Where do you think is the best place to watch a Bisons game at Dunn Tire Park? Maybe it’s the owners box, with all the VIP trimmings. Or the pressbox, with a bird’s-eye view and all the behind-the-scenes action going on around you. One could also say right above the Bisons (or visitors) dugout, where you can almost exchange high fives with the players. Some might prefer the drink rail up in Pettibone’s, close to the bar and still a view of the action.

But there is one place, one special piece of real estate at the ballpark which one could claim to be the absolute best place to experience the entire ballpark event. We are talking about the service tunnel entrance to the field right behind home plate.

Think about it. The convergence of everything baseball happens right around you from that perspective—a bird’s-eye view of both dugouts; home plate just feet in front of you, and from this spot you can get the same vantage point of balls and strikes as the umpire has. Surrounding you are the fans, so you miss little of the goings-on in the stands. Above your shoulders is the pressbox, PA announcer, broadcast booths and events crew.

Last week we headed on down to this special place of ground to witness it all for ourselves, and got to talk with Chris Duncan, one of the Bisons game day associates, who is stationed at this location at all Bisons games.

A Buffalo resident and school teacher, Duncan, 29, has been with the Bisons for eight seasons, and is in charge of recording the speed of pitches with a radar gun behind home plate. Duncan relays those numbers via radio to the booth upstairs, where they are instantly flashed on the scoreboard following each pitch.

Interaction with the fans is a big part of the action in this spot, and nobody makes more of an impression on the game than superfan Mark Aichinger. A former “Fan of the Year,” Aichinger is in his seat along the service tunnel at almost every game, heckling the visitors and letting out his patented screech, which permeates the entire stadium. “He sure is a handful,” Duncan laughed.

This season, Aichinger has adopted third baseman Andy Marte as his favorite player. Every time Marte comes to the plate, he gets into his unique dance, extending his arms forward in an alternating, up-and-down motion. Other fans have jumped in on the action, all done to the tune of “Chacarron Macaron.” “Earlier this month Marte hit a huge home run, I think against Scranton,” said Duncan. “After crossing home plate, Marte made a special point of gesturing towards Mark, as if to say, ‘Thank you.’ He has a way of getting into players’ heads.”

Duncan has seen more than his share of manager/umpire arguments over the years and the dustups that follow. “From here I hear everything, and I mean everything,” Duncan said. “Marty Brown [former Bisons manager] used to go out and get into the umpire’s faces, and he would then look towards me for assistance. Funny thing was, for the most part he was usually right, but there was nothing I could do about it.”

As we spoke, a crew of interns was getting ready for the lottery ticket toss, where a contestant throws balls into a hole to win scratchoff tickets. “Don’t stop to watch your progress, just keep throwing balls as many as you can,” an intern advised the nervous contestant. This is the staging area for every kooky contest and skit that happens between innings, and that includes the race between mascot Buster Bisons and a youngster chosen from the audience.

With Buster faltering in this race almost all the time, we had to ask: Is the outcome of this race predetermined, or does Buster have a chance of beating the young fan? Duncan replied with a wistful smile and a nod. “Of course the race is legit. On any given day, Buster has a shot at winning.”

Almost every celebrity and VIP who makes it onto the field comes through this tunnel, and Duncan shared stories of the ones who made the best impressions. “Tim Russert was absolutely awesome,” said Duncan. “He hung out right here for over an inning and had such a knowledge of the game and a passion for the Bisons. He is a Buffalo guy through and through.”

Others include boxer Baby Joe Mesi and former Bills quarterback Jim Kelly. “Both of these guys stayed here and talked with fans and signed autographs. That’s what is so nice for fans who come to Bisons games. You never know who you’re going to meet and who is going to be down here. It’s really great for the fans and they are welcome to come down and lean over the railing.”

Duncan stands at his post and soldiers on with his job through all sorts of weather, and, unlike most of the people in the ballpark, he gets no respite when the weather turns nasty. “I feel like I’m a fan who’s getting paid,” Duncan says, smiling. He says baseball is his favorite sport. “I wouldn’t trade this for anything.”