A new electronic scoreboard at the city’s baseball field comes courtesy of the Derby Police Department union.
The officers’ union ponied up about $4,200 to purchase the sign, which was recently installed at the baseball field within the Leo F. Ryan Sports Complex off Chatfield Street.
It’s been some time since the a scoreboard graced the Red Raiders outfield, said Derby police Officer Gino DiMauro III.
That last name sound familiar? It should.
DiMauro, son of a former mayor, played on the Derby 1992 state championship team. He and his team’s exploits were captured in Steve Reilly’s book, “The Fat Lady Never Sings.”
The scoreboard “hadn’t worked in years,” Derby police union president Ken Dupke said.
“Did it work for you in ’92?” he asked DiMauro.
“No. No it didn’t,” DiMauro said.
“I graduated in 1969 and I think it worked for a year back then,” said Dupke, who also played baseball in his days at Derby High.
“Each team relied on score keepers. The honor system, hopefully, would prevail,” DiMauro said.
The police union, local 1376, donates several thousand dollars a year to the community, whether it is scholarships to high school students or social service programs.
“We have a few guys with sons involved in sports and they were talking about the scoreboard that we don’t have,” Dupke said.
The union leader said Lt. Sal Frosceno took the reigns and purchased a LED, remote-controlled electronic scoreboard from Varsity Scoreboards, a company based in Kentucky.
“Our membership voted unanimously for it,” Dupke said.
The union worked with the city’s parks and recreation commission and the public works department to install the scoreboard.
Dupke said the police officers were happy to help — especially given the economy and the tough time the school district is having funding athletic programs.
Derby baseball coach Sumner Sochrin said the scoreboard is useful for the fans watching the games.
“Parents like it. It’s adds a little class to the whole thing,” said Sochrin, who was particularly impressed by the fact the new scoreboard is remote-controlled.
Ryan Skelly, a 17-year-old pitcher, said the team is grateful to the police union.
“We had an old scoreboard, but it was just sitting there. This one’s good for everybody. It’s good for the fans.”
The scoreboard is 317 feet from home plate.
Dupke said he’s not worried if a home run ball hits it, as long as it is off the bat of a Red Raider.
