John Cole, man who kept Fresno Grizzlies' old-school scoreboard up and running, passes away

Cole had been braving the Central Valley heat the past five seasons to work the manual scoreboard during Fresno Grizzlies games.

Tuesday, August 29, 2023
Good Sports: The man behind the Fresno Grizzlies old-school scoreboard
If you've ever been to a Grizzlies game at Chukchansi Park in downtown Fresno, you've probably noticed an old-school scoreboard in the outfield.

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- John Cole, the man who kept the old-school scoreboard up and running at Chukchansi Park, has passed away, according to the Fresno Grizzlies.

Cole had been braving the Central Valley heat the past five seasons to work the manual scoreboard during Fresno Grizzlies games.

Despite a state-of-the-art digital scoreboard in centerfield, the Grizzlies have kept a traditional manual scoreboard in right field.

Just last month, Action News spent time with Cole at the scoreboard and discussed what keeps bringing him back for more.

RELATED: Good Sports: The man behind the Fresno Grizzlies old-school scoreboard

"He is so passionate and dedicated with what he does," Grizzlies' Director of Operations Abbie Lawson said in a previous story on Cole. "I don't know if I could pay someone more to sit out in the heat in the direct sun like he does."

Team officials say a banner will be made in Cole's memory.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The video above is from a previous broadcast and will be updated.

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