Nearly a year after the innovative (albeit not-entirely-practical) Nintendo Fan Network went live at Safeco Field in Seattle, the powers that be have decided to nix those pesky access fees and give every DS-toting guest access gratis. That's right, folks who show up to catch a Mariners game can now check out other MLB scores, dig deep within player stats, order up grossly overpriced grub and even watch a terribly pixelated version of the game they're currently at without handing over one red cent. The nosebleed section never had so much potential.

[Via Joystiq]

We're a bit perplexed as to why the Kansas City Royals are becoming the next baseball team to get a substantial stadium makeover -- considering the team's record over the past few years and all -- but hey, we can't complain about "the world's largest HD LED scoreboard," now can we? Along with the giant board in center field, the stadium will also receive a myriad Daktronics displays along "the fascia of the upper deck along right and left field," and two ribbon boards (each 380-feet in length) will be "positioned in the outfield above the new restaurant / bar and Hall of Fame." All told, $250 million will be spent sprucing up the ballpark, and while fans will be seeing that 100- x 85-foot HD scoreboard next season, the entire project should be completed by 2009.

Read - Kauffman Stadium getting $250 million renovation
Read - World's largest HD LED display

You can now watch NFL football over the interwebs, free from regional restrictions! Excited? We thought so -- here's what you'll need. First, sign up for DirecTV's Sunday Ticket ($269/year). Second, add in the "SuperFan" program (an additional $99/year). Third, you'll need a Windows PC (sorry Mac users). Once all that is squared away, you can enjoy watching live games webwide in Internet Explorer. Meh, says we, especially when you look at MLB.TV. Admittedly, the SuperFan package is required for HD delivery of the games on DirecTV anyways (which the internet feed definitely won't be), so chances are that football nuts may already have these packages lined up. The NFL is keeping tight control over their content, but this is a step in the right direction. Meanwhile, "misplacing" a Slingbox at your buddy's place in another region is looking better and better.

We're certainly not complaining about yet another professional sports team opting for a svelte HD Jumbotron, but the Diamondbacks' claim to soon have the "largest scoreboard in pro sports" is dodgy at best. Reportedly, the board will cost between $10 and $12 million to erect and will measure in at "144 feet wide and 55 feet high," which the team claims is 900-square feet larger "than the biggest existing board, at Atlanta's Turner Field." Nevertheless, the D-Backs have certainly been trumped already in terms of HD scoreboard planning, as the Dallas Cowboys are slated to treat their fans to a pair of 180 feet wide by 50 feet high displays as part of a four-screen setup in 2009. So if all goes as planned, Arizona's MLB club will indeed be sporting the largest high-definition screen in pro sports for a tick, but those mighty claims will soon be squashed by the sensational installation headed to Texas.

While you were busy watching Vladimir Guerrero take home the Home Run Derby crown two nights ago (not to mention the All-Star game last night), you may not have been aware that AT&T Park was feeding uber-clean energy back into the grid serving PG&E's customers throughout northern and central California. Sure enough, the home of the San Francisco Giants is now also home to 590 Sharp solar panels located in three separate areas of the stadium, which combine to generate some 120-kilowatts of electricity. The size of the entire array is reportedly "equivalent to approximately 40 residential solar systems," and while this system won't conjure up as much power as the CIS Solar Tower, it will certainly make good use of the ballpark during the off-season.

[Via EETimes image courtesy of MatrixCS]

Those looking for a little more interaction at Safeco Field this season need only bring their DS Lite and a few extra bucks. This season, Nintendo is trialing the Nintendo Fan Network at the home of the Seattle Mariners, which enables onlookers to "order food and drinks, watch the live television feed of the game, access stats and scores, and play trivia from the comfort of their seat." The quietly introduced pilot program has brought several kiosks to the park, which uploads a program to the DS Lite and enables the WiFi-equipped handheld to take part in the bonus festivities. Eventually, the Big N hopes to expand the system into other stadiums, but for now, Mariners fans can get in on the action for $5 per game, or $30 for ten games.

[Image courtesy of Flickr]

Vroop's Liveboard won't win any awards for "world's largest" or anything, but if you're looking for an easier (and more decorative) way to keep a close eye on baseball scores around the league, you'd be hard pressed to top this. Designed after a timeless stadium scoreboard, this device sports built-in wireless capabilities that enable it to sync up with the included software in order to keep track and display real-time scores in MLB. Users can select from a trio of modes depending on what scores they'd like to see, and you'll even find a wireless USB adapter thrown in for good measure. Of course, those not interested in America's pastime may find the $299 pricetag a bit baffling, but for those sick of waiting for a ticker to reveal the home team's current status, this fee is completely justified.

[Via Coolest-Gadgets]

Major League Baseball may not be happy about Sling Media enabling fans to stream out of market baseball games over the internet, but it is apparently backing off of plans to sue the company into oblivion, RIAA-style. Bob Bowman, president of Major League Baseball Advanced Media said in an interview that winning could be done with "good technology and good content, not lawyers". Following up on its decision not to freeze cable customers out of its Extra Innings package, baseball's new strategy seems to lean towards not irritating its best customers. While we're intrigued by their ideas, we're not subscribing to the newsletter -- yet.

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While some broadcasters are actually utilizing the Slingbox and appreciating its benefits, leave it to Major League Baseball to further alienate its dwindling fanbase. After cable customers were just barely able to get back in on the Extra Innings love, it appears that Sling Media is still being blacklisted in the eyes of MLB, as a recent interview with Michael Mellis, Senior VP and general counsel of MLB Advanced Media's offices reinforced the friction between the two. Most recently, Mellis and friends seem to be mulling a lawsuit against Sling, as he claims that the Slingbox "allows viewers to circumvent geographical boundaries written into broadcast rights deals," and moreover, had no shame in admitting that profiteering was at the forefront of their minds by suggesting that "if the league can't protect the rights it sells, that doesn't bode well for future contracts when it wants to resell the rights at higher margins." Reportedly, the CEA has indeed come to Sling's side by proclaiming that this case is a "classic instance of copyright owners trying to suppress innovation purely because it empowers consumers." Of course, we hope you don't let Mellis' words get you too riled up -- after all, he also stated that "there's no guarantee that Slingbox would be around next year as it's just a startup." Let the snickering commence.

[Via CNET]

After alienating fans with long strikes and doped-up players, you'd think that Major League Baseball would be wise to make moves towards recapturing its lost fan base; instead, recent comments by an executive from MLB's media division indicate that baseball may be intending to further sour relations with its customers by cracking down on the placeshifting of televised games. Speaking at this year's Digital Media Summit in LA, MLB Advanced Media executive VP George Kliavkoff went toe-to-toe with fellow panel member and Sling Media marketing VP Rich Buchanan, arguing that Slingbox customers are "violating the scope of their [cable and satellite] user agreements" when they rebroadcast content out of their home market. The whole issue seems rather silly to us, as baseball is essentially complaining that you're somehow screwing a local affiliate by watching an out-of-market game when you're traveling to its city, even though the sport as a whole is still benefiting from your viewership and the vast number of placeshifters probably ensure that no net eyeballs are actually lost. Note to MLB: Cricket is starting to look more and more attractive every day.