The Mariners on Thursday unveiled their new scoreboard at Safeco Field which contains "the largest video screen" in MLB, and also ranks as North America's "third-largest sports venue video screen," according to John McGrath of the Tacoma NEWS TRIBUNE. Mariners Senior VP/Marketing Kevin Martinez said that when fans were "asked for ways to improve their ballpark experience, the 'No. 1 suggestion' was an upgraded scoreboard." Mariners VP/Communications Randy Adamack said, "For the past few seasons, we’ve kind of kept the old one together with tape and baling wire. It’s been 14 years, and we’ve gone through three or four generations of technology since then. It was time to replace it." In addition to the "fundamental information -- runs, hits and errors -- a statistical chart for batters will include such 'advanced' statistics as on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS, a combination of the two." Replays will be "enhanced by four manned cameras as well as a fifth camera over center field, operated from a booth in the press box broadcast center." Tweets from fans will "appear periodically" (Tacoma NEWS TRIBUNE, 3/29). In Seattle, Nick Eaton noted fans will be able to "get their first look at the new screen Monday at a Safeco Field 'open house,' during which the screen will show the Mariners' regular-season opener" on the road against the A's. The video quality "is impressive." Watching it from "as far away as home plate is like watching high-def TV at home -- even better, perhaps." Martinez said, "The size of the video screen posed a challenge for us; we wanted to make sure it felt it belonged here" (SEATLLEPI.com, 3/28).
