Major League Baseball sometimes resembles a vaudeville act from a bygone era. Organists still play "Take Me Out to the Ballgame." Some players still wear knickers, stirrups, and pinstripes. And even though Jim Leyland just retired, you can still find a few coaches with big, bushy mustaches lifted straight from the 1890s.
But those are just old-timey touches. It's all part of baseball's grand spectacle—carefully orchestrated theater intended to recall a kinder, simpler time. Major League Baseball has become a high-tech endeavor just like any other professional sport, and once you begin poking around in what's really happening inside the ballpark, you begin to see just how profoundly technology has transformed our basic at-the-game experience.
So while you're at your next ball game, munching on your third hot dog, keep in mind that an infantry is working behind the scenes to make sure you're getting a seamless, modern spectacle on a par with the best of professional sports. And it all requires serious tech—more than you'd ever guess.
We spent weeks with our hometown team, the 2012 world champion San Francisco Giants, to learn more about how technology influences the operations of a pro ballpark. We found that behind every facet of the experience—from concessions to lawn care to instant replays on the scoreboard—high-tech gear is chugging away, making everything happen.
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