1996 Buffalo Bisons Roster
Team Record: 84-60
Finished 1st in the AA's East Division
Manager: Brian Graham (84-60)
Affiliation: Cleveland Indians
Location: Buffalo, New York
Ballpark: Coca Cola Field
Attendance: 825,530, Avg. 12,899 in 64 home dates
Playoffs - Indianapolis Indians 3 games, Buffalo Bisons 1
The Buffalo Bisons of the American Association ended the 1996 season with a record of 84 wins and 60 losses, finishing first in the league's East Division.
The Bisons topped the league with 723 runs, fueled by 163 home runs. Buffalo allowed 632 runs. Nigel Wilson walloped 30 home runs for the squad, while Brian Giles and Ryan Thompson swatted 15 or more as well. Nigel Wilson drove in 95 runs. Casey Candaele paced all qualifying hitters on the roster by hitting .311. Jimmy Williams led the squad with 12 wins, and Joe Roa earned a 3.27 ERA, best among hurlers with significant time on the mound.
Members of the 1996 Buffalo Bisons who played in Major League Baseball during their careers were Steve Dunn, Julián Tavárez, Reid Cornelius, Bill Wertz, Paul Shuey, John Farrell, Paul Faries, Erik Plantenberg, Damian Jackson, Geronimo Pena, Darryl Scott, Ryan Thompson, Albie Lopez, Tom Marsh, Brian Giles, Eric Helfand, Tom Wilson, Kent Mercker, Brian Anderson, Bruce Aven, Tim Costo, Bartolo Colón, Greg Cadaret, Enrique Wilson, Alan Embree, Mike Butcher, Danny Graves, Chad Ogea, Herbert Perry, Scott Leius, Casey Candaele, Joe Roa and Nigel Wilson.
Brian Graham served as manager.Click on column headings to sort.
| Player | Bats | Throws | Birth Date | Height | Weight | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brian Anderson | S | L | April 26, 1972 | 6'1" | 190 | Portsmouth, VA US |
| Bruce Aven | R | R | March 4, 1972 | 5'9" | 180 | Orange, TX US |
| Pat Bryant | R | R | October 27, 1972 | 5'11" | 182 | Lexington, KY US |
| Mike Butcher | R | R | May 10, 1965 | 6'1" | 200 | Davenport, IA US |
| Greg Cadaret | L | L | February 27, 1962 | 6'3" | 210 | Detroit, MI US |
| Casey Candaele | S | R | January 12, 1961 | 5'9" | 160 | Lompoc, CA US |
| Bartolo Colón | R | R | May 24, 1973 | 5'11" | 285 | Altamira, Puerto Plata DO |
| Reid Cornelius | R | R | June 2, 1970 | 6'0" | 200 | Thomasville, AL US |
| Tim Costo | R | R | February 16, 1969 | 6'5" | 220 | Melrose Park, IL US |
| Steve Dunn | L | L | April 18, 1970 | 6'4" | 225 | Champaign, IL US |
| Alan Embree | L | L | January 23, 1970 | 6'2" | 185 | The Dalles, OR US |
| Paul Faries | R | R | February 20, 1965 | 5'10" | 165 | Berkeley, CA US |
| John Farrell | R | R | August 4, 1962 | 6'4" | 210 | Monmouth Beach, NJ US |
| Brian Giles | L | L | January 20, 1971 | 5'11" | 195 | El Cajon, CA US |
| Danny Graves | R | R | August 7, 1973 | 5'11" | 200 | Saigon, VN |
| Benji Grigsby | R | R | December 2, 1970 | 6'1" | 190 | Key West, FL US |
| Eric Helfand | L | R | March 25, 1969 | 6'0" | 195 | Erie, PA US |
| Damian Jackson | R | R | August 16, 1973 | 5'10" | 160 | Los Angeles, CA US |
| Scott Leius | R | R | September 24, 1965 | 6'3" | 180 | Yonkers, NY US |
| Jim Lewis | R | R | January 31, 1970 | 6'4" | 190 | |
| Joe Lis | R | R | November 3, 1968 | 5'10" | 170 | |
| Albie Lopez | R | R | August 18, 1971 | 6'2" | 240 | Mesa, AZ US |
| Tom Marsh | R | R | December 27, 1965 | 6'2" | 180 | Toledo, OH US |
| Kent Mercker | L | L | February 1, 1968 | 6'1" | 175 | Dublin, OH US |
| Chad Ogea | R | R | November 9, 1970 | 6'2" | 200 | Lake Charles, LA US |
| Geronimo Pena | S | R | March 29, 1967 | 6'1" | 170 | Los Alcarrizos, Distrito Nacional DO |
| Herbert Perry | R | R | September 15, 1969 | 6'2" | 210 | Live Oak, FL US |
| Erik Plantenberg | R | L | October 30, 1968 | 6'1" | 190 | Renton, WA US |
| Joe Roa | R | R | October 11, 1971 | 6'1" | 195 | Southfield, MI US |
| Darryl Scott | R | R | August 6, 1968 | 6'1" | 185 | Fresno, CA US |
| Paul Shuey | R | R | September 16, 1970 | 6'3" | 215 | Lima, OH US |
| Don Sparks | R | R | June 19, 1966 | 6'2" | 185 | Long Beach, CA US |
| Julián Tavárez | L | R | May 22, 1973 | 6'2" | 165 | Santiago, Santiago DO |
| Ryan Thompson | R | R | November 4, 1967 | 6'3" | 200 | Chestertown, MD US |
| Bill Wertz | R | R | January 15, 1967 | 6'6" | 220 | Cleveland, OH US |
| Casey Whitten | L | L | May 23, 1972 | 6'0" | 180 | Evansville, IN US |
| Jimmy Williams | L | L | May 18, 1965 | 6'7" | 232 | Butler, AL US |
| Enrique Wilson | S | R | July 27, 1973 | 5'11" | 160 | Santo Domingo, Distrito Nacional DO |
| Nigel Wilson | L | L | January 12, 1970 | 6'1" | 185 | Oshawa, ON CA |
| Tom Wilson | R | R | December 19, 1970 | 6'3" | 220 | Fullerton, CA US |
Average attendance is based upon the number of actual home dates where known (most leagues from 1992 and later). Where the number of home dates is not known, the average is calculated using half the team's total games.
