Log in

Goodyear Ballpark unveils new video board for spring training

Posted 2/24/20

Goodyear Ballpark is giving its fans a better view of the game this spring, unveiling a new, 26- by 52-foot HD video board in left field.

Goodyear Ballpark’s last scoreboard was built in …

You must be a member to read this story.

Join our family of readers for as little as $5 per month and support local, unbiased journalism.


Already have an account? Log in to continue.

Current print subscribers can create a free account by clicking here

Otherwise, follow the link below to join.

To Our Valued Readers –

Visitors to our website will be limited to five stories per month unless they opt to subscribe. The five stories do not include our exclusive content written by our journalists.

For $6.99, less than 20 cents a day, digital subscribers will receive unlimited access to YourValley.net, including exclusive content from our newsroom and access to our Daily Independent e-edition.

Our commitment to balanced, fair reporting and local coverage provides insight and perspective not found anywhere else.

Your financial commitment will help to preserve the kind of honest journalism produced by our reporters and editors. We trust you agree that independent journalism is an essential component of our democracy. Please click here to subscribe.

Sincerely,
Charlene Bisson, Publisher, Independent Newsmedia

Please log in to continue

Log in
I am anchor

Goodyear Ballpark unveils new video board for spring training

Posted

Goodyear Ballpark is giving its fans a better view of the game this spring, unveiling a new, 26- by 52-foot HD video board in left field.

Goodyear Ballpark’s last scoreboard was built in 2009 when the park opened. It included four electronic segments: a small video board with two changing electronic ads on either side and a traditional scoreboard underneath — featuring a line score with runs, hits, errors and balls, strikes and outs. Goodyear Ballpark Director of Marketing & Business Operations Debbie Diveney said the 10-year-old board had also lost most of its contrast.

The new board, made by Daktronics, is entirely a video board, giving full flexibility to the board operators. The entire board can be used to show one video at times and at other times it can be segmented to show the scoreboard, the team lineups, a photo and information of the player at-bat as well as advertisements.

Fans sitting in the left-field lawn, or berm, area are not in a good position to view the video board behind them, so the park also added a small, basic scoreboard on the first base line.

“For those that do sit out in the left field berm area, even with the larger display, the sightlines out there, you still will not be able to see the scoreboard,” Goodyear Ballpark General Manager Bruce Kessman said last year when presenting to City Council. “So with this… they’ll be able to follow along with the game as well.”

The left field video board cost $975,000. Adding in the first base side scoreboard, other audio and visual equipment and the renovation and installation cost of the boards, the entire project totaled $1.069 million, which was approved by City Council last year in a 6-0 vote. The boards were installed in the fall.

Mr. Kessman said the new video board has full HD video, “featuring some of the latest technology that’s available in the large-screen format for outdoor venues.”

Daktronics, based out of South Dakota, is one of the world’s leading scoreboard companies. It designed the video board installed two years ago at Camelback Ranch, as well as the boards at State Farm Stadium, Gila River Arena and Chase Field.

Scoreboards aren’t the only new things at Goodyear Ballpark this spring. New items at concessions include loaded corn dog nuggets, garlic parmesan waffle fries, Desert Tenders sliders, 64-ounce nachos served in a keepsake helmet and the spice Diablo Burger. The gift shop also includes merchandise specific to 2020 spring training for each of the park’s teams, the Cincinnati Reds and the Cleveland Indians, and for spring training in general.

Special event days this spring include senior discount days, happy hour days at the concessions, bobblehead giveaways for each team, chances for children to play on the field and/or receive a giveaway item at the gate. On Home Run Readers days, children who participated in the ballpark’s reading program can receive free tickets. For a full list and schedule of promotional days, visit goodyearbp.com/spring-training/spring-training-schedule-promos-ticket-deals.

A few things make Goodyear Ballpark stand out from the other nine spring training facilities in the Valley, Ms. Diveney said, the most obvious of which is the large statue outside the front of the ballpark that looks like an elongated baseball.

“Goodyear Ballpark’s Home Plate Plaza features a statue called ‘The Ziz’ which stands 60 feet, 6 inches, (the distance from the pitcher’s mound to home plate),” Ms. Diveney stated in an email interview.

A new addition to the ballpark last spring also sets it apart — the ballpark’s mascot, Ace.

“The ballpark is also the only facility in the Cactus League that has its own mascot – separate from the team mascots,” Ms. Diveney stated.

Lastly, the park’s kid-friendly prices make it unique.

“Goodyear Ballpark also has child ticket pricing in three seating areas, which is half the price of an adult ticket. For example, with the purchase of a regular-priced adult berm ticket ($8), one can purchase a child ticket for ($4).”

Goodyear Ballpark struggles to draw the crowds of many of the other parks in the Cactus League. In 2019, the park averaged 5,740 fans per game, beating only Surprise Stadium (5,547) in attendance.

Mark Carlisle can be reached at mcarlisle@newszap.com or found on Twitter @mwcarlisle.