page_title: Sahlen Field
section_title: Tributes
hierarchical_section_title: Sahlen Field / Special features / Tributes
caption_attribution_description: English: Cleveland Indians first baseman Luke Easter.
context_page_description: Sahlen Field is a baseball park in Buffalo, New York. Originally known as Pilot Field, the venue has since been named Downtown Ballpark, North AmeriCare Park, Dunn Tire Park, and Coca-Cola Field. The home of the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons of the International League, it opened on April 14, 1988 and can seat up to 16,600 people, making it the highest-capacity Triple-A ballpark in the United States. It replaced the Bisons' former home, War Memorial Stadium, where the team played from 1979 to 1987.
  The stadium was the first retro-classic ballpark built in the world, and was designed with plans for Major League Baseball expansion. Buffalo had not had an MLB team since the Buffalo Blues played for the Federal League in 1915. However, Bisons owner Robert E. Rich Jr. was unsuccessful in his efforts to bring an MLB franchise to the stadium between 1988 and 1994. Due to travel restrictions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, the Toronto Blue Jays are currently playing their 2020 home games at Sahlen Field.
  Sahlen Field was also home to the Buffalo Nighthawks of the Ladies Professional Baseball League in 1998 and the Empire State Yankees in 2012.
context_section_description: The Buffalo Bisons have customarily marked the landing spot of every home run their players have hit into the right field parking lot since the venue's inaugural season in 1988. This feat is rarely accomplished because the balls have had to clear either the right field bleachers or the Party Deck that replaced them in order to reach the parking lot. Russell Branyan holds the record for most parking lot home runs, with three.
  The original flag pole from center field at War Memorial Stadium was preserved and installed at the venue in July 1990. It can be found behind the Party Deck in right field, on land adjacent to the parking garage.
  Robert E. Rich Sr., the founder of Rich Products and father of Buffalo Bisons owner Robert E. Rich Jr., died in February 2006. His initials are inscribed above the owner's box of the venue in tribute.
  Former Mayor of Buffalo James D. Griffin was posthumously honored by the Buffalo Common Council in July 2008 after they voted to change the venue's address to One James D. Griffin Plaza. A statue of Griffin was unveiled outside the venue in August 2012 to honor his contributions in constructing the ballpark and bringing professional baseball back to Buffalo.
  Plaques honoring all members of the Buffalo Baseball Hall of Fame are on permanent display within the Hall of Fame Heritage Room, which was built on the venue's third-base concourse in 2013. The Heritage Room also contains rotating exhibits of memorabilia that honor Buffalo's baseball history.
  The Buffalo Bisons hang a Championship Corner banner in left field that commemorates the team's many league and division championships, along with the retired numbers of Ollie Carnegie (6), Luke Easter (25), Jeff Manto (30) and Jackie Robinson (42).
  Retired numbers of former Toronto Blue Jays players Roberto Alomar (12) and Roy Halladay (32), along with the retired number of Jackie Robinson (42), were inscribed above the venue's press box prior to the 2020 season. In addition, the number of former Toronto Blue Jays player Tony Fernández (1) was inscribed on the venue's outfield fence to honor his recent passing.
caption: Luke Easter, member of the Buffalo Baseball Hall of Fame whose number was retired by the Buffalo Bisons
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