‘Fred’ Buck, 72; GE Expert in Pro Baseball Stadium Lighting
James “Fred” Buck, 72, an engineer for General Electric who evaluated lighting systems for major league baseball stadiums, died Wednesday of pancreatic cancer at a hospice in Cleveland.
Buck began evaluating and recommending the proper lighting in major league parks in 1962 at the request of the American League.
Initially, he taught several retired umpires to use light meters for measurements. In 1982, he personally took over field testing.
Buck also taught retired major league players to take light readings in minor league parks.
“He would check for the brightness, and the lighting fixtures would have to be aimed in certain ways to minimize glare for the ballplayers,” said Ralph Kaiser, a retired GE lighting engineer who knew Buck.
Before joining GE in 1954, Buck was an Army sergeant during the Korean War, where he won the Bronze Star.
After retiring in 1987, he continued to examine stadium lighting for major league baseball.
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