Blue Jays and Bisons extend PDC

The Toronto Blue Jays and the Buffalo Bisons have extended their player development contract with two more years. The extension runs through the 2020 season.

The Blue Jays and the Bisons (AAA, International League) have been partners since 2013 after the Blue Jays fled Las Vegas as the team was not happy with the distance between Sin City and Toronto and the state Cashman Field was in.

As usual, both clubs exchanged pleasantries when announcing the news.
Bisons Vice President/General Manager Mike Buczkowski stated: “Having a strong Major League parent club that is willing to support our efforts both on the field and off is extremely important to our overall success and the Toronto Blue Jays have been and continue to be a fantastic partner of ours since day one. We’re looking forward to continuing this relationship and bringing the excitement of both our clubs to the great baseball fans in Western New York, Southern Ontario and in Toronto.”

In return, Blue Jays Director of Player Development Gil Kim said: “We are very proud to extend our relationship with the Rich family and the Buffalo Bisons. The first class treatment that our players receive in Buffalo is a testament to the leadership of Jon Dandes, Mike Buczkowski, and the entire Bisons organization. The Bisons are instrumental in helping to create the optimal environments, both on and off the field, so that our players can maximize their potential en route to Toronto. We look forward to this relationship continuing for many years to come.”

The history of this Bisons team dates back to 1977.  There was a previous team with the same moniker in Buffalo that played in the International League from 1912 through 1970 and then moved to Winnipeg to become the Whips.
In 1979, the Jersey City A’s (AA, Eastern League) were forced out of town and then moved to Buffalo. The Jersey City A’s were a short lived minor league team that was founded in 1977 as Jersey City Indians. In 1979 the team switched affiliations and adopted the moniker of the Oakland Athletics. After moving to Buffalo in 1980, the team stayed at AA level until 1985 when it joined the American Association, one of the (then) three AAA leagues. As the American Association folded after the 1997 season, the season the Bisons won the final American Association championship in, the club joined the International League. Since joining the IL, the Bisons has won league championships in 1998 and 2004.