Too Much Information — Baseball Bench Coach

A few weeks ago, my mother in-law attended a game at Wrigley Field with our family. It was her first time at the historic ballpark in about 20 years. In the fifth inning or so, she turned to me and said, “there’s just too much information to take in”. Mother in-laws are always right, correct? This time was no exception. Let’s take a look at the changing sounds, sights, and experiences at MLB ballparks.

When I was a little boy, my happy place was Crosley Field in Cincinnati. I still remember the smell of hot dogs grilling as I entered the game with my Dad. There were a lot of memorable features of old Crosley. Left fielders had to traverse a steep terrace to make a play on a fly ball. Also in left was a large, manual scoreboard with much advertising – “get moody with Hudepohl Beer”, a message that beer vendors liked to say as well. Batters were invited to hit a small sign over the centerfield wall and receive 55 gallons of Marathon gasoline. It was just a comfortable place to see a game and talk with my Dad about baseball.

I found another happy place when I began college in 1977 in Chicago, Wrigley Field. I remember taking a couple class afternoons off and heading to the “Friendly Confines”. It’s a combination of traditions that makes Wrigley so special – the manual scoreboard built in 1937 and still existing today; the jewel box design making every seat a good one; the Visitors’ Clubhouse in its original aboveground location when the park was constructed in 1914; the music played on the Lowrey Organ; and the ivy-covered outfield walls. All of that was there during my college year visits but what I remember mostly was that $5.00 could get me an elevated train ride to and from the game, a bleachers seat, a hot dog, and a draft Old Style beer.

The evolution of scoreboards is an interesting one. Fenway Park introduced its manual scoreboard in 1934 at the base of the Green Monster. It is one of the few remaining ones in MLB, in addition to a modified version at Houston’s Minute Maid Park and of course, Wrigley’s. In 1960, White Sox owner Bill Veeck decided to one up the Cubs and employed an exploding scoreboard at old Comiskey Park. The Chicago Tribune deemed it “Veeck’s Frankenstein Monster”, as it featured fireworks after Sox homeruns. Yankees manager Casey Stengel enjoyed making fun of the feature by lighting sparklers after HRs hit by Mantle or Maris. An updated model of the exploding scoreboard exists today at Chicago’s Guaranteed Rate Field.

MLB scoreboards provide a lot more nowadays than the count, outs, score, and scores of other games. Video boards display replays and player interviews, as well as games to entertain fans between innings. Modern technology has brought a new language to MLB fans – exit velocity, launch angle, spin rates, and slash lines. You can find all of that information on today’s scoreboards. Even during batting practice in some MLB ballparks fans are treated with information on HR distances. I recall an interview with the late broadcaster Vin Scully years ago that he always had a sand timer near his side to remind him to tell his radio audience the score. I often hear fans wondering where to even find the score on scoreboards today.

Ballparks sounds have changed too. Years ago Wrigley and a handful of other parks introduced organ music to the ballpark experience. Fans were treated to some fun musical tunes to capture a player’s name or what was going on in the game. You could easily still carry on a conversation with your friend, smile, and relax. The closest thing to any orchestrated cheer was the famous rally “Charge” that you yelled through your paper popcorn box. You would embrace the Seventh Inning Stretch by the organ music (and often singers) leading the crowd in “Take Me Out to the Ballgame”.

Organs at today’s ballparks have either been replaced or supplemented with canned music, an endless barrage of sometimes deafening sound. Fans are often given a choice to vote for three songs to hear in order to whip up the crowd. The traditionalist in me would prefer a triple down the right field line to do just that. I must admit though that I do enjoy creative walk-up songs to introduce a batter coming to the plate or a pitcher making an entrance from the bullpen. Some famous ones first introduced at old Yankee Stadium include “Enter Sandman” (Mariano Rivera) and “This is How We Do It” (Derek Jeter). Yet, I still like more the lull in a game, a peaceful moment when I can just sit in my seat and relax.

And then there’s the new age of advertising! Baseball is moving away from “static advertising”, permanent signage on outfield walls and wooden signs that limited creativity and lacked engagement with the fans. Today, the advertising landscape in ballpark has all sorts of digital signage and imaging. The goal is to not only engage the patrons in the venue but also attempt to reach the fans watching at home by flashing ads behind the home plate area. Call me a curmudgeon, but it just seems too much at times.

In 2020, Wrigley Field was designated a National Historic Landmark. Despite some of the modern changes, it remains my happy place today. When my mother in-law visited, we ran into a tour guide friend of mine who happens to be in his 20s. I introduced the old and new generations of Cub fans. It was just prior to the first pitch, and my friend was entering the lineups into a scorebook he keeps when he attends games. I had to smile. His keeping score brought back some wonderful memories of my Dad teaching me that skill at Crosley years and years ago. Maybe there’s hope after all.

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach