Get your Offermann Stadium replica!
September 17, 1960 was the date of the final game ever played at Offermann Stadium… a 5-3 Bisons loss to Toronto in the International League playoffs. (Wonder if obnoxious Toronto fans came down for that one, waving their tin foil Governors Cups 
)This hallowed home for Bisons baseball for decades, at the corner of Michigan and East Ferry, would be torn down, to be replaced by a public school building. With that demolition went all the ghosts and great moments and great memories and wonderful baseball.
For the third year in a row, the Buffalo Bisons will be sponsoring a really nifty giveaway as part of their promotional schedule at Dunn Tire Park. On August 20 the first 4000 lucky fans through the Swan Street turnstiles will receive their very own replica of Offermann Stadium. In 2006 the team gave away replicas of Dunn Tire Park, and last year’s giveaway was a replica of War Memorial Stadium, and these were no cheesy trinkets. Both pieces were stunning in their detail. I’ve got mine on display on the ledge between my dining room and living room.
Offermann was well before my time, so I have no memories of even being by there… just a few grainy photographs is all I’ve ever seen of the place. But as the promo date draws near, Pete and I are going to scour the stands and the press room looking for as many old codgers as we can find who might be willing to share an anecdote or two… should make for a good “Play Ball” column in Artvoice.
If you haven’t yet seen the awesome Bisons promotional schedule, check it out here.
Nick Isby Says:February 3rd, 2008 at 12:08 pm
Hey guys, what the heck is a “Bisons Hoodie Dog”? So far everyone I asked as no clue. It is the June 14 giveaway at the Swan Street Gate only.
So if Offerman is this year, what is the stadium next year. Bisons park or whatever the stadium was called before Offerman. I know they used to have a picture of the stadium in the concourse in the club level that was taken down a few years ago.
Andrew Kulyk Says:February 4th, 2008 at 10:42 am
@Nick Isby… You asked so we went to Bisons PR Guru Brad Bisbing for the answer…
“The Bisons Hoodie Dog is a stuffed animal wearing a Bisons hooded sweatshirt”
Sounds like a keeper to me!
Mop Up Duty Says:February 14th, 2008 at 10:37 am
I just did a review of the Bisons giveaways and I’d have to choose the Hat, Offerman Stadium and the Garko Bobblehead as the must have items of 2008. I hope the Offerman replica is as nice as the past War Memorial & Dunn Tire giveaways of the past.