Editing Sahlen Field (section)

===Professional baseball in Buffalo, 1877–1970===

Buffalo began hosting [[professional baseball]] in 1877, when the Buffalo Bisons of the [[League Alliance]] began play at [[Riverside Park (stadium)|Riverside Park]].<ref name="Axisa 2020">{{cite web | last=Axisa | first=Mike | title=MLB returns to Buffalo for first time in 105 years: Exploring the city's rich baseball history | website=CBSSports.com | date=August 11, 2020 | url=https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/mlb-returns-to-buffalo-for-first-time-in-105-years-exploring-the-citys-rich-baseball-history/ | access-date=May 30, 2022}}</ref> Over the next century, the city hosted major and minor league teams including the [[Buffalo Bisons (IA)|Buffalo Bisons]] ([[International Association for Professional Base Ball Players|IA]], 1878, 1887–1888), [[Buffalo Bisons (NL)|Buffalo Bisons]] ([[National League (baseball)|NL]], 1879–1885), [[1890 Buffalo Bisons season|Buffalo Bisons]] ([[Players' League|PL]], 1890), and the [[Buffalo Blues]] ([[Federal League|FL]], 1914–1915).<ref name="Axisa 2020" /> The longest-tenured franchise was the minor league [[Buffalo Bisons (1886–1970)|Buffalo Bisons]], which was founded in 1886 and played exclusively in the [[International League]] starting in 1912.<ref name="Axisa 2020" /> This club played at [[Olympic Park (Buffalo)|Olympic Park]] until 1923, at which point that venue was demolished and replaced by [[Offermann Stadium]].<ref name="buffalo.bisons.milb.com 2008">{{cite web | title=Buffalo Bisons: About | website=[[Minor League Baseball]] | date=April 13, 2008 | url=https://www.milb.com/news/gcs-328596 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080413032840/http://buffalo.bisons.milb.com/about/page.jsp?ymd=20071210&content_id=328596&vkey=about_t422&fext=.jsp&sid=t422 | archive-date=April 13, 2008 | url-status=live | access-date=May 30, 2022}}</ref>

Buffalo was awarded an expansion franchise by the [[Continental League]] of Major League Baseball in January 1960, and made plans to play at [[War Memorial Stadium (Buffalo, New York)|War Memorial Stadium]] beginning with the 1961 season. However, the league folded before the season began.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bailey |first1=Budd |title=This Day in Buffalo Sports History: The majors in Buffalo? |url=https://buffalonews.com/sports/this-day-in-buffalo-sports-history-the-majors-in-buffalo/article_9237d643-05a6-55a1-9142-b225331d9bef.html |work=[[The Buffalo News]]|date=January 29, 2011}}</ref> The Buffalo Bisons remained in the International League and began play at War Memorial Stadium in 1961, as Offermann Stadium had already been slated for demolition.<ref name="buffalo.bisons.milb.com 2008" />

In April 1968, [[Robert O. Swados]] and his investment group, which included [[George Steinbrenner]], presented their bid for a Buffalo expansion franchise to the National League Expansion Committee.<ref name="warts">{{Cite web|url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1969/01/20/warts-love-and-dreams-in-buffalo|title=WARTS, LOVE AND DREAMS IN BUFFALO|first=Brock|last=Yates|author-link=Brock Yates|website=Sports Illustrated Vault &#124; SI.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last=Cichon | first=Steve | title=Buffalo in the '60s: George Steinbrenner- 'The Boss' loved Buffalo | website=Buffalo News | date=June 17, 2016 | url=https://buffalonews.com/news/local/history/buffalo-in-the-60s-george-steinbrenner--the-boss-loved-buffalo/article_8d6f712f-0901-52f4-bfd7-fc340416200d.html | access-date=May 30, 2022}}</ref> This bid included plans for a $50 million domed stadium that was designed by the architects of the [[Astrodome]] and had a capacity of 45,000.<ref>{{cite book | last=York | first=N. | title=New York Court of Appeals. Records and Briefs.: 67 NY2D 257, APPELLANTS REPLY BRIEF part , KENFORD COMPANY INC AND DOME STADIUM INC V COUNTY OF ERIE | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kL3dbRYccdoC&pg=PA3247 | access-date=August 23, 2022 | page=3247}}</ref> Buffalo was one of five finalists for the [[1969 Major League Baseball expansion]], but franchises were awarded to the [[Montreal Expos]] and [[San Diego Padres]] in May 1968.<ref name="warts" />

[[Erie County, New York|Erie County]] went on to modify the planned domed stadium to accommodate the [[Buffalo Bills]], approving its construction as a 60,000-seat [[American football|football]] venue in [[Lancaster, New York|Lancaster]] that could also host baseball.<ref>{{cite web | title=COUNTY PAYS $10 MILLION TO COTTRELL LONG FIGHT OVER DOME DRAWS TO A CONCLUSION | website=Buffalo News | date=September 28, 1989 | url=https://buffalonews.com/news/county-pays-10-million-to-cottrell-long-fight-over-dome-draws-to-a-conclusion/article_68ccdc35-fa40-5ae0-ae3b-ba3afbfc88c8.html | access-date=May 30, 2022}}</ref> However, bids for the stadium in 1970 came in [[over budget]], and the project stalled. Bills owner [[Ralph Wilson]] threatened to move the Bills if action was not taken to replace the aging War Memorial Stadium, forcing Erie County to abandon the domed stadium in favor of building open-air [[Highmark Stadium (New York)|Rich Stadium]] in [[Orchard Park, New York|Orchard Park]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ezMsAAAAIBAJ&pg=4930,2267693|title=Herald-Journal - Google News Archive Search|website=news.google.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/08/05/nyregion/erie-county-loses-dome-suit.html|title=Erie County Loses Dome Suit|newspaper=The New York Times|date=August 5, 1984}}</ref> Major League Baseball had planned on relocating the struggling [[Texas Rangers (baseball)#Washington Senators (1961–1971)|Washington Senators]] franchise to Buffalo, but when the domed stadium wasn't built it instead became the [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]].<ref>{{cite web | last=Gallivan | first=Peter | title=Unknown Stories of WNY: A parade of plans, a look back at Bills stadium proposals of the past | website=wgrz.com | date=January 11, 2022 | url=https://www.wgrz.com/article/news/local/unknown-stories/unknown-stories-of-wny-a-parade-of-plans-a-look-back-at-buffalo-bills-stadium-proposals-of-the-past/71-023bcf01-8e93-4c51-9e7c-4bf1a2972a71 | access-date=June 11, 2022}}</ref> The Buffalo Bisons moved mid-season in 1970 and became the [[Winnipeg Whips]], leaving Buffalo without professional baseball.<ref>{{cite web | last=Bailey | first=Budd | title=This Day in Buffalo Sports History, June 4, 1970: Buffalo loses Bisons baseball | website=Buffalo News | date=June 4, 2011 | url=https://buffalonews.com/news/this-day-in-buffalo-sports-history-june-4-1970-buffalo-loses-bisons-baseball/article_76c8807d-c4b6-5a04-9d4e-8ce86f74e848.html | access-date=August 23, 2022}}</ref>