Buffalo Blues, 1914–1915

For two seasons, Buffalo had a major league baseball team of its own. First came the Buffeds. Then came the Blues.

Buffalo Joins the Fight

When the Federal League challenged the established major leagues in 1914, Buffalo was one of eight cities with a team.

At first, the club did not have an official nickname.

Like many Federal League teams, they were simply known by variations of their city and league. In Buffalo, that meant the Buffeds, Buffalo Federals or Buffalo Feds.

By 1915, they had a proper name: the Buffalo Blues.

Starting Strong

Buffalo's first major league Federal League season was competitive.

The 1914 Buffeds finished 80–71, good for fourth place and only seven games behind the league champion Indianapolis Hoosiers.

The roster included players with plenty of experience in the established major leagues, including Hugh Bedient, Russ Ford, Harry Lord and Hal Chase.

A Ballpark of Their Own

Buffalo played at a new Federal League ballpark built at the International Fair Association Grounds.

Construction delays meant the team had to wait roughly a month into the 1914 season before finally playing its first home game.

The owners even offered shares in the team to the public through newspaper advertisements, giving local fans the opportunity to invest directly in Buffalo's new club.

The Buffalo Blues

The newly named Blues entered 1915 hoping to move up the standings.

Instead, Buffalo finished 74–78 and landed in sixth place, 12 games behind the champion Chicago Whales.

The season produced no championship, but it did close a remarkable chapter in Buffalo sports history.

The End of Major League Baseball in Buffalo

When the Federal League folded after the 1915 season, the Buffalo Blues disappeared with it.

They became the last major league baseball franchise based in Buffalo.

More than a century later, Major League Baseball briefly returned to the city when the Toronto Blue Jays played home games in Buffalo during the 2020 and 2021 seasons.

But Buffalo's own major league team remains a story from the Federal League era.