January 28, 2014 –The International League announced today that former Buffalo Bisons INF JEFF MANTO has been selected for induction into the circuit’s Hall of Fame. Manto is one of three men to make up the International League’s Class of 2014, joining current Scranton/Wilkes-Barre manager Dave Miley and longtime Toledo Mud Hens broadcaster, Jim Weber.

Induction ceremonies for Manto will be held at Coca-Cola Field during the Bisons’ series against the Norfolk Tides, August 11-14. Manto is currently the minor league hitting coordinator for the Tides’ major league affiliate, the Baltimore Orioles, and is scheduled to be Buffalo to receive the honor (Date/Time to be announced).

Manto is widely considered the best Bisons player in the team’s modern era and is one of only three players in 128 seasons of Bisons baseball to have his number (#30) retired by the club (with other IL Hall of Famers Ollie Carnegie and Luke Easter).  The infielder is the Bisons modern era Home Run King, slugging 79 home runs over four seasons with the club, 1997-2000.

Manto first joined the Bisons in 1997 when the club played in the American Association and hit 20 home runs in just 54 games to help lead Buffalo to a league title. The Bisons then joined the International League in 1998 and Manto’s .311 batting average and 23 homers in only 62 games that season helped the club win the franchise’s fifth Governors’ Cup title. The slugger hit 23 more home runs while hitting .296 for the Herd in 1999 before playing 94 games and hitting 13 homers in 2000 for Buffalo.

For his Bisons career, Manto hit .271 (250-923) with 45 doubles, 79 home runs, 207 RBI in 276 games. He ranks 1st in the modern era in on-base pct. (.405), 2nd in slugging pct. (.579) and OPS (.984) and 3rd in RBI.

Manto hit 125 home runs between seven different International League teams during his career. He was the International League Most Valuable Player in 1994 when he led the circuit with 31 home runs and 100 RBI in a campaign split between Norfolk and Rochester.

Manto, who was inducted into the Buffalo Baseball Hall of Fame in 2003, becomes the 28th former Bisons player or manager to be inducted into the International League Hall of Fame.

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