#Shortstops: The bigs in Buffalo

The dream of big league baseball in Buffalo can be traced back to the 1870s. An upstart baseball team, Buffalo Baseball Club, or as they were more formerly known, the Buffalos, started play in early August of 1877. That half-season ended remarkably for the Buffalos as they produced a profit of $490.60 and cemented baseball in Buffalo for decades to come.

After winning the 1878 International League championship, the Buffalo “Bisons” opened the 1879 season as part of the National League. The club played in the National League for seven subpar seasons and after a disastrous, 38-74 season in 1885, Bisons president Josiah Jewett shocked the baseball world by selling the franchise and its players to the Detroit club for $7,000.

After a brief stint for the Bisons in the Players League in 1890, a new major league team came to town, the Buf-Feds, who played major league ball as part of the Federal League but lasted just two seasons from 1914-15 before declaring bankruptcy. Little did the city or fans know that major league baseball in Buffalo would be put on hiatus for over a century.

The dream for Buffalonians to witness big league ball surfaced again in June 1991 with MLB expansion on the horizon. A new stadium called Pilot Field (now Sahlen Field), a passionate ownership led by Bob and Mindy Rich and attendance that set minor league records made the case for expansion in Buffalo. The city was one of six finalists for the two National League locations.

Due to the small population, lower growth rates and financial realities, however, MLB chose to expand to Miami and Colorado for the 1993 season. That decision dashed many Buffalo fans' hopes of ever seeing a major league team back in Buffalo.

That was until July 24, 2020, when the Toronto Blue Jays announced they'd be playing the home portion of their 2020 schedule at Sahlen Field. As COVID-19 shook the world, Canadian federal officials would not allow opposing teams to cross the border to play the Blue Jays.

As the Blue Jays were set to host Opening Day at their home away from home, the baseball gods produced another moment of irony: the Blue Jays hosted the Miami Marlins, the same franchise which beat out Buffalo for expansion in 1993.