By: Brian Frank
Joseph M. Overfield was born on April 7, 1916. When he was nine years old, he clipped a newspaper coupon for a free ticket to see his first Bisons game at old Bisons Stadium. He fell in love with the team and became the preeminent historian of all things Bisons baseball. His magnum opus The 100 Seasons of Buffalo Bisons Baseball, helped spark my, and many others, interest in the history of the team when it was first published in 1985. He was also a founding member of SABR and the key lobbyist for Pud Galvin’s 1965 induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Joe is a member of the Buffalo Baseball Hall of Fame and the Greater Buffalo Sports hall of Fame. Sadly, Joe passed away on July 20, 2000 at the age of 84. It is only fitting that this blog about the history of Buffalo Bisons Baseball starts in the year that is the 100th anniversary of his birth.
Hopefully, this blog can help continue the work pioneered and perfected by Joe Overfield, chronicling the history of Bisons baseball. Our goal is to continue to research, analyze, tell interesting stories, and bring to life forgotten players, games and teams from the history of professional baseball in Buffalo, New York.