Offermann Stadium
Encyclopedia
Offermann Stadium was a stadium
in Buffalo, New York
. It was primarily used for baseball
and was the home of Buffalo Bisons
of the International League
. The ballpark had a capacity of 14,000 people and opened in 1924. It was located on the block bounded by East Ferry Street (north, third base), Masten Avenue (east, left field), Woodlawn Avenue (south, right field) and Michigan Avenue (west, first base).
after the conclusion of the 1888 season, Buffalo Baseball Park was built at East Ferry and Michigan Avenue. It was a wooden structure which opened for professional baseball in 1889, serving the high-minor league club's needs for well over three decades. For 1924, a new steel-and-concrete structure was built on the site. It was initially called Bison Stadium, and was renamed in memory of owner Frank J. Offermann in 1935 following his death.
According to one source, this park was the site of the first high-minor league night game, on July 3, 1930, a year in which many minor league teams resorted to lights during the heat of summer as a means of boosting attendance as the Great Depression
began to take effect (the majors would not begin using lights until 1935).
The ballpark had fairly cozy dimensions. It was on a rectangular block, with the diamond tilted somewhat counterclockwise relative to the streets. Left field was 321 feet, left center 345, center 400, right center 365, right field line 297. Also, it was reportedly only 33 feet to the backstop. This added up to a hitters park, and several sluggers took advantage, especially Luke Easter
, who in the mid-1950s led the International League in home runs despite being over 40 years old. Earlier, in May 1938, the much-traveled Bob "Suitcase" Seeds had hit 7 home runs in two days here.
The ballpark went out with a bang and a whimper in 1960, its final season, as the Bisons made it to the Junior World Series
but lost the final game, at home. The next year, they moved about ten blocks straight south on Masten to take up shop at War Memorial Stadium
.
Thus the "permanent" version of the ballpark lasted 36 seasons, whereas the "temporary" wooden version had survived for 35. The stadium was eventually demolished and in 1962, Woodlawn Junior High School (eventually renamed Buffalo Traditional School) opened on the site's grounds. In 2008, the site will become the new home of the Buffalo Academy for Visual and Performing Arts school. In the spring of 2012, a historical plaque will be dedicated at the site in remembrance of over 71 years of baseball played on the grounds. Local Buffalo sports historian John Boutet spearheaded the project and raised the funds through the facebook group Buffalo Sports Museum, the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame and the Buffalo Bisons.
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
in Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
. It was primarily used for baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
and was the home of Buffalo Bisons
Buffalo Bisons
The Buffalo Bisons are a minor league baseball team based in Buffalo, New York. They currently play in the International League and are the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets...
of the International League
International League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
. The ballpark had a capacity of 14,000 people and opened in 1924. It was located on the block bounded by East Ferry Street (north, third base), Masten Avenue (east, left field), Woodlawn Avenue (south, right field) and Michigan Avenue (west, first base).
History
After the lease ran out on Olympic ParkOlympic Park (Buffalo)
Olympic Park is a former baseball ground located in Buffalo, New York, USA. The ground was home to the Buffalo Bisons baseball club of the National League from 1884 to 1885. The park was located on the North East corner of Richmond Avenue & Summer Street, bounded by Norwood Avenue...
after the conclusion of the 1888 season, Buffalo Baseball Park was built at East Ferry and Michigan Avenue. It was a wooden structure which opened for professional baseball in 1889, serving the high-minor league club's needs for well over three decades. For 1924, a new steel-and-concrete structure was built on the site. It was initially called Bison Stadium, and was renamed in memory of owner Frank J. Offermann in 1935 following his death.
According to one source, this park was the site of the first high-minor league night game, on July 3, 1930, a year in which many minor league teams resorted to lights during the heat of summer as a means of boosting attendance as the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
began to take effect (the majors would not begin using lights until 1935).
The ballpark had fairly cozy dimensions. It was on a rectangular block, with the diamond tilted somewhat counterclockwise relative to the streets. Left field was 321 feet, left center 345, center 400, right center 365, right field line 297. Also, it was reportedly only 33 feet to the backstop. This added up to a hitters park, and several sluggers took advantage, especially Luke Easter
Luke Easter (baseball player)
Luscious Luke Easter was a professional baseball player in Major League Baseball and the Negro leagues. He batted left-handed, threw right-handed, was 6'4", and weighed 240 lb. The birth year listed here is drawn from census data...
, who in the mid-1950s led the International League in home runs despite being over 40 years old. Earlier, in May 1938, the much-traveled Bob "Suitcase" Seeds had hit 7 home runs in two days here.
The ballpark went out with a bang and a whimper in 1960, its final season, as the Bisons made it to the Junior World Series
Junior World Series
The Junior World Series was the name given to a postseason series between champions of two of the three high-minor baseball leagues, modeled on the World Series of Major League Baseball...
but lost the final game, at home. The next year, they moved about ten blocks straight south on Masten to take up shop at War Memorial Stadium
War Memorial Stadium (Buffalo)
War Memorial Stadium is the name of a stadium that formerly stood in Buffalo, New York. The stadium was on a rectangular block near the downtown area. Its main entrance was at Jefferson Avenue to the east and Best Street to the south...
.
Thus the "permanent" version of the ballpark lasted 36 seasons, whereas the "temporary" wooden version had survived for 35. The stadium was eventually demolished and in 1962, Woodlawn Junior High School (eventually renamed Buffalo Traditional School) opened on the site's grounds. In 2008, the site will become the new home of the Buffalo Academy for Visual and Performing Arts school. In the spring of 2012, a historical plaque will be dedicated at the site in remembrance of over 71 years of baseball played on the grounds. Local Buffalo sports historian John Boutet spearheaded the project and raised the funds through the facebook group Buffalo Sports Museum, the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame and the Buffalo Bisons.
Sources
- Ballparks of North America, by Michael Benson, McFarland, 1989
- Lost Ballparks, by Lawrence S. Ritter, Penguin, 1992