the mound and home plate, cocked his arm back and tossed an underhanded strike. The crowd erupted into cheers.

In preparation for his big day, Kinyon practiced for his first pitch with his sons in the driveway of his home, according to a video taken by The Buffalo News.

A total of 14,836 fans gathered in Sahlen Field on Independence Day. The Bisons ultimately fell to Syracuse, 4-3, but between the pregame ceremony, the postgame fireworks and the ultimate signing, it was a special night in Buffalo.