Tiger Scoreboard Laid Bare

**Lowell** · January-31-12, 11:44 AM

Scrappers strike Tiger ballpark? Ilitch sells scoreboard to pay for Prince Fielder contract?

As I recall one of the reasons for the cancellation for Tigerfest this year was related to renovations to the scoreboard. To get perspective on the size of the scoreboard, note the step ladder in the bottom left 'room'. Any ideas of how it will be bigger/better?

Update February 9, the board is entirely bare and the tigers have been removed from the top. For perspective this time look just to the left of the flag pole on the third tier from the bottom and you can see a workman in a red shirt leaning forward.

February 20, work progresses.

February 27, work progresses.

February 28, setting sun illuminates Ford Field

March 6, The display screen is completed and the surrounding panels are nearing completion. Can't wait for it to light up!

March 8, The display screen is completed and testing is going on.

Now batting Miguel Cabrera. Oops we have a little issue with a double cap.

March 15. The Olde English D is shining. Workmen in the upper tiers continue completion and projection testing continue.

March 16. The tigers return above the scoreboard. Screen operators project the workmen place the second tiger in position.

March 27 - giant LED Tigers name is being mounted and tested.

April 2 - giant LED Tigers are completed. Workmen inspect the scoreboard.

Compare with last year's version.

April 3 - Can you guess who is coming to town this Thursday?

**fastcarsandfreedom** · January-31-12, 11:52 AM

the scoreboard is likely to be dominated by a large LCD/hd-style screen - common in the newest MLB parks - guessing it'll be dressed-up with some new features and signage.

Occurrence · January-31-12, 12:10 PM

I hope this renovation calls for the removal of those dumb tiger figures on top of that scoreboard. They look extremely tacky. We know they are the Detroit Tigers, we don't need cheesy looking statues to represent that.

**kenp** · January-31-12, 12:21 PM

The Tigers have been very hush hush on it, I guess they want an opening day suprise.
It will probably end up being something like KC put in which had modern video capablity.
Name: Royal-Stadium-Scoreboard.jpg
Views: 6878
Size: 54.0 KB

Name: Royal-Stadium-Scoreboard.jpg
Views: 6878
Size: 54.0 KB

**Lowell** · January-31-12, 01:17 PM

Originally Posted by Occurrence

I hope this renovation calls for the removal of those dumb tiger figures on top of that scoreboard. They look extremely tacky. We know they are the Detroit Tigers, we don't need cheesy looking statues to represent that.

Oh I dunno about that. This place is so over-the-top with tackiness it deserves a place in the Kitsch Hall of Fame. The tigers with giant balls [lights] jammed in their mouths are the tops. If it makes you wince it is kitsch. If you barely notice it, it just tacky/gaudy.

Occurrence · January-31-12, 04:49 PM

I agree. The statues outside the ballpark are bad enough. I don't know who in their right mind thought that would be a good idea. It looks absolutely awful. They need to get rid of all that garbage and go more retro.

**old guy** · January-31-12, 04:57 PM

Wow, that Kansas City setup is about as ugly as it gets.

**eno** · January-31-12, 05:02 PM

You've been in bars, clubs and restaurants where there is a video monitor of the parking lot. You see where I'm going with this. Perhaps there could be a video monitor [[read massive new video screen) of the parking situation around the stadium to ease the worries of the baseball fan being gouged for his love of the game by the forces that be. From bums posing as parking lot attendants to the parking enforcement which waits until the fans have been seated to arrive and write their tickets and pass your vehicle onto the towing companies whose scofflaw policies holds your vehicle for ransom. All the pieces come together as one big scam as the cost of the professional baseball experience. PLAY BALL!!

**Gistok** · January-31-12, 05:21 PM

Originally Posted by Occurrence

I agree. The statues outside the ballpark are bad enough. I don't know who in their right mind thought that would be a good idea. It looks absolutely awful. They need to get rid of all that garbage and go more retro.

Not so fast.... I've taken 8 tour buses full of European tourists thru downtown and the riverfront since 2001... and there's 2 things the folks absolutely love about downtown... the interior of the Guardian Building [[also the Fox when it's available).... and having group pictures taken in front of one of the tiger statues at Comerica Park.

Beauty must be in the eye of the beholder, because most of these European tourists have seen some of the best statuary on the planet [[on their home continent), and for them to find such enjoyment in our "purely American" genre... says volumes more than a few keyboard art critics... no offense...

**douglasm** · January-31-12, 05:22 PM

Maybe they'll put the [[Champion?) Spark Plug back......

**canuck** · January-31-12, 05:46 PM

Or rebuild that big stove behind one of them tigers tail...

**Lowell** · January-31-12, 06:11 PM

Originally Posted by Gistok

Beauty must be in the eye of the beholder, because most of these European tourists have seen some of the best statuary on the planet [[on their home continent), and for them to find such enjoyment in our "purely American" genre... says volumes more than a few keyboard art critics... no offense...

And now you know why 'Kitsch' is a German word. LOL.

[What the tourists were really thinking] "Getchen and Hans, let me get your picture next to the big Tiger. No one back home will believe anything this hideous would be created as a centerpiece."

**pgn421** · January-31-12, 06:39 PM

I was down at Comerica last week, they are putting 13 million dollars back into the park. New bigger, brighter scoreboard. New tv's throughout the stadium.

**rb336** · January-31-12, 07:00 PM

What it really needs is a batting cage with the pitching machine shaped like a tiger, the tiger would lift its tail to deliver the pitch

**wolverine** · January-31-12, 07:04 PM

Originally Posted by old guy

Wow, that Kansas City setup is about as ugly as it gets.

Got that right, absolutely hideous.

Occurrence · January-31-12, 07:17 PM

Originally Posted by Gistok

Not so fast.... I've taken 8 tour buses full of European tourists thru downtown and the riverfront since 2001... and there's 2 things the folks absolutely love about downtown... the interior of the Guardian Building [[also the Fox when it's available).... and having group pictures taken in front of one of the tiger statues at Comerica Park.

Beauty must be in the eye of the beholder, because most of these European tourists have seen some of the best statuary on the planet [[on their home continent), and for them to find such enjoyment in our "purely American" genre... says volumes more than a few keyboard art critics... no offense...

Well, Justin Bieber sells millions of albums, but I wouldn't go as far to say beauty is in the eye of the beholder in that case either.

That ballpark is tacky and gaudy as it gets. For a ballpark that was built downtown, it couldn't be any more isolated from the rest of the architecture in that area, The statues only make it worse.

**douglasm** · January-31-12, 09:32 PM

As to Canuck's statement about the stove, someone refresh my memory, OK? In the late 50's and/or early 60's, wasn't there a large spark plug on the center field scoreboard in Briggs/Tiger Stadium that lit up when a Tiger hit a home run?

**mallory** · February-01-12, 10:29 AM

<sigh> I miss Tiger Stadium. No glitz, no glamour, no Hollywood, just baseball, upstructed views and all.

bartock · February-01-12, 10:41 AM

Originally Posted by Occurrence

I hope this renovation calls for the removal of those dumb tiger figures on top of that scoreboard. They look extremely tacky. We know they are the Detroit Tigers, we don't need cheesy looking statues to represent that.

Kids like 'em.

**drjeff** · February-01-12, 10:52 AM

Originally Posted by old guy

Wow, that Kansas City setup is about as ugly as it gets.

What's ugly about it? There's one gigantic scoreboard that is simply an HD screen. The old one in Comerica that was an assemblage of three different screesn and a bunch of ads was a lot more ugly.

I've been to several games in KC and their scoreboard is the nicest I've seen anywhere. If the Tigers emulate that it would be a great thing.

**TheEnergizer** · February-01-12, 11:14 AM

Sometimes people are just old school and anything new will be deemed atrocious or ugly. In 30-40 years when the next stadium is built, kids from today will be saying how it has no charm like the old Comerica Park lol.

**Gistok** · February-01-12, 11:34 AM

... beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder... otherwise the folks fixing up the David Whitney Building wouldn't have to spending money on restoring the exterior to the classic Daniel Burnham look before it got its' "lobotomy" in the 1950s. Ditto for a dozen other buildings downtown.

Back in the 1950s business folks used to hack up building exteriors, and either drape over or rip out ornate movie palace interiors... and they used to boast "look at all the trouble we went thru so that you won't have to look at all that old stuff anymore"....

Time change, and so do tastes... the old Fisher Theatre was disemboweled by the Nederlander organization in 1960-61 to remove the exotic Mayan plasterwork and shrink down the theatre. Today the Theatre Historical Society said of the old Fisher "it was an impossibly wonderful work".... now gone.

So yes... beauty is in the eye of the beholder....

Occurrence · February-01-12, 11:51 AM

Somehow I doubt in 40 years people are going to look back at those gaudy statues and think about how amazing they were. If I had to bet, I would say it would fall into the "what were they thinking" category.

**Gistok** · February-01-12, 12:01 PM

Originally Posted by Occurrence

Somehow I doubt in 40 years people are going to look back and say those gaudy statues and think how amazing they were. If I had to bet, I would say it would fall into the "what were they thinking" category.

The same can be said for Ford Auditorium... and a dozen other buildings downtown... such as the Chase Tower [[Cheese Grater), the Boulevard Building [[a "Cement Club Sandwich"),... "what were they thinking"...

If the last 50 years are any indication, then we haven't a clue as to what tastes will be like in the 50 years...

**old guy** · February-01-12, 12:09 PM

Originally Posted by drjeff

What's ugly about it? There's one gigantic scoreboard that is simply an HD screen. The old one in Comerica that was an assemblage of three different screesn and a bunch of ads was a lot more ugly.

I've been to several games in KC and their scoreboard is the nicest I've seen anywhere. If the Tigers emulate that it would be a great thing.

I don't have a problem with the screen, it's the faux crown on top of it and the light poles surrounding it that seems a little tacky to me. Just a personal opinion.
Hey, I don't mean to point fingers. I live in an area where bratwurst run around the bases before the game. I do miss the guy that used to pop out of the mini chalet and slide down into a giant mug of beer when someone hit a home run.

Now that was baseball.