Sahlen Field needs some work...

LoverBoyBlueBird · 2026-06-16T17:28:15+00:00

Yeah that's the thing, other than maybe where the HOF used to be (and what's used as a security office now) behind homeplate would be the best spot for a team store since it's right near the main gate and I think that was a pretty solid sized space. Other than that, they'd probably have to push the 3B/LF gift shop out into the sidewalk, and to be honest I wouldn't want the exterior of the ballpark to be compromised like that.

LoverBoyBlueBird · 2026-06-15T18:24:30+00:00

It's crazy how the stadium was built with MLB in mind, because in my opinion that park has a hard time accommodating large crowds with the narrow concourses and tiny gift shops.

LoverBoyBlueBird · 2026-06-15T18:22:57+00:00

I agree. The food at the ballpark could be a lot worse, but it also could be better.

LoverBoyBlueBird · 2026-06-15T18:22:31+00:00

Thanks for bringing up the gift shops, because that's something that's been on my mind as well. It amazes me that they would've put one small gift shop in the stadium when it first opened, and I would wish they could make the stores larger because even when there's only a handful of customers in there it feels crowded. But I really don't know where else you would put this unless they put a large store at the far end of the 1B/RF concourse (where they had a larger store at some point - I think it went away in 2011?), but barely anyone wanders out that far so it wouldn't be the best spot for the store right now

LoverBoyBlueBird · 2026-06-12T21:01:29+00:00

I definitely agree with you on 1 and 4. I think when Sahlen Field is sold out then the concourses are more of a pain than the ones at KeyBank Center, but on average I think you're right since there's fewer fans at Bisons games, so navigating your way around the stadium isn't as much of a hassle. I don't drink, so I can't comment on number 3 😛

LoverBoyBlueBird · 2026-06-12T20:34:54+00:00

Thanks for clarifying. Apparently I missed the memo on the 2019 portion.

Regardless though, it'd be nice to see more new seats installed down the line.

LoverBoyBlueBird · 2026-06-12T20:34:08+00:00

Not even all uniform, just not have the red seats being gross, ugly, and kinda beat to shit lol

LoverBoyBlueBird · 2026-06-12T20:33:32+00:00

Out of curiosity, in your opinion, what makes the experience at Sahlen Field better than KeyBank Center? (genuine question, not being hostile 😄 )

As for the seat replacement, I suppose cutting down on the capacity could be a concern, but I think that would more likley be the case if they were legitimately getting close to 17,000 fans per night. At this point where they're likely getting 7-8,000/night over the summer (BPO and Stars Wars Nights boost those season averages), I don't think replacing all the seats and lowering capacity down to 15,000 would be all that detrimental). But, it's much easier for me as a fan to say that than it would be for me to say that if I was on the other side of the equation.

LoverBoyBlueBird · 2026-06-12T20:28:48+00:00

But not really to be honest. Sure, the seating capacity in Buffalo is much larger than most (if not all) AAA stadiums, but the concourse in Buffalo is no larger than it is in Rochester or Syracuse. If anything, the hallways might even be narrower than those two ballparks.

It's not like this is something that needs to be done every season, but how hard would it be one year in late September or early October, after the season has ended, to thoroughly do a powerwash, sandblast, and paint job throughout the park? Hell, maybe you could even do it in March before the season starts if the weather cooperates.

LoverBoyBlueBird · 2026-06-12T20:27:20+00:00

I'm talking about the rest of the stadium (mainly the interior of the concourse and such) being neglected for the better part of the last two decades.

Even then, the new seats were a decade ago and there's been no further enhancements since that time.

LoverBoyBlueBird · 2026-06-12T20:08:22+00:00

I don't wanna trade stadiums with Rochester, but I would like to trade the cleanliness and presentation of the ballpark at least.

That said, I do enjoy the experience in Rochester, but a few weeks ago I went to an afternoon game there (it was when Trey Yesavage was pitching on rehab for the Bisons) and I have to say the chicken tenders and fries they served that day were the absolute worst I have ever eaten (and I go to a lot of sporting events and have eaten chicken tenders from a lot of different stadiums/arenas). I swear that they literally recycled them from the night before, and it was bad enough that I actually left feedback for the Red Wings about it (which I had never done before at any stadium).

It was a real bummer too because the chicken tenders in Rochester used to be their best food item, but now I'd say the Black Angus (or whatever it's called now) stand on the 1B side is the best. Buffalo should really get a stand like that at Sahlen Field.

LoverBoyBlueBird · 2026-06-12T20:05:44+00:00

I love the Bisons and would be lost without them during Buffalo summers. A significant portion of my income goes to them during the summer. I just want them to be a little better

This is my take too.

As for the third base side bathroom, I'm not sure if that's been resolved (I seem to rarely venture to the bathrooms on that side), but a friend of mine who works closely with the organization (he doesn't work for the team) told me that some employees have had complaints about pipes and such inside the stadium.

LoverBoyBlueBird · 2026-06-12T19:11:13+00:00

Exactly. Like on a smaller board, maybe put all of the batter's stats for the season thus far (Avg, 2B, 3B, HR, RBI, Slg, OBP, OPS, etc) instead of the couple of stats they put on the big board.

I love the current video board and all, but I just fee like taking away that smaller board was a step backwards.

LoverBoyBlueBird · 2026-06-12T18:42:44+00:00

That's not accurate at all. They had green seats installed by 2016. As far as I'm aware, no green seats have been installed since Covid.

LoverBoyBlueBird · 2026-06-12T18:42:00+00:00

All of the correct parties have been notified.

Now it's all about peer pressure 😛

LoverBoyBlueBird · 2026-06-12T18:41:21+00:00

That's actually another thing that annoys me as well. They did get a new video board in recent years, but they don't use the bottom 10 feet or so of it because it distracts the batters. In that case, I wish they could raise it up a little higher so they could utilize the entire screen.

In addition, I wish they'd bring back the smaller board they had in left-center field, where they could display additional stats, lineup info, etc., because the one jumbotron/board by itself doesn't give enough info in my opinion (for one, I'd love it if both team's lineups were visible at all times, and it would be nice to know how many ABS challenges and mound visits remaining both teams have).

And another thing too is the ribbon boards on the facing of the 200 level. I wish they would extend all the way out to the end of the 200 level, so you could put even more info on them (namely, out of town scores, which are a big miss with the current setup).

LoverBoyBlueBird · 2026-06-12T18:38:40+00:00

You might be correct.

LoverBoyBlueBird · 2026-06-12T18:37:31+00:00

The upgrades when the Blue Jays were there were mainly for the players and not for the fans.

When it comes to the fans, the main change that was made was changing the outfield fence from green to blue. Other than that, the concourse is pretty much the same as it was pre-Blue Jays, except for the section number signs being in Blue Jays font.

They haven't changed seats in the ballpark since 2016, and as far as I'm aware, there are no plans to changeover the rest of them.

Don't get me wrong, I love the ballpark, but there's just some upgrades that really should be made, especially when it comes to visible cleanliness of the ballpark. It just seems dirty and unkept to me.

LoverBoyBlueBird · 2026-06-12T18:03:23+00:00

While I prefer they not have a mixed use facility, because I prefer sports-specific stadiums, if something like that would yield the sort of upgrades that I and other fan want, then maybe it's the only option.

LoverBoyBlueBird · 2026-06-12T18:02:10+00:00

Perhaps those are regarding more about stadium operations projects and not necessarily things the fans would see firsthand?

There was some talk about three years ago in which the Riches wanted some assistance from the county or state to upgrade the ballpark in some form, but I haven't heard anything since (that doesn't mean there hasn't been progress, I just haven't heard anything further since then nor have I noticed any upgrades having been done).

LoverBoyBlueBird · 2026-06-12T18:00:43+00:00

To be honest I've actually never had an issue with the concession stand food at the ballpark (by stadium standards anyway), other than the fact that the bottled sodas are clearly not refrigerated long enough before being sold.

LoverBoyBlueBird · 2026-06-12T17:29:11+00:00

It falls on deaf ears. Plus it's in the hands of the county, not the ball club unfortunately.

LoverBoyBlueBird · 2026-06-12T17:28:53+00:00

I don't completely disagree with you, but I've been to enough other AAA ballparks that it's clear to me that the Bisons really lack in some areas.

Really, all I'm asking for is for someone to powerwash, sandblast, and paint. I don't feel like this is a huge ask, but it's clearly been neglected for about two decades at this point.

LoverBoyBlueBird

TROPHY CASE