Offermann Madness

At 5:30, the line to get to the Swan Street gate and get one of the 4,000 Offermann Stadium replicas hooked all the way around Dunn Tire Park, down Washington Street and past Pearl Street on the way to Exchange. Wow. Bisons officials, by the way, point out your intrepid blogger may have, in fact, been duped by "Froggiegames" the EBay seller who purported to already have one in hand several hours before the gates opened.

The theory is that the guy, who listed Tonawanda as his location, put up his listing early so it would be the first auction to end but still isn't getting one until he gets through the gates at 6. And look closely at his picture. It's the one the Bisons have on their Web site with the date "Aug. 20" scratched out in black on the bottom right-hand corner! Pretty sneaky. (By the way, a Bisons spokesman tells me there will be a limited number available for purchase in the Batter's Box gift shop for $20 + tax -- or far less than they'll probably go on EBay.)

Anyway, it looks like the third stadium replica giveaway of the last three seasons is going to be a pretty big hit. Wonder what the Bisons are going to do next season now that there are no more stadiums left in franchise annals!

---Mike Harrington

Comments

[Franco]

The Book titled LOST BALLPARKS, by Lawrence S Ritter , published 1992 by Viking Studio Books has an eight page chapter featuring Offerman Stadium, including some vintage pictures of Offerman. The book also featured such well known stadia as Ebbetts Field, Braves Field,Baker Bowl and less known ballparks as Gilmore Field and Seals Stadium.

[James]

Olympic Park would be
the next giveaway. I believe
there is photo in Pettibones
of Olympic Park.The Bisons
in the late sixties also
played at Hyde Park in
Niagara Falls.

[MartyB]

Or how about the simply named Buffalo Baseball Park - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffalo_Baseball_Park

I think we're set for two more years!

[MartyB]

Loved the Offerman Stadium giveaway. That is the only promotional item on the schedule the last three years that is a must attend for me. Mike, I'd like to see them do the pre-Offerman Bisons home -0lympic Stadium - next year! Here's the Wiki link...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympic_Park_(Buffalo)

[Ward H.]

When I arrived at 5:40 the line had hooked around into the employee parking lot behind Heron's Landing; I stood next to the Brad Snyder Sunday HR landing inscription. Kudos to the Bisons--I was in the park with my replica 13 minutes after the gate opened at 6:00. Not bad at all.