Hannibal, Missouri is famous for being the hometown of Mark Twain. From the moment you step into Hannibal, you realize it is a piece of Americana that will remain embedded in your memory forever. Baseball is an important element for the residents and so it was a very big deal when their beloved Clemens Field got a new electronic scoreboard.

Clemens Field is named after Samuel Clemens, which was Mark Twain’s real name. For years it has had the old style manual scoreboard that supported the fans that attended the Hannibal Cavemen games. Someone actually had to sit there and manually change the numbers, in the hot sun. The new electronic scoreboard is twenty seven feet long and the attendees will now be able to see the actual names of the teams, instead of the old ‘home and visitor’ that was viewed on the old board. The new addition for the fans will also display the important aspects of the game, such as each team’s number of balls, strikes and the number of outs. Every baseball fan knows that this is the crucial info at every game. The old board was small and the information difficult to see with the light bulb lights. The team and fans will now have no trouble seeing everything on the scoreboard, thanks to the LED lighting and the large lettering and number sizes.

The added benefit is the message center that is on the scoreboard. The message center is 5’x7’ and will display full color text and graphics. The new Clemens Field scoreboard is wireless and, while the price was one of the top of the line, the sponsorship abilities are already proving an incredible return. The cost of the scoreboard should actually be recouped in a very short amount of time, as sponsor’s line up to have their name and logo displayed at the games.

Some of the other considerations for the scoreboard were its placement. The area is known for summer storms, including lightning and flooding. These effects from Mother Nature have all been accounted for. Installation at a higher level with special anchors and lightning rod applications will ensure safety as well as ease of view, no matter where you sit at the game and no matter how sunny the day is.

There is a kind of respect for the old scoreboard. It remained a mainstay for many-a-game, even if it was a problem to change the display. Plans were made for the donation of the old board to the local Bear Creek Sports Park. One might wonder if Mark Twain would have ever thought an electronic scoreboard would be present at a baseball field in his honor. But, Twain was quite the futurist and visionary, so I really don’t put it past him to have thought of it.

So the next time you are in Hannibal, Missouri, stop by and check out their new electronic scoreboard. The people of the town are quite proud of it. If you plan on going to one of the games, get to Clemens Field early. The stands are always full.

Sources:
http://www.hannibal.net/topstories/x1809308139/New-scoreboard-goes-up-at-Clemens-Field