Former International League most valuable player Jhonny Peralta, ex-IL batting champion Ben Francisco and left-hander Bob Patterson – who carried a no-hitter deep into the first game at Pilot Field – have been named as the newest members of the Buffalo Baseball Hall Fame, the Bisons announced Thursday.
The trio will be inducted as part of the Bisons' game against Worcester on July 30 in Sahlen Field. Peralta, who lives in the Dominican Republic, is not scheduled to attend. In a new twist this year, the players will be first honored in a special "Hall of Fame Induction Dinner" featuring Francisco and Patterson before the game in the Consumer’s Pub at the Park restaurant.
The dinner will include an all-you-can-eat buffet from 4-5 p.m. with induction ceremonies and conversations with Francisco and Patterson to follow. Fans with game tickets can make reservations by visiting PubatthePark.com, Bisons.com or calling (716) 846-2100. Buffet/game ticket packages are also available at the same sites/number.
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Peralta had perhaps the greatest season in the Bisons' modern era as a 22-year-old in 2004, batting .326 with a modern-era record 181 hits, 44 doubles, 109 runs, 15 home runs and 86 RBIs as the Herd won the IL title. He was named Topps IL Player of the Year and the Minor League All-Star Shortstop.
Peralta also played 63 games with the Bisons in 2003 and his .305 career average is No. 6 on the modern-era list. He played 1,798 big-league games with Cleveland, Detroit and St. Louis and was a three-time all-star while batting .267 with 202 home runs.
Francisco won the IL batting crown for the Bisons in 2007 after hitting .318 in 95 games before being recalled to Cleveland. Francisco added 12 homers, 51 RBIs and 22 stolen bases that season and was named an IL Postseason All-Star. He was the Herd’s Co-Most Valuable Player in 2006 (278-17-59 with 25 steals in 134 games) and had a 25-game hitting streak that season that's second in franchise annals.
Francisco went on to play 563 MLB games for six teams and his career highlight was a three-run pinch homer to give Philadelphia a 3-2 win in Game 3 of the 2011 National League Division Series in St. Louis.
Patterson, 63, had a no-hitter into the seventh inning of the ballpark's opener against Denver on April 14, 1988, before giving up an infield single and taking a shutout into the ninth of a 1-0 victory. Patterson only pitched two more games for Buffalo that season due to injury but came back to serve as the ace of the staff in 1989, going 12-6 with a 3.35 ERA while striking out 103 and walking just 35 in 177 1/3 innings.
Patterson went on to pitch 559 games in the major leagues for four teams, all but 21 as a reliever. He had a 39-40 record, 28 saves and made more than 50 appearances seven times in his career, topped by 79 with the Chicago Cubs in 1996.
