Herd will see lots of Rochester
The Bisons and Rochester open a two-city, six-game series today at 1 in Coca-Cola Field and they'll be getting to know each quite well the rest of the way. The teams have met exactly one time in the first three months of the season (it was back in April in Frontier Field and the second game was rained out).
That means that 15 of Buffalo's final 68 games are against the Red Wings. Great scheduling by the IL as usual. Finish the entire IL South but play the team an hour away one time in the first 75 games? Yeesh.
Anyway, the Wings are pretty mediocre again and keep thinking they're on the fringe of the IL playoff race (they're not). About the most exciting thing happening in Roch-cha-cha this year is that the Wings are the subject of a PBS reality show being filmed entitled "Minor League." It's going to air next year and that should be interesting.
Couple schedule notes on the series: Friday, of course, is BPO night in Buffalo. You'll hear this a lot in the next two days -- don't dilly-dally at the box office trying to get tickets at will call. You might face long lines. Pony up and use the print-at-home option, people.
Sunday in Rochester is a makeup day-night doubleheader. Two games. Two tickets. 1:05 and 7:05. Each nine innings. Picnic on the Frontier Field plaza between games. If you're so inclined. Love the place. If you've never been, you'll have plenty of chances to see the Bisons the rest of the season.
---Mike Harrington
I remember the Offerman Stadium days when folks came to the ballpark to enjoy a baseball game and not to be present at an event. When Buffalo played at home against their closest rivals, Toronto and Rochester, busloads of fans from those cities came to town and cheered their team behind the visitor's third base dugout. The booing and cheering from fans backing each team was intense and the rivalry could be felt througout the stands. It was a wonderful baseball experience.
I've been to CC Field (when it was named something else). Even with good crowds in attendance, one did not get the same intensity vibes. People seemed to be there for a night out, or some other non-baseball inducement, and did not seem to be really into the game. It never matched the joy of being involved in baseball at Offerman.
Posted by: Don H | July 02, 2009 at 11:25 AM
Leave Scranton right where they are. At least we get to see better prospects from one of the NYC teams, even if it is only 8 times per year.
Posted by: Ralph from Amherst | July 02, 2009 at 11:10 AM
As long as we're complaining about the schedule, let me throw in my six cents on the worst aspect of the whole thing.
Six as in the number of teams that we're stuck with in our division when all the other IL teams play in four-team groups.
When there was true internationality in the IL, it made a grudging amount of sense to lump Scranton in with Ootawa, Pawtucket and the three NY teams. But now that the Lynx have gone south and Richmond has gone even souther, wouldn't it be nice to move Lehigh and Scranton into one of the other two divisions and give THEIR teams a 50 percent harder job of finishing first?
Posted by: Fuggedabutit | July 02, 2009 at 10:55 AM