The Buffalo Bisons celebration of their 25th season at Coca-Cola Field will begin with the 2012 home opener, Wednesday, April 11 against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees. The Bisons announced their 2012 Schedule for the club’s 25th season in Downtown Buffalo, NY.

Click for a downloadable 2012 Bisons schedule information.

The eyes of the baseball world will be on Coca-Cola Field on Wednesday, July 11, 2012 as the Bisons host the 25th Annual Triple-A All-Star Game, presented by New Era and The Buffalo News, before a nationally-televised audience. All-Star Week will begin two days earlier on Monday, July 9 with the annual Triple-A Home Run Derby, presented by Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel.

Along with those marquee events, the Summer-filled schedule announced by the Bisons features 11 Friday games, including four consecutive fridaynightbash!® games in August.

“The 2012 Bisons season promises to be filled with unforgettable moments for our great fans to enjoy. Along with the 2012 Triple-A All-Star Game and Home Run Derby, we are planning several events and promotions geared towards celebrating our 25th season at Coca-Cola Field as the premier summer destination for baseball and family fun.” said Mike Buczkowski, Bisons Vice President/General Manger.

The Bisons 2012 regular season schedule will begin with six road games, starting with Opening Day on Thursday, April 5 in Pawtucket. The 2012 Home Opener at Coca-Cola Field is set for Wednesday, April 11 against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees.

Game times will be announced at a later date. The schedule is subject to change.

The 25th Season in Downtown Buffalo
The Bisons’ 2012 season will be their 25th year of play at Coca-Cola Field. The club will begin previewing their year-long promotion with a special video on the BisonsTV HD board on Fan Appreciation Night.

The Bisons began play at then-Pilot Field on April 14, 1988 with a 1-0 victory over the Denver Zephyrs. The fourth home game of the 2012 season will also be played on April 14 as the Bisons host the Pawtucket Red Sox.

The Bisons will announce their 2012 promotional schedule during the off-season, but several year-long celebrations to honor the club’s 25 years downtown will be part of the festivities.

The Triple-A All-Star Game
The Bisons will host the 25th Annual Triple-A All-Star Game, presented by New Era and The Buffalo News, on Wednesday, July 11. The International League All-Star team will host a squad of the best players from the Pacific Coast League. Coca-Cola Field hosted the first every Triple-A All-Star game on July 13, 1988 with the American League defeating the National League, 2-1 (at that time, teams were divided by their affiliated clubs).

The Triple-A All-Star events actually begin on Monday, July 9 with the annual Triple-A Home Run Derby at Coca-Cola Field, presented by Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel. The event will feature sluggers from both leagues as well as in-game and post-game entertainment.

A ticket package including the Home Run Derby and the All-Star Game are available for a limited time for only $35 at Bisons.com.

Herd Hosts Yankees in 2012 Home Opener
The Bisons 2012 Home Opener is Wednesday, April 11 against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees. Since the ballpark opened on 1988, the Bisons are 14-10 in home openers.

The Bisons have posted a winning record at home in 18 of the previous 24 seasons at Coca-Cola Field, with an overall record of 997-722 (.580 winning percentage).

Since Coca-Cola Field opened in 1988, the Bisons have had a paid attendance of 19,083,788.

Late Summer Dates Fill Schedule
The Bisons have 19 home games scheduled for the month of August, three more than any other month during the season. The Herd will host four consecutive fridaynightbash!® games from August 3-24 and 10 of their 19 games for the final month of the season are on Friday, Saturday or Sunday.

Buffalo has just 17 home games from the start of the season until mid-May and their 44 home games prior to the All-Star break are the third fewest in the International League.

The Bisons will be home for 11 Fridays, 10 Saturdays and 10 Sundays during the 2012 season. The day with the fewest home games next season is Wednesday (only nine).

The July 3rd Independence Eve Celebration
The Bisons will host the Durham Bulls on Tuesday, July 3 for the 18th Annual Independence Eve Celebration with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra & Chorus. It’s only the second time the Bisons have faced a non-divisional foe for the Western New York tradition. The team defeated Toledo, 2-1, on July 3, 1999.

Since the event debuted in 1995, a total of 317,519 fans have joined in the celebration of our great nation’s independence.

Schedule Format
The International League format is unchanged from last season. Each team is scheduled to play 144 games (72 at home). The Bisons will play North Division opponents 16 times each (eight at home) and the Herd will face teams from the South and West Division eight times each (four at home).

The 2012 Governors’ Cup playoffs will begin on Wednesday, September 5 with the winner of the IL North Division hosting the league’s lone wild card team.

The 2012 Triple-A National Baseball Championship between the International League and the Pacific Coast League is scheduled for Tuesday, September 18.

Scoring was a problem for the second game in a row as the Bisons were held to one run in their final game of the 2011 season against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees Monday afternoon. It’s the 12th time this season that the herd has failed to score a run in a game.
The 5-1 loss to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre at PNC Field marks the end of the 2011 season for the Herd and only the seventh time that the Bisons have posted a losing season in 24 years.

The Bisons pitchers couldn’t control Jorge Vazquez on Monday leading to three runs that the Bisons wouldn’t be able to overcome. Vazquez doubled in two runs in the first inning and smacked a solo home run to put an exclamation point on his day.

The Bisons only run came in the ninth inning of Monday’s game as the rain started to pour down. With With Luis Hernandez and Salomon Manriquez on first and second Raul Reyes grounded into what appeared to be a double play but the throw from second was airmailed allowing Hernandez to score from third.

The Bisons managed seven hits three of them off the bat of the Herd most valuable hitter Valentino Pascucci.

The Yankees starter D.J. Mitchell shut down the herd for eight innings before giving way to closer Logan Kensing who put the Bisons down in order.

Injuries were a problem for the Bisons this year as only four players remained active for the club from opening day till the final game of the season. Those four players were Valentino Pascucci, Raul Chavez, Taylor Tankersley and Justin Hampson.

The Bisons sent a player to the disabled list 21 times this year for a total of 841 man-games missed. Ten different players missed at least 20 games on the disabled list, and five players went on the disabled list more than once in 2011.

Game Notes: The Bisons are only 31-47 against the IL North Division this season, with a winning record against Rochester…The Herd played its best baseball against the IL South, posting a 17-25 mark against Charlotte, Durham, Gwinnett and Norfolk…The Bisons played much better when games were close with a record of 37-37 in games decided by two runs or less, the Herd also had 29 comeback wins in 2011 and seven walk-off victories.

Monday, September 5, 2011 (1:05 p.m.) – PNC Field
Radio: WWKB AM 1520, bisons.com

Buffalo Bisons (61-81, 5th(-19.5), North)
LHP Mark Cohoon (4-10, 6.01)

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees (72-69, 3rd(-8.0), North)
RHP D.J. Mitchell (12-9, 3.35)

TODAY’S GAME: This afternoon, the Buffalo Bisons wrap up the 2011 season with the third game of a three-game series against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees from PNC Field (1:05 p.m.). The Herd will have a losing record for just the seventh time in the 24 seasons of the modern era. The Bisons will also fail to qualify for the playoffs for the sixth consecutive year.

THE OPPONENTS: The Bisons are only 31-47 against the IL North this season. The Herd had a winning record against one divisional opponent, a 10-6 mark against Rochester. Buffalo played its best baseball against the IL South, posting a 17-15 mark against Charlotte, Durham, Gwinnett and Norfolk.

CLOSE CALLS: The Bisons actually fared much better when the games were close in 2011. The Herd is currently 37-37 in games decided by two runs or less. Buffalo had 29 comeback wins in 2011 and seven walk-off victories. In 15 of the Bisons’ 61 wins so far, the team did not have lead after six innings.

HISTORY TO BE MADE?: Even with only one game left, there’s still time for history to be made. On the final game of the 2010 season, INF JUSTIN TURNER became the first Bisons hitter to notch six hits in a game in the modern era in a 16-2 win at Rochester (September 6). Turner went 6-6 and hit for the cycle in the Herd’s victory.

BIG YEAR: Of all the players on the Bisons, INF VALENTINO PASCUCCI had the biggest 2011. With 91RBI, Pascucci drove in the most runs in a single-season for a Bison since DH Ernie Young plated 100 in 2004. The Herd’s Most Valuable Player is also the first Buffalo player with 20+ home runs since OF Jason Dubois homered 22 times in 2006. In 2011, Pascucci also led the Bisons in games (129), runs (58), hits (114), on-base pct (.370) and slugging pct (.473).

WOUNDED TEAM: Injuries will go down as a major storyline for the 2011 Bisons. The team sent a player to the disabled list 21 times this year for a total of 841 man-games missed. Ten different players missed at least 20 games on the DL. Five players went on the DL more than once in 2011.

IRONMEN: There were four players on the 2011 Bisons that remained active for the club from Opening Day to today: INF VALENTINO PASCUCCI, C RAUL CHAVEZ, LHP JUSTIN HAMPSON and LHP TAYLOR TANKERSLEY. All told, 54 different players played for the Bisons this year.

SEASON BITS: No Bisons player stole more than one base in a game this season…RHP DALE THAYER’S 21 saves were the 5th-most for a Bisons player in one year in the modern era…The Bisons were over the .500 mark for one day this season. The club was 4-3 after a 4-0 win over the Yankees on April 13.

Sunday, September 4, 2011 (Game 1: 4:05 p.m.) – PNC Field
Radio: WWKB AM 1520, bisons.com

Buffalo Bisons (60-80, 5th(-19.0), North)
GAME 1- RHP Brian Sweeney (4-5, 4.50)
GAME 2- RHP Jack Egbert (0-2, 4.50)

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees (71-68, 3rd(-7.5), North)
GAME 1 – RHP Dellin Betances (0-2, 3.94)
GAME 2 – RHP David Phelps (5-6, 3.38)

TODAY’S GAME: Tonight, the Buffalo Bisons face the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees in the first two games of a three-game in two-day series from PNC Field (Game 1: 4:05 p.m.). Tonight’s doubleheader begins the Herd’s final series of the 2011 season. The Bisons are 0-2 on their season-ending roadtrip, having been swept by the IronPigs in Lehigh Valley.

VS. THE YANKS: The Bisons are 5-8 against the Yankees this season. The last time the two clubs met, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre won three of four from the Herd at Coca-Cola Field, July 26-29. Today’s doubleheader is a result of a rain out the last time Buffalo was in Moosic PA, July 8.

ON THE BUMP: A pair of veterans will start for Buffalo in today’s twinbill: RHP BRIAN SWEENEY and RHP JACK EGBERT. Both hurlers have served as starters and relievers for the Bisons this season and both pitched in the Herd’s final home game of the season on Thursday. When starter RHP Dylan Owen left after four pitches with an elbow injury, Sweeney and Egbert each tossed an two innings of relief in the 6-2 loss to the Chiefs.

SPIN CONTROL: INF JORDANY VALDESPIN had both of Buffalo’s hits last night to extend his hit streak to 12 games. The infielder has averaged .404 (19-47) since the streak began on August 22. Valdespin has also collected five doubles, a home run and four RBI during the streak.

SWEEPS DU JOUR: The Bisons last three series have ended in sweeps. Buffalo took two from Rochester, August 28-29, but have been swept in back-to-back two-game series against Syracuse and in Lehigh Valley. Buffalo has been swept in seven series this year while also picking up four sweeps themselves.

BISONS BITS: OF JESUS FELICIANO is seven hits away from Bisons modern era record for career hits. With 371 hits, Feliciano trails only Billy Selby (378)…Bisons 2011 MVP INF VALENTINO PASCUCCI ranks second in the International League with 91RBI on the season. He is only the fourth Bisons player in the modern era to have 20+ home runs (has 21) and 90+ RBI in the same season…RHP DALE THAYER is tied for 5th in the IL with 21 saves.

METS UPDATE: The Mets (67-70) lost 8-7 to the Nationals last night as Washington scored two runs in the bottom of the 9th inning. Former Bisons OF NICK EVANS homered for the second straight day and now has four on the season. OF ANGEL PAGAN also had two hits and two RBI. Mets take on the Nationals again today at 1:35 p.m.

Chris Schwinden took the mound as a Bison for the last time in 2011 Saturday night, taking the loss in the Bisons’ 3-0 finale of a two-game series in Lehigh Valley Saturday night.

Schwinden allowed two earned runs on six hits over 4 1/3 innings, striking out five with one walk.

Kevin Frandsen’s triple brought home Brian Bass and Pete Orr in the third for a 2-0 IronPigs lead.

The Bisons mustered just two hits – both Jordany Valdespin singles – against Lehigh Valley starter Brian Bass, who shut out Buffalo for eight innings with 10 strikeouts to one walk.

Rich Franklin singled against lefty reliever Mike O’Connor in the fifth, stole second and third and scored on a single by Kevin Frandsen.

The Bisons play a doubleheader in Scranton tomorrow, the opener of their final series of the season.

Justin De Fratus locked up the save, retiring Raul Reyes, Fernando Perez and Luis Figueroa in order in the ninth.

Game Notes: Schwinden finished with 134 strikeouts on the season, leading all Bisons… The Bisons lost the season series with the IronPigs, 9-7.

Saturday, September 3, 2011 (6:35 p.m.) – Coca-Cola Park
Radio: WWKB AM 1520, bisons.com

Buffalo Bisons (60-79, 5th(-18.0), North)
RHP Chris Schwinden (8-7, 3.95)

Lehigh Valley IronPigs (77-64, 2nd(-2.0), North)
RHP Brian Bass (7-10, 4.01)

TODAY’S GAME: Tonight, the Buffalo Bisons face the Lehigh Valley IronPigs in the second game of a two-game series at Coca-Cola Park (6:35 p.m.). The Herd began its season-ending roadtrip last night with a 3-1 loss to the IronPigs. Buffalo has now lost three straight after winning three consecutive games, August 27-29.

VS. THE IRONPIGS: The Bisons are 7-8 against the IronPigs this season. A win tonight would give the Herd an even split of the season series with Lehigh Valley. RHP CHRIS SCHWINDEN is 0-1 with a 2.92ERA in two previous starts against the IronPigs this year (12.1IP, 11K).

SCHWING AND MISS: RHP CHRIS SCHWINDEN will make his team-high 26th start of the season tonight. The Triple-A rookie was named the Bisons Most Valuable Pitcher on Thursday. Schwinden leads the Bisons with a 3.95ERA and 129 strikeouts and is tied with LHP Pat Misch for the team-high with eight wins. Schwinden’s 129 strikeouts are the 4th most in a single season by a Bisons pitcher in the modern era.

SPIN CONTROL: INF JORDANY VALDESPIN brings an 11-game hit streak into tonight’s game. The infielder has averaged .386 (17-44) since the streak began on August 22. Valdespin has also collected five doubles, a home run and four RBI during the streak.

HIT KING: OF JESUS FELICIANO is seven hits away from Bisons modern era record for career hits. With 371 hits, Feliciano trails only Billy Selby (378). Feliciano has posted a .306 average in his three years in Buffalo, the 4th highest average in the past 24 seasons. He led the International League with 154 hits during the 2009 season.

HONOR GOES TO: The Bisons announced their 2011 player awards on Thursday with INF VALENTINO PASCUCCI named the team’s MVP. Pascucci leads the Herd with 21 home runs and 91RBI. RHP CHRIS SCHWINDEN was named Most Valuable Pitcher while LHP JUSTIN HAMPSON took home both the Comeback Player of the Year and the team’s Community Service Award.

METS UPDATE: The Mets (67-69) won their third straight games with a 7-3 victory in Washington last night. Former Bisons INF NICK EVANS and OF LUCAS DUDA homered as well as 3B DAVID WRIGHT. RHP R.A. DICKEY pitched six innings for his seventh win. The Mets take on the Nationals again tonight at 7:05 p.m.

The Bisons battled into the ninth inning in a 1-1 tie, but shortstop Jordany Valdespin’s throwing error scored Cody Overbeck, giving Lehigh Valley a walk-off win in the opener of Buffalo’s final road trip of the season Friday night.

Fernando Perez scored from third on Luis Hernandez’ fly out with the bases loaded, knotting the score at 1-1 in the fourth.

Pat Misch allowed just one run on six hits over seven innings, striking out five with three walks.

John Lujan (3-4) threw 1 2/3 innings in relief, taking the loss on the unearned run.

The Bisons threatened with the bases loaded and two outs after Phillippe Aumont intentionally walked Jesus Feliciano, but Aumont caught pinch hitter Bubba Bell looking for the third out. Aumont (1-0) earned the win.

Fernando Perez went 2-for-4 in the loss.

Lehigh Valley’s Ryan Edell took a no decision, leaving the game after seven innings of one-run ball.

Game Notes: Misch leads all Bisons with 12 quality starts in 2011… Feliciano missed out on a chance to inch closer on the Bisons’ modern-era career hit list, going 0-for-3. He’s seven behind Bill Selby’s 378.

Friday, September 2, 2011 (7:05 p.m.) – Coca-Cola Park
Radio: WWKB AM 1520, WGR Sportsradio 550 AM, bisons.com

Buffalo Bisons (60-78, 5th(-17.0), North)
LHP Pat Misch (8-9, 4.14)

Lehigh Valley IronPigs (76-64, 2nd(-2.0), North)
LHP Ryan Edell (5-5, 3.60)

TODAY’S GAME: Tonight, the Buffalo Bisons face the Lehigh Valley IronPigs in the first game of a two-game series at Coca-Cola Park (7:05 p.m.). Tonight’s game begins the Herd’s final roadtrip of the season as the club will also play three games in two nights in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The Bisons finished up the home portion of the 2011 season last night with a 6-2 defeat to Syracuse.

VS. THE IRONPIGS: The Bisons are 7-7 against the IronPigs so far this season. The Herd has won four of the last five meetings, including a two-game sweep of the I-Pigs in Lehigh Valley, July 30-31. The Bisons and IronPigs have split the 62 games since Lehigh Valley joined the league in 2008.

DISCH ON MISCH: LHP PAT MISCH will make his 22nd start of the season. The southpaw was dominating his last time out, allowing just and unearned run in seven innings of a 3-1 win over Rochester on Sunday. The victory was Misch’s 20th in three seasons with the Bisons, only the second lefty to reach that mark in the modern era (9th pitcher overall). LHP Jason Stanford won 26 games in parts of eight seasons with the Herd, 2001-2008.

HIT KING: With five games left, OF JESUS FELICIANO is only seven hits away from Bisons modern era hit king, Billy Selby (378). Feliciano is now in sole possession of 2nd place (371) thanks to a five-game hit streak that began on August 27. Feliciano is the only Bisons player in the modern era to record three consecutive 100+ hit seasons for Buffalo.

SPIN CONTROL: INF JORDANY VALDESPIN is the ninth different Bisons player to reach double digits with a hit streak this year. The Triple-A rookie has hit .400 (16-40) since August 22 with a home run and four RBI. The Bisons longest hit streak this season was a 19-gamer from OF Nick Evans.

HONOR GOES TO: The Bisons announced their 2011 player awards last night with INF VALENTINO PASCUCCI named the team’s MVP. Pascucci leads the Herd with 21 home runs and 91RBI. RHP CHRIS SCHWINDEN was named Most Valuable Pitcher while LHP JUSTIN HAMPSON took home both the Comeback Player of the Year and the team’s Community Service Award.

METS UPDATE: The Mets (66-69) earned a 7-5 victory over the Marlins last night. In his first start with the Mets, former Bisons RHP MIGUEL BATISTA allowed two runs in six innings to earn the win. OF LUCAS DUDA drove home two runs and now has 41RBI on the season. The Mets are in Washington tonight for a 7:05 p.m. first pitch.

Thursday, September 1, 2011 (6:05 p.m.) – Coca-Cola Field
TV: Time Warner Cable SportsNet 13
Radio: WWKB AM 1520, bisons.com

Buffalo Bisons (60-77, 5th(-16.5), North)
RHP Dylan Owen (6-6, 4.18)

Syracuse Chiefs (64-71, 4th(-11.5), North)
RHP Yunesky Maya (3-9, 5.09)

TODAY’S GAME: Tonight, the Buffalo Bisons host the Syracuse Chiefs in the final game of a two-game series at Coca-Cola Field (6:05 p.m.). Tonight’s contest is also the Bisons final home game of the 2011 season. The Herd is 35-36 at home this year and need a win today to avoid only its sixth losing record a Coca-Cola Field in the last 24 seasons.

VS. THE CHIEFS: The Bisons are 4-11 against the Chiefs this season. Buffalo has lost the season series to their Thruway rival in each of the past four years. Prior to that, the Bisons had the better side of the match-up in seven of eight years from 2000-2007. Since the Herd returned to the IL in 1998, the teams have evenly split their 224 games.

DEALIN’ DYLAN: The final home start of the season belongs to RHP DYLAN OWEN. The righty is closing the season strong, posting a win and a 0.84ERA in his last three starts. On August 26 in Toledo, Owen tossed 7.2 innings of shutout baseball, but did not earn a decision in the Mud Hens 1-0 win. Owen ranks second on the Bisons with 91 strikeouts.

ROSTER MOVE: Just prior to last night’s game, OF MIKE BAXTER was added to the Herd’s roster. Baxter spent most of August in New York and hit .250 (4-16) with two RBI in 10 games. To make roster room, INF ZACH LUTZ was placed on the disabled list. Lutz has hit .295 (65-220) with 11 home runs and 31RBI in 61 games this season.

HIT KING: OF JESUS FELICIANO is now just eight hits away from Bisons modern era hit king, Billy Selby (378). Feliciano picked up his 370th hit as a Bison last night, tying him for second with Greg Tubbs. Feliciano is the first Bisons player in the modern era to collect three consecutive 100+ hit seasons.

SPIN CONTROL: INF JORDANY VALDESPIN brings a nine-game hit streak into tonight’s game. The Triple-A rookie has hit .378 (14-37) since the streak began on August 22. Of the 14 total hits in the streak, six have been for extra bases (five doubles, one home run).

METS UPDATE: The Mets (65-69) rallied past the Marlins last night, 3-2. After the Bisons game, INF JOSH SATIN learned he will be promoted to New York as part of the major league roster expansion. Satin is having a breakout season in the Mets organization, hitting .323 (156-483) with 42 doubles, 12 home runs and 76RBI in 132 games between the Bisons and Double-A Binghamton. The Mets host Florida at 7:10 p.m.

First year Mets general manager, SandyAlderson, took in his first Bisons game Wedneday night.  Prior to his post-game promotion of infielder Josh Satin, he took questions from the Buffalo media. 

The conversation covers a wide range of topics from Major League rehabs, Bisons in the big leagues, the job of the club’s staff and Tim Teufel as well as the Mets/Bisons partnership moving ahead:

After the game Bisons broadcaster, Ben Wagner talked with the newest New York Mets infielder, Josh Satin:

Read more about the Bisons and Josh Satin’s promotion via bisons.com