Starting next month, the Toronto Blue Jays will be able to welcome fans to Sahlen Field. That means for the first time in 105 years, fans will be able to watch Major League Baseball in Buffalo.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday fans will be welcome at Sahlen Field starting June 1. There will be a vaccinated section with normal seating, and an unvaccinated section with six-foot social distancing. The Johnson and Johnson vaccine will also be offered free at games, along with special prizes, including a free ticket to the Buffalo Bisons next season.
For now, the Blue Jays are playing at their Spring Training complex in Dunedin, Florida. They'll be able to host fans at 24% capacity in Buffalo.
The Blue Jays are playing their games in the United States, due to Canada's COVID-19 travel guidelines. They've been renovating Sahlen Field since early April, temporarily displacing the Bisons to Trenton, New Jersey.
Their first series will be a two-game set against the Miami Marlins, followed by a pivotal three-game series against the vaunted Houston Astros.
The Blue Jays played a majority of their home games in 2020 at Sahlen Field, but were unable to have fans in attendance due to local COVID-19 restrictions at the time.
The Bisons were one of the original MLB franchises, playing from 1879-85. Their most notable player was Hall of Fame pitcher James "Pud" Galvin, whose plump appearance lived up to his nickname. He won an astounding 46 games in 1883 and 1884.
The great Old Hoss Radbourn — the inspiration behind the legendary Twitter account — also made his big league debut with the Bisons in 1880.
We'll see if there are any legends on this Blue Jays squad. But with a lineup featuring several young sluggers — George Springer, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, Cavan Biggio — Buffalo baseball fans have plenty of reasons to head to the park.
It promises to be the summer of the long ball in Buffalo.
