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Saturday, March 31, 2012

Wrigley Field’s scoreboard has been delivering stats for 75 years

Scoreboard workers move up and down a ladder to install the numbers. A Cubs spokesman said that on a weekend of full games across baseball as many as four workers are inside the scoreboard. On afternoons when the Cubs are the only game on the schedule, two men work the scoreboard. The scoreboard operators are also members of the grounds crew. With minimal ventilation, the temperature is about 20 degrees warmer inside on a summer day than it is on the playing field.

Bernardoni said Boston’s Fenway Park is the only other manually operated scoreboard. No batted ball has ever hit Wrigley’s. “Roberto Clemente went left, Bill Nicholson went right,” he said.

Fore!

On Opening Day 1952 golf legend Sam Snead teed off at home plate with a nine iron and hit a golf ball off of the scoreboard. Beranardoni said, “You’re talking about 600 feet, with height and distance. That’s 200 yards.”

Thanks to Lo.

Repoz Posted: March 31, 2012 at 08:10 AM | 10 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: cubs, stadiums

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1. Brian C Posted: March 31, 2012 at 11:17 AM (#4093701)

On Opening Day 1952 golf legend Sam Snead teed off at home plate with a nine iron and hit a golf ball off of the scoreboard. Beranardoni said, “You’re talking about 600 feet, with height and distance. That’s 200 yards.”

200 yards? That's a hell of a 9-iron, especially for 1962.

2. McCoy Posted: March 31, 2012 at 11:32 AM (#4093713)

Well, I've read that he used a 4 iron to hit the scoreboard that is 420 feet away and then used a 2 iron to sail a golf ball over the scoreboard and he did this in 1951 and not 1952.

3. Lassus Posted: March 31, 2012 at 11:35 AM (#4093715)

On Opening Day 1952 golf legend Sam Snead teed off at home plate with a nine iron and hit a golf ball off of the scoreboard. Beranardoni said, “You’re talking about 600 feet, with height and distance. That’s 200 yards.”

200 yards? That's a hell of a 9-iron, especially for 1962.

Yeah, I don't think there are a lot of accurate figures in that story.

4. McCoy Posted: March 31, 2012 at 11:48 AM (#4093721)

Anyone got any pictures of the new right field bleachers area?

5. Brian C Posted: March 31, 2012 at 02:56 PM (#4093807)

I'm going to the game on Saturday (week from today), so I'll have some then if no one else beats me to it.

6. Horror Posted: March 31, 2012 at 03:01 PM (#4093812)

Yeah, I don't think there are a lot of accurate figures in that story.

Yeah...someone needs to visit ol' Mr. Pythagoras.

7. Dan Szymborski

Posted: March 31, 2012 at 07:43 PM (#4093933)

With minimal ventilation, the temperature is about 20 degrees warmer inside on a summer day than it is on the playing field.

Wrigley Field's scoreboard must also be the smelliest place in a major league park. It'd be nice if they could cut a square out of the back or something and at least slip in an small air conditioner.

8. McCoy Posted: March 31, 2012 at 08:08 PM (#4093942)

Wrigley Field's scoreboard must also be the smelliest place in a major league park.

I'm guessing the underside of one of Wrigley's troughs is the smelliest place in a major league park.

9. Jolly Old St. Nick Done Jumped The Ship

Posted: March 31, 2012 at 08:38 PM (#4093956)

I'm guessing the underside of one of Wrigley's troughs is the smelliest place in a major league park.

But even that smells like a rose garden compared to any stadium pissoir in the days when men's rooms were also used during football halftimes as a place to get warm and smoke cigars. You probably had to experience that smell as a ten year old to truly understand its full impact.

10. Shredder Posted: March 31, 2012 at 10:05 PM (#4094004)

Having actually used the men's room at a football game at Wrigley,I think it's safe to say that the facilties at Wrigley were not designed for a sport with a half time.

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Saturday, March 31, 2012

Wrigley Field’s scoreboard has been delivering stats for 75 years

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