Fields Of Dreams - Safeco Field, Seattle, Washington

Currently residing at #14 on our listing of Major League Baseball stadiums is this commons alongside a giant umbrella inwards rainy Seattle.

Safeco Field is dwelling solid to the Seattle Mariners of the American League. Yet to play inwards the World Series, the squad has won the American League West Division Championship inwards 1995, 1997, as well as 2001. They were the wild bill of fare pick inwards 2000. The Mariners besides part the unmarried flavor tape for wins alongside 116 wins inwards 2001 (also Chicago Cubs, 1906). Many All Star as well as Hall of Fame caliber players accept called this squad dwelling solid over the years; Randy Johnson, Ken Griffey, Jr., Rickey Henderson, Edgar Martinez, as well as Ichiro Suzuki who was lately lost to the Yankees. Each yr it seems, baseball game analysts pick this squad to win their sectionalisation but lately accept been falling short. 

In 2010, a administration bloodbath led to the coaching staff beingness fired. This season, they're saved from the cellar yesteryear the novel American League West member, the struggling Astros.

Safeco replaced the unloved Kingdome.

Here are the stats…
Year opened: 1999
Surface: Kentucky Bluegrass/ Perennial Ryegrass blend
Construction cost: $517 million
Capacity: 47 ,116
Field dimensions: Left champaign – 331 ft.; left middle – 390 ft.; Center champaign – 405 ft.; correct middle – 385 ft.; Right champaign – 326 ft.
Home teams: Seattle Mariners (American League, MLB) 1999 –present
Events attended: ane game

Safeco Field sits southward of downtown Seattle proper, but exterior of the complimentary charabanc zone. It is an outdoor stadium that besides has a retractable roof to protect it as well as the fans from the city’s frequent precipitation. The naming rights were bought yesteryear an insurance company.

The commons characteristic iv levels of seats, the champaign level, a terrace level, a pocket-sized social club as well as suite level, as well as the upper deck. There are besides seats inwards the outfield. The concourse is open, as well as then y'all tin notwithstanding meet the game when y'all become to larn your snacks.

There is wheelchair accessible seating throughout the commons at all levels. We did non accept whatever problems buying to a greater extent than than ane companion seat. Tickets are instantly nether dynamic pricing where need sets the price...seems kinda unnecessary for such a lackluster team. We bought our tickets ane twenty-four hours inwards advance at the Mariner’s Team Store inwards downtown Seattle. Ticket prices make from $7 bleachers to over $400 inwards the Diamond Club.

Yes, this is the mid-game crowd.  Why couldn't nosotros purchase improve seats?

Another occupation I had was that these tickets placed us correct behind a photographic goggle box camera well, severely obstructing our view. This was a game alongside perhaps 3-5,000 fans inwards attendance. Luckily, the ushers allow us movement to improve seats but why sell us such bad seats, at the high terminate of their ticket range, when nosotros asked for the best seats, as well as many to a greater extent than improve seats were available? And why such high prices for these seats, particularly alongside a bad squad as well as really depression attendance? Lower the prices as well as larn to a greater extent than fans to present upward for the games.

The squad was terrible the yr nosotros were at that topographic point as well as their play showed it on the field. Hopefully, the team volition someday resolve its issues as well as plow over the people of Seattle a improve squad but every bit of 2013, that twenty-four hours is notwithstanding on the horizon.

Food hither is adept but expensive, but similar the tickets. The signature particular hither is the sushi. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 lot of stadiums instantly serve sushi but it’s unremarkably premade similar you’d notice inwards a supermarket. I accept to plow over a lot of credit to this stadium due to the fact that they accept sushi chefs on site that brand your monastic tell every bit y'all watch…a truthful sushi bar.

Besides the common hot dogs as well as such…which are good…there is besides Ivar’s, a local fried seafood landmark, barbecue, Mexican food, as well as a rotisserie stand. Across the street is the Pyramid Brewery which has a large beer garden as well as hall alongside a happy hr earlier the game. I highly recommend going at that topographic point as well as having approximately of their peachy hefeweizen alongside peachy prices to represent earlier entering the park.

Public transit got a huge boost when the Link Light Rail opened up. Frequent service to the stadium from downtown as well as points southward is instantly available. When nosotros visited, at that topographic point was approximately commuter rails service to selected games (not ours) as well as inadequate capacity charabanc service from King Metro. There is besides loads of parking nearby.

For a newer stadium, I accept to tell that Safeco missed many marks. The nutrient is fantabulous every bit is (now) Blue Planet transit. Other than that, you’ll hold upward paying a lot for a mediocre to average baseball game experience. That’s why it solely rates solely a dismal fourteen out of xviii on our stadium list. Still, it’s improve than 3 other due west coast parks…Dodger Stadium, Angel Stadium, as well as Oakland…but that’s non maxim much.

-Darryl
Copyright 2010 – Darryl Musick
Updated for 2013