Welcome back.
That's going to be the message the front office of the Buffalo Bisons will be spreading to the Toronto Blue Jays over the next few weeks.
There's lots of familiar faces who will be returning to Sahlen Field. And even though it was well-known the players preferred to play their home games this year in another major-league facility, they were diplomatic on Friday when word came from General Manager Ross Atkins that Buffalo was going to be their home for 2020.
"It's pretty normal for me. I played there before. I know the field," star first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. said on a Zoom call prior to the Jays' season opener at Tampa Bay. "I'm just going over there, do what we're going to do. Play hard and try to win some games there."
The Jays' prospect-laden infield of Guerrero Jr., second baseman Cavan Biggio and shortstop Bo Bichette all played last season with the Herd. So did standout pitching prospect Nate Pearson.
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In fact, 15 Blue Jays spent time with the Bisons in 2019.
"By no means is Buffalo a bad field. The surface infield wise is one of the best I played on in the minor leagues," Biggio said Friday during an interview on Sportsnet 590 The Fan, Toronto's all-sports radio giant. "That's certainly a positive to that. Knowing the guys in our locker room, we're ready to go, ready to play.
"We're going to take advantage to this as much as we can. Having the New York Yankees come to a minor-league ballpark, I know they're not going to be happy about that."
Biggio's three-run homer was the big blow Friday night as the Blue Jays beat the Rays in their opener, 6-4. It was much the same as Day One in 2019 as Biggio went 3 for 4 and drove a two-run shot into the right-field party deck of Sahlen Field to spark the Bisons' 8-3 win over Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Cavan Biggio loves home runs on #OpeningDay ... but we already knew that! 💪😉 @BlueJays pic.twitter.com/iZnRRDhosC
— Buffalo Bisons (@BuffaloBisons) July 25, 2020
Second-year manager Charlie Montoyo has all kinds of experience against the Bisons. He played here in 1991-1992 for the Denver Zephyrs and managed here for eight straight years (2007-2014) with the Durham Bulls, Tampa Bay's affiliate.
"I think it plays fair," he said of Sahlen Field. "I never had any problems when I went there. I went there a lot ... I was always hoping I didn't go there in April and May. But now we're going in July so the weather will be good. It's a ballpark that plays fair. I haven't seen it in 5-6 years. Talking to my kids who played there last year, they liked the way the infield plays so that's good.
#Bluejays manager Charlie Montoyo says his players are “excited they finally have a place”. He added, “I was always hoping I didn’t go there in April and May. But now we’re going In July so the weather will be good.” Played here 91-92 (Denver), managed 2007-14 (Durham) #Bisons pic.twitter.com/hXW0tuwz6E
— Mike Harrington (@ByMHarrington) July 24, 2020
Guerrero played nine games for the Bisons last year before his first call-up to Toronto and eight of them were on the road. He had just one at-bat in Buffalo in 2019, a walk in an April 20 game against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre that was suspended by rain in the third inning and completed in June – long after he was called up to the big leagues.
Guerrero batted .336 with six homers and 16 RBIs in 30 games for Buffalo in 2018. He hit .397 with five of the home runs in Sahlen Field.
"For me I think it's the same. It's baseball. It's a normal field. There's no fans anyway," Guerrero said. "We're just going to play baseball. I think it's going to be an advantage for our pitching. It's a big field, a bigger field than the one in Toronto. I think that's going to be the difference there. For our pitching."
Biggio, the son of Houston Hall of Famer Craig Biggio, batted .333 in 21 home games in Buffalo last season before departing for Toronto. As a left-handed hitter, he knows all about Lake Erie's fickle winds that blow in from right field across to left.
"No cheap home runs to right there," Biggio said. "Infield is good, grass is good. Sometimes that scoreboard in center field can be a bit too low, so maybe they can work on cutting off the bottom. Some curveballs pop up in there sometimes. Overall they look at little things like that, we'll be all right."
Guerrero agreed.
"Knowing our front office and staff, I know we're going to be comfortable there," he said. "I know they're working on all the facilities to make them a lot better for whenever we get there. No doubt we'll be comfortable in Buffalo."
