GREENFIELD — The new baseball scoreboard at Veterans Field has arrived.
The previous scoreboard next to the Tom Suchanek Diamond was non-functioning throughout the Greenfield High School baseball season this past spring, as well as the summer during Post 81’s Legion campaign. Post 81 Chair Bill Phelps was the driving force behind bringing the new scoreboard to fruition, gathering donations from Greenfield Savings Bank, Vietnam Veterans of Massachusetts Inc., Legion Post 81 and resident Tom Travis, as well as from Bob and Denise Grazick, owners of Victoria Bar in Greenfield.
“Greenfield Savings Bank is proud to support the installation of the new scoreboard,” Tara Brewster, vice president of business development and director of philanthropy at Greenfield Savings Bank, said in a statement. “As a community bank, we pride ourselves on being there for the community’s needs. While we can’t fund everything, we do what we can and know that others are doing the same. We have been here for 156 years and hope that this sign lasts at least half that long. Let’s go, Green Wave.”
Lyman Signs of Phillipston handled the replacement, getting the new scoreboard secured in place on Thursday morning.
As someone who grew up playing on Veterans Field, Phelps previously explained it was important to him to have it kept to the highest standard.
“I used to go there as a little kid to pitch and watch games in the early ’50s,” Phelps said in August. “I’ve been going there forever. My kids and my grandkids all played there. The city has a lot of financial burdens, and a lot of responsibilities and things going on. If we can do something to help the city out and make Vets Field the field of dreams we always wanted it to be and said it was, we’ll do it. We want to keep it that way.”
