I’m sitting here patiently waiting for Illinois and Purdue to finish their overtime game because Indiana plays Minnesota next.   I really don’t care who wins so we’ll update the blog. 

Saturday is the annual Family Day Open House and little by little the ballpark is starting to look ready for Opening Day.  In the last couple of days there has been a different pace in the Front Office.  Shipments are arriving at the dock at the back of the park, ticket windows are being wiped crystal clear at the front and from top to bottom the park is getting organized.  While many of the areas considered ‘behind the scenes’ are functional for fans and the team if they arrived today some are not.  I’ll talk more about ballpark preparation closer to Opening Day but for now I’ll focus on my Open House top picks. 

• Clubhouse: The home away for home for the Bisons players during the season and a rare opportunity for you to take a peek at Torey Lovello’s office among the other things that make this one of the most comfortable clubhouses in baseball.
• Batting Cages: On the lower level just outside the Bisons Clubhouse are two full length batting cages.  This past year they’ve been used A LOT by high school kids and various camps.  Here’s your chance to step in and take a few hacks.
• Press Box: One of the best views to look at the park no matter what time of year.  A large collection of Bisons memorabilia will be laid out on press row and you’ll have a chance to see the main production rooms that produce all the sounds you hear while you’re at the game.   I tested the radio equipment earlier in the week and left everything set up so you can see how it looks for the broadcast.  If the team was in town, all Duke and I would have to do is sit down and bring you the game. 
• Ticket Windows:  Why is this so cool?  Because when you hear the words, “next in line please,” you’re just minutes away from holding your tickets to another great night out with your friends or the family. 

In case you were wondering, Illinois advances in the Big Ten Tournament after Purdue shoots 0-10 in the extra period, finally time to watch the Hoosiers.

Buffalo defeated Round Rock (Houston Astros), 4-3, in their spring exhibition opener at Winter Haven, FL.

Ryan Mulhern finished the game 1-3 with a double and a pair of RBI. The first baseman was the Bisons 2007 Stan Baron Most Valuable Player after hitting .290 with a team-high 16 home runs and 76RBI in 130 games.

Outfielders Nathan Panther (2-3, R) and Ryan Goleski (2-3, R) added to the Bisons’ eight-hit attack on Friday.

On the mound, Cleveland Indians’ reliever Rafael Betancourt earned the victory with two innings of shutout baseball. He allowed just two hits and struck out two batters. Randy Newsom pitched a scoreless eighth and ninth inning for the save.

Buffalo will take on the Toledo Mud Hens tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. at Winter Haven, FL. RHP Sean Smith is schedule to start for the Bisons.

The Bisons Home Opener is just 28 days away as they will host the Toledo Mud Hens on Friday, April 11 (6:05 p.m.) for a fridaynightbash!®.

Individual game tickets go on sale at the annual Family Day Open House at Dunn Tire Park, Saturday, March 15 (12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.).

This shot is taken from just behind the Bisons’ dugout looking up to the Bisons Broadcast booth.

Baseball has arrived for the Bisons!  Well, not in Buffalo quite yet but in Florida the Bisons will be playing their first game of the spring in Winter Haven against Round Rock.

During the off season, all of us that contribute to Bisons.com have been developing new ideas on how to bring you closer to the Herd on and off the field.  Instead of waiting around, we’re unavailing more features than every before!  After all, this is the “Year of the Bisons Fan.”

You’ve already seen the new look of the Bisons homepage and increased video features, to pull a couple off the top of my head.  In the next few weeks you’ll read more stories about the team and players as they prepare to open the season in Virginia.  Speaking of getting the season started, I hope you’ll join the Bisons as we return back to WWKB 1520 or at Bisons.com for all the exciting action. 

The roster has started to take shape following some moves made by the Tribe earlier in the week.  Righty Adam Miller and lefty Reid Santos were both optioned to the Bisons while southpaw Chuck Lofgren was sent to minor league camp too. On Thursday the Indians added Brian Slocum and Tony Sipp to the Bisons roster.  Check out the official releases with more details by clicking here.

I can’t throw the entire scoop on “The Dish” during our first post but there will be plenty more news from the Open House at Dunn Tire Park on Saturday and the “What’s New Event” as the season approaches. 

Many of the traditions you’ve come to expect will return but we can guarantee that you’ll have a new fan experience this year like never before.   

As always, we encourage your questions and commnets.  Feel free to email the blog and broadcast booth (or if you’re super savy, send us a text message!) at broadcast@bisons.com.

Ben Wagner and Duke McGuire take a moment before they chat on the Bisons webast.