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MLB

Fan Guide to Bisons Opening Day

What you need to know for the official start of Spring
By
April 2, 2014

After a long, hard winter, we think everyone in Western New York and Southern Ontario is ready for SPRING to finally arrive!

We're happy to announce that Spring will officially be here on Thursday as the Bisons celebrate Opening Day at Coca-Cola Field. One of the great American Holidays, the Herd gets another season of exciting baseball action and fun promotions and events started by hosting the Rochester Red Wings at 2:05 p.m.

As you get ready for Game #1 in downtown Buffalo this season, here's what you need to know before you head out to the ballpark.

Tickets
Get your tickets to Opening Day HERE. You can buy your tickets online and avoid the lines at the Coca-Cola Field Box Office by printing them out at home. You can also call THE-HERD (843-4373) or stop by the Box Office.

Before the First Pitch
Gates to Coca-Cola Field will open at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, but you can stop by the Bisons Box Office as early as 9:00 a.m. If you have tickets waiting for you, might be a good idea to stop down early to avoid lines at the Will Call window.

Pre-Game ceremonies will start at about 1:40 p.m. As is tradition, each member of the 2014 Bisons team will be introduced to the line, including new manager Gary Allenson. The Bisons will also have a special Opening Day video and the Bisons Big Board will show many of the great events and promotions planned for the upcoming season.

Hang it on the Fridge:
All fans in attendance on Thursday will receive a 2014 Bisons Magnetic Schedules, presented by iEvolve. Put the keepsake on your icebox so you don't miss a pitch at Coca-Cola Field this summer.

Serious Surround Sound:
What's the best way to surround yourself with the great sounds of the ballpark? How about sitting right in the middle of 120 speakers? On Opening Day, the Bisons will debut their new 120-speaker Distributed Sound System. No longer is all the sound coming from speakers located in the centerfield scoreboard over 400 feet away. That's what caused sound to get muffled as well as the two-second delay. With this new system, there are 120 speakers hanging throughout the seating bowl, providing crisp and clear music and public address announcements to compliment the action on the field.

Gimmie some info please
The other big addition to Coca-Cola Field this season is a pair of state-of-the-art LED message boards…one each on the first base and third base side. These new boards will immerse fans with real-time game statistics, up-to-the-second out of town scores and key club promotional material throughout games at Coca-Cola Field.

I'll take some wins
How about 1,100 of them? That's how many new Bisons skipper Gary Allenson has in his managerial career. With 19 seasons of experience on the bench already, Allenson makes his Bisons debut on Thursday. Allenson has taken Louisville and Ottawa to the International League playoffs during his career and is also the Norfolk Tides franchise leader in managerial wins.

When describing the 2014 Bisons, Allenson said "We've got a bunch of good guys. They play the game the right way." CLICK HERE to watch Allenson give a full preview of his club.

Stroman starts it off
Blue Jays prospect Marcus Stroman gets the Bisons Opening Day start. The 22-year old was the Blue Jays' 1st round pick in the 2012 Frist Year Player Draft - the first ever first rounder for Duke University. Stroman is the #2 rated prospect in Toronto's system and was 9-5 with a 3.30 ERA and 129 strikeouts for Double-A New Hampshire a season ago.

CLICK HERE to watch his thoughts on getting the Opening Day nod.

Who's on the Herd
The Bisons Opening Day roster features the ideal mix of exciting prospects and establish vets you would want at Triple-A. Along with Stroman, the Bisons rotation will include Sean Nolin, Kyle Drabek, Ricky Romero and Liam Hendriks. 2013 Bisons returnees Neil Wagner, Mickey Storey and John Stilson anchor the bullpen and former IL MVP Dan Johnson leads the infield with Andy LaRoche and Munenori Kawasaki. Anthony Gose and Kevin Pillar highlight a talented group in the outfield.

CLICK HERE for a complete rundown of the Bisons Opening Day Roster.

Know your foes.
Story lines in the International League this off season include a new ballpark in Charlotte, a top prospect returning to Pawtucket and the probable end of one of the most storied records in league history that is currently held by a former Bisons slugger. Click the division below to get a full preview of each of the Bisons opponents.

IL North Division
IL South Division
IL West Division

 

-the herd-