IL Buffalo Bisons

Buffalo Baseball Hall of Fame Elects Matt Hague, Pete Filson & Jonathan Dandes as "Class of 2023"

June 13, 2023 - International League (IL)
Buffalo Bisons News Release


The Buffalo Baseball Hall of Fame Committee is proud to announce that former Bisons infielder and current Hitting Coach MATT HAGUE, pitcher PETE FILSON and longtime Rich Baseball Operations President JONATHAN DANDES have been elected to the Buffalo Baseball Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame's Class of 2023 will be formally inducted before and during the Bisons game against the Worcester Red Sox on Saturday, July 1 at Sahlen Field (6:05 p.m.).

The Bisons will host a special 'Hall of Fame Induction Dinner' featuring Hague, Filson and Dandes before their game on Saturday July 1 in the Consumer's Pub at the Park restaurant. The dinner will include an all-you-can-eat buffet from 4-5 p.m. with Induction Ceremonies and Conversations with to follow. To make reservations (fans with tickets already) or to purchase your Buffet & Game Ticket Package, visit PubatthePark.com, Bisons.com or call (716) 846-2100.

With the Buffalo Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2023, the Buffalo Baseball Hall of Fame will now have 107 members.

The Bisons modern era career leader in both batting average (.342) and on-base percentage (.416), Hague produced one of the greatest single-season campaigns in team history, which resulted in his being named the 2015 International League Most Valuable Player. In 136 games with the Bisons in 2015, Hague won the IL Batting Title with a .338 average that was 31 points higher than any other hitter in the league. His .416 on-base percentage that season was also 30 points better than any IL hitter as Hague failed to reach base in back-to-back games just once all season long. An IL mid and postseason All-Star, Hague ranked 2nd in the IL with 92 RBI, 3rd with 33 doubles and 61 walks, 4th with a .468 slugging pct. and 5th with 70 runs scored. He hit .324 or better in each full month of the 2015 season and led the Bisons with 55 multi-hit performances over the course of the year.

Hague, who also played 13 games with the Bisons in 2014 and hit .377, had a career .342 average with 40 doubles, 12 home runs and 102 RBI in 149 total games with the Herd. In 2023, he joined the teams coaching staff as hitting coach, joining a group that includes fellow Buffalo Baseball Hall of Famer Carlos Garcia, Bobby Meacham and Joel Skinner to both play for and coach with the club.

Drafted by Pittsburgh in 2008, Hague played 43 Major League games in his career with the Pirates and Blue Jays hitting .226 with seven RBI.

Filson was the ace of the Buffalo Bisons pitching staff during the 1986 season, posting an American Association-best 2.27 ERA that still ranks as the 3rd lowest single-season mark in the Herd's modern era. Overall, he was 14-3 in 36 appearances for Buffalo in 1986, allowing just 116 hits in 139.0 innings of work while posting the Bisons' 7th-best winning percentage in the modern era (.824). A versatile pitcher, Filson ranked 2nd on the Herd that season in both wins (14) and saves (6). He began the year as a starter, amassing a 7-0 record in his first 10 starts that included a stretch of four consecutive winning complete games, June 7-22. On June 17 against Indianapolis, Filson allowed just one run in 10 innings to lead the Herd to victory. After transitioning to a reliever roll in early July, the southpaw allowed one or fewer runs in 23 of 24 relief appearances, throwing multiple innings 16 times.

Originally drafted by the Yankees in 1979, Filson pitched in 148 Major League games from 1982-1990 with the Twins, White Sox, Yankees and Royals and was 15-18 with a 4.18 ERA and 187 strikeouts in 391.2 innings of work.

Dandes has served as an integral part of Buffalo Bisons baseball for the last three and a half decades. He was Vice President/General Manager of Stadium Services, Inc. from 1988-1995, and was instrumental in the design, construction, and continued success of the downtown ballpark. Dandes was later appointed Executive VP of the Rich Entertainment Group in 1996 and served as President of Rich Baseball Operations from 2001-2018, overseeing not only the Bisons but also Rich's Double-A and Single-A baseball franchises. His passion for Bisons baseball and dedicated work with locally elected leaders, Major League affiliated clubs, Minor League Baseball administrators and the team's many great business partners helped ensure that the Bisons provided their fans with the absolute best sports and family entertainment experience year in and year out at Sahlen Field.

Among his seemingly countless WNY community endeavors, Dandes is chair of the Ralph C. Wilson Explore & More Children's Museum and Vice Chair of the Shea's Performing Arts Center. He has served as a Chair of the Buffalo Niagara Partnership, the Buffalo Zoological Society, the Erie County Medical Center and Visit Buffalo Niagara during his distinguished career. He was also instrumental in Rich Entertainment Group's Canalside Management team acquiring the rights to host programming in Buffalo's Waterfront District.

Dandes remains a part of Bisons baseball today as Rich Product's Corporate Vice President of Government Relations and Special Projects.

Buffalo Baseball Hall of Fame Committee

The Buffalo Baseball Hall of Fame committee is charged with the task of screening all candidates eligible for induction into the Hall of Fame and to select for induction such persons who have made a significant contribution to Buffalo professional baseball, or such Western New Yorkers who have made a meaningful contribution to professional baseball generally.

The committee is comprised of Mike Buczkowski, Tom Burns, Bob Dicesare, Mike Harrington, Kevin Lester, Duke McGuire, Bob Miske and Pete Weber.

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