In a commitment to maintain Coca-Cola Field’s standing as one of the marquee ballparks in all of minor league baseball, the Buffalo Bisons today announced the installation of a completely new drainage system and field for the ballpark.

The existing native soil playing field at Coca Cola Field is being replaced with a state-of-the-art, vertically drained, sand-based playing field commensurate with those found at the highest levels of professional baseball. The new field will consist of an under drainage network capable of draining up to 10″ of rainwater per hour. The under drainage network will consist of a series of perforated pipes placed in gravel filled trenches. The new field will also be outfitted with an automated irrigation system. The natural turf will be a Kentucky Bluegrass blend grown specifically for use on a professional baseball field.

“It is absolutely vital that we update our drainage system that is over two decades old to ensure that we always have the best possible playing conditions for our team,” said Mike Buczkowski, Vice President/General Manager of the Bisons. “This new system will allow us to provide the highest level of baseball and entertainment that our great fans have come to expect with the Bisons baseball experience.”

This project is just one of a number of updates Coca-Cola Field has received over the past 23 seasons. Since the ballpark’s opening, the Bisons have invested over $20 million in various improvements. Coca-Cola Field is currently the oldest ballpark in the International League.

The Bisons have engaged Sports Construction Group of Brecksville, OH for the job. SCG most recently installed the drainage systems of Yankee Stadium and PNC Field, home of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees. With more than 50 years in the business, SCG’s client list includes one-fourth of the National Football League and one-fifth of all Major League Baseball teams.

The Bisons have also worked hand-in-hand with Populous (former H.O.K. Design, the architects of Coca-Cola Field) in the design of the new drainage system.

Digging has already begun for the project that should take close to two months to complete. SCG will dig at least 18 inches below grass level and haul out over 600 truckloads of dirt before installing the new drainage system.

About Sports Construction Group
Sports Construction Group is a sports field specialty contractor that handles all phases of natural turf and synthetic turf jobs, from excavation and sub base through installation, replacement and maintenance. SCG has more than 50 years of construction experience, including more than 20 years of expertise building high-performance sports fields.

SCG’s clients include one-fourth of National Football League teams, one-fifth of Major League Baseball teams and scores of top-tier collegiate and high school teams. On the SCG roster are some of the most recognizable sport facilities in the nation: Yankee Stadium, Citizens Bank Park, Progressive Field, Soldier Field, Heinz Field, Cleveland Browns Stadium, Notre Dame Stadium and Northwestern’s Ryan Field, along with dozens of minor league, collegiate, high school and community turf systems. More information is available at http://www.SCGfields.com.

About Populous
Since inception in 1983, Populous has grown into the world’s leading design firm dedicated exclusively to creating environments that draw people and communities together for unforgettable experiences. The firm has completed more than 1,000 projects around the globe with construction value exceeding $20 billion. Populous has worked with 24 Major League Baseball franchises, 30 NFL franchises, 80 professional and civic arena clients, 40 global soccer and rugby teams, 120 universities, 40 convention center clients, 29 equestrian clients and has planned more than 30 major worldwide events.

Their portfolio includes such icons as Yankee Stadium in New York; the 2012 London Summer Olympic Games main stadium; Nanjing Sports Park in China; ANZ Stadium in Australia; Phoenix Convention Center in Arizona; the new University of Minnesota football stadium and event planning for the Super Bowl and Major League Baseball All Star Game. They have received nearly 200 design awards for our work, including three national American Institute of Architect awards and countless global design awards. In addition, in 2009 and in 2010, Populous was named one of Fast Company magazine’s most innovative companies in sports and was also named the American Institute of Architects – Kansas City Chapter Firm of the Year. As Populous, we enthusiastically embrace the expertise we uniquely claim – drawing people together around teams, athletes, events, places, commerce, industry and ideas they wholeheartedly embrace and adore. More information is available at http://www.Populous.com.

There was only one game left in the 2010 season, but that was plenty of time for Justin Turner to make a little history.

Turner became the first Bisons player in 74 years to collect six hits in a game as the Herd blew out the Red Wings, 16-1, in the club’s season finale on Monday afternoon from Frontier Field. Turner hit for the cycle, the Herd’s first in six seasons, as Buffalo finished the 2010 campaign with 76 wins on the year.

The win total is 20 more than their 56-win season of 2009. The 76 victories are also the most for the team since going 82-62 in 2005, the last time Buffalo made it to the post season.

In a game that was loaded with offense, Turner shined the brightest. In one day, the Bisons’ top hitter raised his average from .305 to .316 going 6-6 with three singles, a double, his first triple of the season and his 12th home run of the year. He scored four times and also drove in a run as Buffalo scored in seven of the nine innings.

Six hits in one game had yet to be accomplished by a Bisons player in the modern era. You have to go back to June 29, 1936 when Howard “Butch” Meyers went 6-7 in a game also in Rochester. Turner’s cycle was the Herd’s first since Mark Little on April 26, 2004 at Frontier Field.

After an RBI-double in the first inning, Turner launched his 12th home run of the season with two outs in the third. He then singled in the fifth and sixth innings before legging out a triple in the eighth. A six-run rally in the ninth inning got Turner another at-bat, allowing the infielder to make even more Bisons history.

Turner’s teammates joined in the fun on Monday as the Herd set season-highs with 16 runs and 10 extra-base hits. Six other Bisons had multi-hit performances with Andy Green and Russ Adams also hitting home runs. Adams scored four times and Green drove in three.

Adams’s two RBI pulled him even with Mike Hessman for the team-lead with 58RBI on the season.

Valentino Pascucci doubled and drove in two runs while catcher Michael Barrett had three hits and two RBI. Zach Lutz closed out his impressive week with the Bisons with another double and three RBI.

All that offense went to the benefit of rookie Josh Stinson, not that he needed it. Stinson used just 97 pitches for the complete-game victory. He allowed one run on three hits to hand Rochester its 95th loss of the season.

Stinson struck out four and walked two batters.

BISONS NOTES: The Bisons had 20 total hits, their second-highest hit total of the season. Buffalo had 22 hits in a 12-9 victory over Norfolk on June 5…Buffalo went 8-17 with runners in scoring position…Before the game, the Mets made it official by promoting Dillon Gee, Raul Valdes, Sean Green and Jesus Feliciano to New York. Gee will make his major league debut for the Mets on Tuesday against the Nationals.

Buffalo Bisons
75-68, 3rd(-11.5)
RHP Josh Stinson 1-2, 3.32

Rochester Red Wings
49-94, 6th(-37.5)
RHP Anthony Swarzak 5-11, 6.07

Monday, September 6, 2010
Frontier Field – Rochester, NY

TV: Time Warner Cable SportsNet 13
Radio: WWKB AM 1520, bisons.com

TODAY’S GAME: This afternoon, the Bisons close out the 2010 season with the second game of a two-game series with the Rochester Red Wings at Frontier Field (1:05 p.m.). At 75-68, the Herd failed to reach the post season this year. However, the Bisons will finish the year with a winning record.

SOLID SEASON: At 75-68 heading into today, the Bisons will finish the season with a winning record for the first time since 2007 (75-67). A 76th win today would give the Herd their highest win total since going 82-62 during the 2005 campaign. A win today would also give the Bisons 20 more victories than a season ago when they finished 56-87. This year, Buffalo went 42-30 at home, their best record at Coca-Cola Field since going 43-29 during the 2006 season.

vs. THE BEST: The Bisons were a combined 22-18 against the four teams that did qualify for this year’s playoffs. Buffalo was 6-2 against Columbus and 5-3 against Louisville. The Herd split their season series with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre 8-8 and lost the head-to-head with Durham, 5-3.

GOLLY GEE: The comeback is officially complete for the Bisons 2010 Comeback Player of the Year. The Mets announced yesterday that RHP DILLON GEE will make his big league debut for New York on Tuesday against the Nationals. After missing 98 games last season with a shoulder injury, Gee led all of Triple-A baseball with 165 strikeouts (a Bisons single-season record) in 28 starts with the Herd. Gee was also second in the IL with 13 wins.

MAJOR CALL-UPS: Along with Gee, the Mets announced that they have recalled LHP RAUL VALDEZ, RHP SEAN GREEN and OF JESUS FELICIANO. Green returns to the Mets for the first time since being placed on the disabled list on April 11. New York recalled INF NICK EVANS before yesterday’s game and C MIKE NICKEAS on Thursday. OF LUCAS DUDA and RHP JENRRY MEJIA were promoted when the rosters expanded on September 1.

HOMERING HERD: With three home runs last night, the Bisons now have 150 blasts on the season. That total is the second most in the International League, trailing only Louisville (158). Seven different Bisons have 10 or more home runs, a total that only INF NICK EVANS reached in 2009. The 150 home runs are the most Buffalo has hit since they smashed 179 in 2005.

LOVE FOR LUTZ: In just four Triple-A games, INF ZACH LUTZ now has four extra-base hits and six RBI. His two-run double in the 10th inning last night was the Herd’s only hit in 14 at-bats with runners in scoring position.

METS UPDATE: A host of former Bisons helped the Mets (67-70) beat the Cubs, 18-5 on Sunday. INF IKE DAVIS homered for the second straight day as part of a four-hit performance. INF RUBEN TEJADA hit his first big league home run and drove in five. On the mound, LHP JON NIESE improved to 9-7 on the year with six innings of work. The Mets are now in Washington for a 1:05 p.m. game on Monday.

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If the final week of this season is an audition for Zach Lutz, Sunday night will go a long way to passing the Triple-A test.

Lutz doubled twice against the Red Wings with the second driving home a pair of runs in the 10th inning of a 6-4 victory over Rochester at Frontier Field.

The 24-year old has now played four games with the Herd and already has four extra-base hits and six RBI.

The Bisons and Red Wings went into extra-inning after Rochester scored a run in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game at four. Valentino Pascucci drew a one-out walk and moved to second base on a wild pitch from Cole DeVries. With a base open, DeVries gave a free pass to Kirk Nieuwenhuis.

That set the stage for Lutz, who doubled home both runners on the first pitch he saw from DeVries to give the Herd its 75th win of the season.

The Bisons used the longball to get on the board early. Pascucci hit a two-run shot in the first inning and Nieuwenhuis launched his second of the season in the sixth. With the score tied at three, Andy Green gave Buffalo the lead back with a solo shot in the seventh inning.

The win for Buffalo went to Mike O’Connor. The southpaw worked two innings to improve to 5-2 on the season.

The Bisons take on the Red Wings on Monday at 1:05 p.m. in the final game of the 2010 season.

BISONS NOTES: The New York Mets promoted INF Nick Evans and LHP Raul Valdes on Sunday…The Mets also announced that RHP Dillon Gee will start for New York on Tuesday in Washington. After striking out a Bisons modern era record 165 batters in 2010, Gee will be making his major league debut…Valentino Pascucci’s home run was his 17th of the season, one short of Mike Hessman’s team-high 18.

Buffalo Bisons
74-68, 3rd(-12.5)
RHP Fernando Nieve 2-1, 5.77

Rochester Red Wings
49-93, 6th(-37.5)
RHP Steve Hirschfeld (NR)

Sunday, September 5, 2010
Frontier Field – Rochester, NY

TV: Time Warner Cable SportsNet 13
Radio: WWKB AM 1520, bisons.com

TODAY’S GAME: Tonight, the Bisons take on the Rochester Red Wings in the first game of a two-game series from Frontier Field (7:05 p.m.). This is the Herd’s final series of the 2010 season. Buffalo is coming off a two-game split with the IronPigs in Lehigh Valley to begin their season-ending roadtrip. The Bisons are 32-38 away from Coca-Cola Field this season.

vs. WINGS: The Bisons are 9-5 against the Red Wings this season, including a 4-2 mark at Frontier Field. It’s the first time since 2007 that the Bisons have won the season series. The Herd has made three trips to Rochester this year. Buffalo split two against the Red Wings, April 21-22 and July 10-11. In the Bisons last visit, July 19-20, the Herd swept two with wins of 6-2 and 1-0.

TONIGHT’S STARTER: RHP FERNANDO NIEVE will start for the Bisons tonight. The righty lost his last start by allowing five runs in six innings on August 31 against Syracuse. It was Nieve’s first loss in 11 career starts with the Bisons. The righty is 2-1 in seven starts with the Herd this season, with back-to-back victories on August 11 in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and August 16 in Pawtucket. Nieve has worked six innings in four of his last five starts.

ENDING STRONG: OF JESUS FELICIANO enters tonight’s game with a six-game hit streak. Feliciano has hit .346 (9-26) with two RBI and two runs scored. It looks like the outfielder is going to fall short in his pursuit of an IL Batting Championship. Feliciano would need 25 plate appearances over the next two days to qualify. His .340 average in 88 games would fall one point under Gwinnett’s Barbaro Canizares (.341).

EVANS ALMIGHTY: INF NICK EVANS has reached base in 34 of the 37 games he’s played with the Bisons with a .314 batting average and a .385 on-base percentage. Evans also has 21 extra-base hits in those 37 games with 14 doubles, one triple and six home runs. Combined with his 88 games with Double-A Binghamton, Evans now has 58 extra-base hits on the season, including 23 home runs.

GO NORTH: The Bisons are going to finish the 2010 season with a winning record in the IL North Division. Buffalo is 41-27 against the North. The only team the Herd doesn’t have a winning record against is Syracuse (6-10).

METS UPDATE: The Mets (66-70) lost to the Cubs on Saturday by a 5-3 score. Former Bisons INF IKE DAVIS hit his 16th home run of the season in the loss. He finished the game 2-4. OF CAROS BELTRAN went 3-4 with an RBI. New York takes on the Cubs again this afternoon with a 1:20 p.m. first pitch from Wrigley Field

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