The Original Plan was to attend 3 games in Buffalo. However, the weather changed as did my plans. What else is new? Originally I had planned on attending the Erie Seawolves Day Game on 3/24, followed by an evening game in Buffalo that same night. Both games were Rained Out. Instead of spending another day in Erie. Ian, Hunter, and Myself packed up the Explorer and decided to head towards Buffalo to do some exploring. One of our goals was to find some “Buff-a-Hoes”. Considering none of us are good-looking, we failed miserably. Hunter came closest though, almost purchasing a hooker for $200 an hour.

Prior to leaving Erie, I decided that booking a hotel in Buffalo would be a much better option than camping, which is what we usually do for MiLB games. I logged on to my favorite Travel Site, Priceline. I’m never one to pay full price for anything. I love Priceline because it gives you the option to “Name Your Own Price”. Considering it was a weekday, I knew hotels would be desperate to fill empty rooms. I made a ridiculously low offer of $45/night. My offer was accepted and we were headed to the Adams Mark in Downtown Buffalo. According to Buffalo Ballhawk Quinn, the Adams Mark is the Nicest Hotel in Buffalo. After checking in, I’d hate to see the worst. LoL.

Since we did not have any games to attend, we decided to head to Niagara Falls.

Above is a view of the Falls.

One of the Hidden Secrets of Niagara Falls is the Maid of the Mist. Luckily, we made it in time for the last voyage of the day.

Here is a view from below the Falls in New York prior to boarding the Maid of the Mist.

Just how I like it. HaHa

The Docking Station for the Maid of the Mist. Below are a few photos taken while on the ride. I would have loved to have taken more. However, we boarded the boat in a steady rain and had to deal with some wicked winds and some string misting from the falls. I wasn’t trying to lose yet another phone to H2O.

Here I am soaked from head to toe. The ponchos given to us prior to boarding the Maid of the Mist were pretty much useless. After our voyage, we stopped in the Gift Shop.

I purchased a pretty cool Niagara Falls Commemorative Baseball. Below are a few more photos of the ball.

After the Gift Shop, we did some more exploring around Niagara Falls. I have a few more photos which are on Hunter’s phone. Hopefully, he wakes his lazy ass up by the time I’m done typing this and sends them to me so I can share them on here.

After visiting the falls, we made the trek back to our hotel. Minus the 3am Fire Alarm and Hunter’s disgusting snoring, it was a rather pleasant night. The beds were comfy, the pillows soft, and I didn’t encounter any bed bugs.

I almost forgot to mention that prior to going to sleep, Ian and I made the walk over to Coca Cola Field to do some investigating. According to Quinn, there was an Oswaldo Arcia Home Run Baseball laying unclaimed in a fenced in area beyond the CF Wall.

We found the Baseball!!

Sadly, I couldn’t get my fat ass over the 12 ft fence to rescue the baseball. Instead of risking arrest by sneaking in another part of the ballpark, we walked back to the hotel. I had a Ball Retriever in the Explorer and planned on getting the ball the next morning.

We ended up sleeping in the next morning. After showering and getting lunch, we arrived at Coca Cola Field during the 2nd Inning of Game 1.

We purchased the Cheapest Tickets possible. The cheapest ticket in Buffalo was $10. It’s only $9 if purchased in advanced. Everyone knows that Minor League Games are empty and you can sit wherever you please. Why spend the extra $$$ on “Box Seats”?

Hunter and Ian spent the first few innings chasing Foul Balls.

I took a few pictures then headed out to the area in Right Field.

After a few inning in RF, I returned to the infield in hopes of snagging a few foul balls. While I was gone, Hunter was the proud recipient of a Jeremy Hazelbaker 6th Inning Home Run. Hunter ended up trading the ball to me for a Brand New International League Baseball. Below are a few photos of the Hazelbaker Home Run Baseball.

Speaking of Home Runs, Hunter wasn’t the only one who would get one during the Doubleheader.

During the 1st Inning of Game 2, I was able to reel in a Mike McCoy Home Run off of the LF Berm with this device.

With this device, I’m able to reel in any baseball within 15-18 ft with no problem. Please don’t ask how it works. It’s a secret. Below are a few photos of the McCoy Home Run Baseball.

After reeling in the McCoy Home Run, I returned to RF. During the 3rd Inning, Bisons CF, Anthony Gose began motioning something to me then yelling something. I had no idea what he was saying so I wandered towards CF and Gose told me he wanted the Big Glove. I just laughed it off because I thought he was kidding. During the Inning Break, Gose told me he’d trade me an Autographed Bat for the Glove. Josh Hamilton offered to trade me an Autographed Bat for it last season in Baltimore and I declined. Gose would be denied as well. During the 4th Inning, Gose continued to tell me he wanted to glove. I looked up him up on Google and noticed he got a $772,000 Signing Bonus. I knew he had more to offer besides a bat.

As Gose was jogging off the field in the 4th, I handed him this note with my “Trade Demands”. I didn’t think it was much to ask for. What do you think? During the next Inning Break, 2 employees of the team started walking towards RF with hands full of goodies. It was a deal.

One Dozen Brand New International League Baseballs. Below are a few photos of an Official International League Baseball.

In addition to the Dozen International League Baseballs, Gose also tossed in 2 Pairs of Batting Gloves.

Another one of my “Trade Demands” was a Buffalo Bisons New Era Size 7 1/4.

$33.99 plus tax. I wonder who picked up the tab for this.

Close Up of the Buffalo Bisons Logo.

Marucci Bone Rubbed AP5-M Pro Model Anthony Gose Bat. If you notice, below the Handcrafted For is an Anthony Gose Signature engraved into the bat. A Signature engraved into the bat designates that the player has an MLB Bat Contract with the Company. Gose played a part of the 2012 MLB Season with Toronto and should be back in the Bigs soon.

Anthony signed the bat in a BOLD, Black Sharpie Marker on the Barrell and added his #8.

Close Up of the Bat’s Knob. Incase you’re wondering what all the numbers mean, I’ll try to explain. The Black 8 is Anthony’s Jersey Number. The 2/08/13 is the date the bat was produced. The 4 designates that this is a 34 inch bat. The 2 designates the bat’s weight, which is 32 ounces.

Another item given to me by Gose was a Brand New pair of New Balance Baseball Cleats.

Model MB3000MS. These are an MLB Model, not available is stores. Size 11, Medium Width. I also wear a Size 11, so I will probably end up wearing these cleats.

Yet another item given to me was a Game Worn Undershirt. I had originally asked for a Bisons Hoodie. However, Gose stated that he couldn’t find one and gave me this instead.

Bisons Logo on the Undershirt.

Undershirt is made by 4ORTE, Size XL. Anthony’s #8 is written on the Laundry Tag in Black Marker. I’m guessing the shirt was worn by Gose during the Doubleheader as it smells of a mixture of Cocca Butter and Sweat. I’m not sure what I’m going to do with this item. Anybody want to swap me for a Bisons Hoodie in an XL?

Finally, I posed for a photo with Gose.

In case you’re wondering why Gose was so interested in the Big Glove. Apparently, the Bisons Shortstop (McCoy?) made some sort of Error on Opening Day and the Glove is going to be used as a prank. In all, I received the following in exchange for the Big Glove: Dozen International League Baseballs, 2 Pairs of Batting Gloves, Game Worn Undershirt, Bisons New Era Hat, Brand New Pair of Cleats, and an Autographed Game Model Bat. I understand that most of you will say I’m crazy for giving up the Big Glove. Not at all. I already have a new one on the way. 😉

In regards to a review of Coca Cola Field, I’ll say a few things. The Ballpark itself is quite impressive. Seating for 18,000 plus, that’s crazy. The Seating Area itself is very tough to navigate. 80% of the seats are stuck in the down position. Someone in the Bisons organization needs to look into upgrading the seats. The Concourse Areas behind the Seating Area reminded me of a Horror Movie. They were very dark and lacked any sort of life or excitement. How about some Games, Music, etc…? I tried a Soft Pretzel from one of the Concession Stands. It was the WORST Pretzel I’ve ever had at any Ballpark. I’m guessing it was atleast 4 days old. Just because it’s hot, doesn’t mean it’s fresh. The Gift Shop inside the Ballpark was decent. However, I didn’t see any Game Used items whatsoever. The Picnic Area in Right Field is wonderful. There is a patch of grass beyond the RF Wall that is so close, you feel like you’re playing RF in the game. Very cool. The bathrooms in CF were clean. However, there was no hot water. It’s no fun washing your hands with cold water on a chilly day. Ticket Prices were VERY FAIR. The staff at the Ballpark was also very helpful and knowledgable. One of my biggest complaints is the lack of a walkway around the Outfield Wall. In order to go from RF to LF, you must walk the whole way around the Ballpark. The area beyond the walls at Coca Cola Field is “Dead Space” filled with various Grounds Crew Junk, Broken Stadium Equipment, etc. In my opinion, the Bisons should look into some sort of walkway that wraps around the Outfield Wall. If you need help in a design, I’d be more that glad to help. All in all, Coca Cola Field grades out a 2 of 5 stars in my opinion. While I’m not planning any return trips this season, I’d consider a return trip if I was in the area.