ST. LOUIS — One storied tradition is celebrating another. The Electrical Connection and its IBEW/NECA partnership is again sponsoring St. Louis Cardinal baseball this season. It is the 125th season in the National League for the storied franchise. Likewise, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local One Local 1 is celebrating its 125^th anniversary this year, while St. Louis Chapter of the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) is celebrating the national organization’s 115^th anniversary of service powering all facets of life in America.

“It is remarkable when you think that the IBEW/NECA partnership has been serving our region for as long as the Cardinals have been playing baseball,” said Jim Curran, executive vice president, Electrical Connection. “Indeed, the Cardinals have been one of the oldest customers for our electrical contractors and electricians who have continually provided services to build and upgrade stadium facilities. And the Cardinals are great partners for the Electrical Connection as we educate the public about energy conservation.”

This year, IBEW/NECA teamed to deliver enhanced WiFi services to Busch Stadium and new LED scoreboards and ribbon boards. The effort to equip Busch Stadium with WiFi throughout the stadium is part of Major League Baseball Advanced Media’s (MLBAM) $300 million, multi-year plan to bring WiFi and improved cellular connectivity to every major league ballpark. Busch Stadium is the largest installation of all the MLBAM WiFi projects to date. More than 740 WiFi access points were installed to accommodate fans in all locations of the stadium including the AT&T Rooftop, Budweiser Brewhouse rooftop deck and, soon, the Busch II Infield at Ballpark Village. As part of the WiFi installation, the equivalent of 30 miles of Cat6a Ethernet cabling, 11 miles of 6-strand fiber optic cabling and two miles of conduit were laid. The installation project took more than 10,000 man hours to complete. The work was completed by an IBEW/NECA team, led by Sachs Electric Co.

IBEW/NECA has served the Cardinals for more than 50 years, including all three Busch Stadiums. In 2011, IBEW/NECA helped introduce solar energy for the first time at Busch Stadium, installing two solar arrays near the left centerfield bleachers and sponsoring an educational kiosk at Ford Family Plaza providing information about renewable energy. IBEW/NECA also installed electric vehicle charging stations at Busch Stadium.

Fans will notice a prominent presence for the Electrical Connection at Cardinal games. The Electrical Connection is sponsoring the daily starting lineups and will have a digital presence in the stadium. The Electrical Connection also supports the team through radio spots on KMOX.

The St. Louis Cardinals (www.cardinals.com) are one of the most storied franchises in all of baseball. Since they joined the National League in 1892, the Cardinals have won more than 9,700 games, finished in first place 25 times winning 2 N.L. Wild Card Titles, 3 National League Eastern Division Titles, 10 National League Central Division Titles, 19 National League Pennants and 11 World Series Championships. There are 48 former Cardinals players, managers and executives enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.