4 things to know before Bisons (cold) opener
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) -- The Bisons will bring a bright outlook to the ballpark on a brisk Opening Day in Buffalo. Friday's home opener is the earliest in team history, but it won't be the coldest. Here's four storylines to watch for.
Not too cold to play ball
Ice scrapers will be given to the first 2,000 fans to enter Sahlen Field before the 2:05 p.m. first pitch. They won't be needed, at least until the next homestand.
Friday's forecast is clear, dry, with a high temperature of 44 degrees. That would be one of the 10 coldest Opening Days in the downtown stadium's 36 years, but a bit warmer than last year's opener played on April 7 after three days of weather-related postponements.
"It would be great if we had a roof," joked Bisons manager Casey Candaele, in his fourth year leading the club after playing for Buffalo in the mid-90s. "It's a battle. You have to deal with the elements, and it toughens you up."
"Everybody is playing in the same environment," Candaele continued. "We started off slow last year. We got pounded by the first three teams we faced. It was cold, and you can use that as an excuse. But it wasn't an excuse because it didn't affect them."
The Bisons got better as the the temperature got warmer last season, with a 34-41 in the first half of the season, and 42-31 in the second half.
"Hopefully we start getting hot a little earlier this year," Candaele said.
Top prospect on the mound
Ricky Tiedemann, the No. 1 prospect in the Toronto Blue Jays farm system, will start for the Bisons on Friday in the opener of a three-game series with Yankees affiliate Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Tiedemann, a 6-foot-4 southpaw, is the second-ranked left-handed pitching prospect by MLB Pipeline. Drafted in the third round in 2021, the Californian started 15 minor league games last summer, 11 with Double-A New Hampshire, and made his Triple-A debut in Buffalo's second to last game of the season, striking out six batters in four innings.
"First thing I noticed is, it’s so much bigger than anywhere I’ve played in affiliate ball," Tiedemann said about Sahlen Field. "So just being here and seeing the facilities, and everything is just put together a lot better, it's special."
After being named pitcher of the year in the Arizona Fall League, Tiedemann had a strong spring training with the Blue Jays, said Candaele.
"Being out here for Opening Day and let alone being able to pitch an Opening Day is something special for me," Tiedemann said. "It's exciting because I have a lot of guys that I was drafted with here, so it’s kind of cool to be able to play with them, especially at the Triple-A level."
MVP on deck?
Joey Votto, the 40-year-old first baseman who won NL MVP with the Cincinnati Reds in 2010, could be joining the Bisons in a matter of weeks.
After signing a minor league contract with his hometown Blue Jays, and homering on the first pitch he saw in spring training, Votto is staying in Dunedin, Florida for an extended spring training after injuring his ankle March 17.
Votto will go through a full spring training progression before getting a minor league assignment. Buffalo's coming schedule includes home series April 9-14 against Rochester and April 23-28 against Iowa.
What else is new?
The Bisons will wear specially designed Luces de Buffalo uniforms honoring Hispanic heritage for games on May 26, July 25, and Sept. 6. ... Sahlen Field concession stands will be cashless this season. ... Night games not including Friday Night Bash will start at 6:35 p.m. ... Here's a list of some notable promotions:
- Star Wars Night – 6:05 p.m. May 25
- Lacrosse Night with the Buffalo Bandits – 6:35 p.m. June 27
- Independence Eve Celebration with Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra – 6:05 p.m. July 3
- Marvel’s Defenders of the Diamond Night – 6:35 p.m. Aug. 10
- Hockey Day with the Buffalo Sabres – 1:05 p.m. Sept. 7
- Meet Bluey & Dingo Day – 1:05 p.m., July 21
- Princess Day – 1:05 p.m. June 30
- School Kids Day – 11:05 a.m. May 23
- Campout Series (Boy Scouts) – 6:05 p.m. May 10
- Campout Series (Girl Scouts) – 7:05 p.m. July 19
- Family Campout – 7:05 p.m. July 26
- Irish Night – 6:35 p.m. June 25
- Italian Night – 6:35 p.m. July 23
- Polish Night – 6:35 p.m. Aug. 6
- Hispanic Heritage Night – 6:05 p.m. Sept. 6
- Native American Heritage Night – 6:35 p.m. June 15
- Pride Night – 6:05 p.m. May 21
- World Softball Day – 6:35 p.m. June 13
- Strike Out Cancer Night – 1:05 p.m. Aug. 11
- Military & First Responders Day – 6:05 p.m. Sept. 8
- Deaf & Hard of Hearing Awareness Night – 6:05 p.m. Sept. 19
- Friendship Bracelet Night – 6:05 p.m. May 24
- Celery-brate the Summer – 7:05 p.m. June 28
- Olympics Night – 7:05 p.m. July 26
- Obscure Jersey Night – 7:05 p.m. Aug. 9
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Jonah Bronstein joined the WIVB squad in 2022 as a digital sports reporter. The Buffalonian has covered the Bills, Sabres, Bandits, Bisons, colleges, high schools and other notable sporting events in Western New York since 2005, for publications including The Associated Press, The Buffalo News, and Niagara Gazette. Read more of his work here.