Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-31
ELECTRIC SCORE
BOARD GOING UP
Bio Innovation for Washing
ton Fans to Be in Operation
at Nationals Park.

An innovation at the grounds OF the
Washington base ball club the coming
season that can almost be called stupen-
dous will be the Introduction of the Baird
electric scoreboard. The construction OF
this board was started last week with
force of fifteen men. and Mr.. Baird, the
inventor, who is experimenting the con-
struction, said this morning that he ex-
pected to have the board completed by
next Saturday night. The time of this
force in putting up the board shows some
of its magnitude, but a close inspection
makes one believe that something like
car barn is being constructed. The en-
tire board is As feet high and $50 feet
long. All of this space will not be occu-
pied by the electric board, but enough
will be required so as to show the letters
and numbers from the extreme end of
left-center field to the spectators IN the
stands.
Several of these electric boards have
been put up in the west and east. and
Mr. Baird carries letters from Presidents
Taylor Comiskey and Dewey saying that
they could not get along without the inn
provement.
The electric board is used for the home
game alone. and is something on the
order of the one used by The Evening
worlds series. Each player is numbered.
and the board shows when the different
men go to the bat and whether they have
struck out. made a hit. get first on four
Umpire Evans will call out "One strike
the operator in the press box will touch
little button. and Immediately lone
strike" appears on the board. The same
pire calls out and many plays that are
not called, such as stealing base. 1t
frequently happens that the umpire $
voice does not carry, and What's that?'
can be heard on all sides. In the future
all the spectator will have to do will be
to cast his eyes toward the board and
thereon get in close touch with the exact
situation.
Mr. Baird has run a cable from the
board to the press tox. twenty wires
being therein. Groundkeeper O'Day was
right on his job when he saw the cable
going up. but when told that all would be
worked by a cell battery and be perfectly
harmless there was nothing to the argu-
ment.
In addition to the wires running from
the keyboard to the different numbers and
plays there is a perfect telephone service.
whereby the operator in the press box
score of out-of-tOwn games. which will be
posted along the old lines on separate
board.
The entire structure runs from the
center field fence, which was painted
green so as to help the batters-a space
we'll known to the regulars-to the fence
that borders left field. The figures and
letters denoting each play will be foot
long painted white on a black back
ground. The black face or back of each
figure will be stationary, but as soon as
a play is made and flashed to the board
the letter or figure required will swing
around on a pivot and stand out plain
enough for almost blind man to see.
There will be no posts or scaffolding
to bother the players. as the smooth face
Of the board runs clear to the ground.
The height of the board will prove a
hardship to the 'deadheads'' who have
been roosting on trees and wagons just
outside the center field fence. as their
views will be cut off entirely. as the
board runs something like twenty feet
above the fence proper. No more will de-
livery wagons and drays be delayed In
fulfilling orders and the proprietors there
of set to wondering what has become of
their teams. Indirectly. the board acts
from the rear as we'll the front in
drawing people into the grounds. as the
"deadheads" will pay hereafter or go
without seeing the Nationals perform.