Frisco RoughRiders bring upgrades, new look to stadium

FRISCO – The Frisco RoughRiders is making $6 million in improvements to Dr Pepper Ballpark that will be ready by opening day, April 9, according to Chuck Greenberg, the team’s CEO and chairman.

The ballpark improvements themselves are meant to improve the fan experience while also creating new advertising opportunities. Dr Pepper Ballpark was built in 2003.

Several new video boards will be in place, including a 2,700-sf high-definition video board by Daktronics that will feature instant replays, sponsor messages and player statistics. It’s five times bigger than the old video board.

Several other LED boards will be placed in the outfield, too. Dr Pepper Ballpark will have the most LED boards of any stadium in Minor League Baseball.

Dr Pepper Ballpark will get a much bigger team store behind home plate where fans can purchase jerseys and other merchandise with the team’s new look.

The old RoughRiders team store on the third-base side will be converted into an open-air sports bar with flatscreen televisions and artwork featuring Roosevelt as a Rough Rider.

The ballpark will also feature new and improved food offerings and a new InTouch Grille. Home and visiting clubhouses will also be renovated.

In addition to improving the fan experience with new video boards, a bigger team store and a carnival-like food and play area, the RoughRiders’ uniforms will get a complete makeover.

The new look focuses on President Theodore Roosevelt, who led the ragtag group of Rough Riders in the battle of San Juan Hill in the Spanish American War in 1898. It features a "swinging Teddy" with his rugged uniform, glasses and trademark hat. He was the man, after all, who said "Speak softly, and carry a big stick."