President, Rich Baseball Operations
Mike Buczkowski begins his 33rd season with the Buffalo Bisons and his 26th season as the club’s General Manager, the longest tenure of any General Manager in the 135-year history of the franchise. In March 2019, Mike was named the President of Rich Baseball Operations, overseeing the overall operations of not only the Bisons, but also the Northwest Arkansas Naturals, a Double-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals, and the West Virginia Black Bears, a Single-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
During Mike’s tenure as Bisons General Manager, the club has led their league in attendance seven times, including the International League’s all-time attendance record set in 1998. In December 2001, Mike accepted the prestigious Bob Freitas Award from Baseball America on behalf of the Bisons, becoming the first Triple-A team to win the award twice (also in 1991). The award is presented annually to a franchise for overall operational excellence. Mike is responsible for the strategic planning of the Bisons organization and manages all day-to-day operations of the front office staff. He is also responsible for the coordination of the player development contract with the Bisons’ Major League parent clubs, including the Pittsburgh Pirates (1994), Cleveland Indians (1995-2008), the New York Mets (2009-2012) and the Toronto Blue Jays (2013-present).
Mike began with the Bisons in 1987 as a Public Relations Assistant during the team’s final season at War Memorial Stadium. Coinciding with the club’s move to Pilot Field in 1988, Mike was promoted to Public Relations Coordinator and then to Public Relations Manager in 1989. During the 1992 season, he was promoted to Assistant General Manager and was named General Manager on December 17, 1993. He became Vice President of Bisons Baseball in 1999.
A native Buffalonian, Mike graduated in 1982 from Bishop Timon High School where he played three years of varsity baseball and hockey, earning All-Catholic honors as a hockey player. Mike was inducted into the Bishop Timon High School Sports Hall of Fame in 2010. He graduated from Canisius College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications in 1986. While at Canisius College, Mike was the captain of the hockey team.
He is a board member for Western New York United Against Drug & Alcohol Abuse Foundation, the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame and the Buffalo Bisons Charitable Foundation. He also serves on the advisory board of the Buffalo/ Niagara Sports Commission and the WNY Youth Sports Advisory Council. He also serves on the marketing committee for Triple-A Baseball.
In 1999, Mike was honored with Business First’s “Forty Under-40” Award and was named Am-Vets Post 45 Parochial Baseball League’s Man of the Year in 2000. In 2005, he was named the Am-Pol Eagle’s Sports Citizen of the Year and in 2008, was honored by the General Pulaski Association for his service to the Western New York sporting community.
Mike’s grandfather, Huck Geary, played shortstop at Offermann Stadium for the Bisons from 1935-37, and was a member of the 1936 Governors’ Cup championship team. He played in the Major Leagues for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1942-43.
Mike has two children, Jennifer and Michael.