Scoreboards

[DrBear]

I'd agree, except it doesn't have the lineups.

[drdg]

Maybe I am getting old, but I don't see any "wow factor". That presentation seems to be more of a distraction than an enhancement. (And the P.A. announcer is way over the top.)

I miss Bob Sheppard.

yes I too miss Bob Sheppard=the voice of god
but my point was not about the P.A announcer nor the presentation
My point was that scoreboards have come a long way from just showing
the line score,the number of the player at bat,and the count of balls,strikes and outs in black and white
to the (HD) high definition video boards we have now with split screens
that can show live action video,recorded video,pictures,ads,stats,information,etc
all in one
the new one in comerica park is going to do all that and more
http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/news/a...s_det&c_id=det
yes the basic information is fine and is really ALL anyone needs to know
but a show on the video board is sometime needed to pump up the crowd and get the players energy up
for in my opinion=that is the function of all this new state of the art stuff
the basic information is almost always shown in 2 or more spots

[mjrbaseball]

@drdg ... I guess we will have to disagree on this one then. That's fine.

As I said, I must be getting old because the show on the video board distracts me from paying attention to the game. And I believe intelligent fans know when to cheer without being coached.

[drdg]

@drdg ... I guess we will have to disagree on this one then. That's fine.

As I said, I must be getting old because the show on the video board distracts me from paying attention to the game. And I believe intelligent fans know when to cheer without being coached.

more like 50/50
for when the game is on I agree,all the hoopla is a total distraction
but in between innings or if something important happens in the game or in the world
it is nice to find out right away (instantly)

in the old past, we would hear information second hand
and have to wait to get home to see on tv
now that information or something about it is shown on the big tv screen (videoboard) in the ball park
without the video board most of the fans in this ball park would not have been able to see the live action
and the replay of this historic home run

[Mr. Laser Beam]

^ OBL's death was not announced anywhere in the park. Not on the PA system, not on the scoreboard. Fans found out by checking their smartphones. That's the only way they could have known.

[drdg]

sorry
my cpu got stuck, I am editing and updating now
smartphone is part of the new technology that we have now
compare to the past
as the video mention the 1960 game ending home run by bill M
no live action or replay shown in the ballpark

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I'm actually curious as to why OBL's death was not announced. They must have worried that it would disrupt the game somehow. I thought about how confused the players must have been, regarding the spontaneous chanting that arose in the park...

[drdg]

I'm actually curious as to why OBL's death was not announced. They must have worried that it would disrupt the game somehow. I thought about how confused the players must have been, regarding the spontaneous chanting that arose in the park...

sorry no political discussion allowed on BF

[hcorday]

Seems like most "fans" who go to a game have to be entertained by more than just the game. They have to watch TV at the same time.

[The Old Ballpark]

^ obl's death was not announced anywhere in the park. Not on the pa system, not on the scoreboard. Fans found out by checking their smartphones. That's the only way they could have known.

Who is obl?

Are you the same joker who referred to Shea as OSS?

Never mind. I just realized you meant Bin Laden. Still waiting to learn what the O in OSS means.

[Mr. Laser Beam]

^ I don't know what "OSS" is. I never used that expression.

[burroughsmvp]

Disch Falk Field in Austin has added a new video board in Right.

6875921885_6f77e9a1d7_b.jpg

[mjrbaseball]

It's a generational thing. I grew up going to OYS, where the only thing going on other than the game was Eddie Layton playing the organ between innings. There was baseball, and only baseball. The first game I ever went to, Mickey Mantle hit a towering home run into the center field bleachers. That was in 1967, and I was 8 years old. To this day, I have never seen a video or film replay of that blast, yet I can still see it just as clearly as if I were sitting in the upper deck along first base right now.

A6663_2.jpg
This is the scoreboard that I grew up with. In my view, it has never been improved upon.

[Paul W]

I'm actually curious as to why OBL's death was not announced...

not germane to what's going on down on the field, there are enough other ways for the customers to hear about it.
doubt that an announcement was made in theaters either...

[hsnterprize]

Old Comiskey Park Scoreboard.jpg

This was the scoreboard at Old Comiskey Park when I was starting to follow the team seriously. I remember seeing this thing light up like crazy every time a White Sox player hit a home run. It would literally light up the night sky near the ballpark, and the fireworks and bright lights was part of what made me a White Sox fan in the first place.

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I wonder if this is the only scoreboard that was ever used in two major league stadiums? After the Yankees replaced it, it was moved to Shibe Park in Philadelphia.

That's only an urban legend, they are different scoreboards. They just happened to look similar.

[mjrbaseball]

That's only an urban legend, they are different scoreboards. They just happened to look similar.

True, they are not the same scoreboard. However, the scoreboard from Braves Field in Boston eventually made its way to Municipal Stadium in Kansas City.

[schnu]

not germane to what's going on down on the field, there are enough other ways for the customers to hear about it.
doubt that an announcement was made in theaters either...

If you go on YouTube you can see video of various announcements of OBL's death - concerts and such.
Personally, it was my call I would put it up on the scoreboard for confirmation purposes. This wasn't the passing of a mid-level actor or athlete - it was the death of the world's most notorious terrorist who was responsible for the deaths of thousands of Americans.

[Yankeefan3783]

It's a generational thing. I grew up going to OYS, where the only thing going on other than the game was Eddie Layton playing the organ between innings. There was baseball, and only baseball. The first game I ever went to, Mickey Mantle hit a towering home run into the center field bleachers. That was in 1967, and I was 8 years old. To this day, I have never seen a video or film replay of that blast, yet I can still see it just as clearly as if I were sitting in the upper deck along first base right now.

A6663_2.jpg
This is the scoreboard that I grew up with. In my view, it has never been improved upon.

It's a great looking scoreboard. I wish the Yankees had replicated it in the new stadium. They have the space, it would just require moving some ads in RF around.

[ri95171]

It's a great looking scoreboard. I wish the Yankees had replicated it in the new stadium. They have the space, it would just require moving some ads in RF around.

Seriously, how hard could it be to recreate it as an HD board? I picture it looking exactly like the photo above, only with full-screen player displays, wacky "HOME RUN" graphics etc between at-bats. I think that would be cool as hell.

[Paul W]

Seriously, how hard could it be to recreate it as an HD board? I picture it looking exactly like the photo above, only with full-screen player displays, wacky "HOME RUN" graphics etc between at-bats. I think that would be cool as hell.

they aren't interested in rehashing trivial items from the past, probably 50% of those who set foot in the place either never saw it or don't know about it - and they don't care...

[Yankeefan3783]

they aren't interested in rehashing trivial items from the past, probably 50% of those who set foot in the place either never saw it or don't know about it - and they don't care...

Maybe even more than 50%. It would be great though for those who are familiar with it. Replicating it on the video screen would be fine, but I like to imagine rebuilding a replica of it where the current Bud and Hess signs are in RF.

[Paul W]

Maybe even more than 50%. It would be great though for those who are familiar with it. Replicating it on the video screen would be fine, but I like to imagine rebuilding a replica of it where the current Bud and Hess signs are in RF.

next year it'll be gone 40 years, time to move on...

[AZDB01WC]

...For example, is there anyone who is interested in such things as the matrix of bulbs in a digit (4x7, 5x7, 4x6, etc.)...

mjrbaseball

That's exactly what I'm working on right now—compiling the digit styles of various scoreboards. I've spent hours looking through photos here and elsewhere, and viewing vintage sports video on YouTube (mostly basketball and football). Also, I've put together a list of manufacturers I've been able to identify by the design of their digits. Here are the manufacturers I know the digit styles of:

All-American Scoreboards (several styles—4x6; two, possibly three, 4x7 designs; and a 5x8 design)
Electro-Mech (formerly "Scorebrain")
Fair-Play (the alphanumeric 5x7 style used by Dodger Stadium and the Astrodome, as well as their more common 4x7 style; in baseball, its only known use thus far was on the Green Monster scoreboard for the "at bat" indicator from 1967-1975)
IBM (manufactured only until 1958; no known use in baseball thus far)
Medart (acquired by Nissen in the late 50's/early 60's)
Naden (prior to 1965, Naden scoreboards had a "curved-digit" style; later, they used an italic 4x7 style virtually identical to the "Item Up For Bids" displays on The Price Is Right)
Nevco
Scoremaster (originally made by M.D. Brown; acquired 1969 by Nissen; see "Medart" above)
Stewart-Warner

Additionally, there are a few baseball scoreboards I'm trying to find the manufacturer of (and even some non-baseball as well), and some for which I have incomplete information.

Eventually, I might also create graphics illustrating digit styles, along with lists of known scoreboards using these styles.

[Glassia9]

Here are some samples of Naden baseball scoreboards:

fb2.gif
fb1.gif
ss2499.gif
2436_3.gif
2436_2.gif

I included the two football ones because Naden sold a kit where you could turn your football scoreboard into a baseball scoreboards. Several of the smaller HS in my area had this style of board because their baseball and football fields were the same.