matthewweaver.com | mlb ballparks

Ballpark:
Safeco Field, the replacement for the old Kingdome, was opened in the middle of the 1999 season at a cost of over $500 million (huge at the time). The retractable roof, which does not fully enclose the stadium, stacks up over the right field seats and the adjoining railroad tracks. Except for the roof, the ballpark seems very similar to Turner Field in Atlanta and Coors Field in Denver.

The park is unique because it is a pitcher's park...not a hitter's park. Another interesting feature is the frequent sounds of train horns as trains pass right next to the stadium.

There doesn't seem to be a bad seat in the house and many of the fans on the first base side of the ballpark can see the skyline of Seattle, including Qwest Field, the home of the NFL Seahawks. The food is good and the fans are vocal, so all in all Safeco Field deserves a strong grade of an "A".

How to get there:
From Downtown Seattle take Interstate 5 South or from SeaTac Airport take Interstate 5 North until reaching the Safeco Field exit. Head North for several blocks and park in one of the surface lots near the park (which you can easily see from the road).

Another option is to park in downtown Seattle and walk South to the park. This is a little longer of a walk, but you can spend some time at one of the many restaurants and bars near the football-baseball stadium complex.

City:
Seattle is a fast growing, cosmopolitan city with a diverse culture, including many young people and Asian-Americans. Known for its rain, coffee and music (remember "grunge" in the 1990's?), the people of Seattle also love their sports. They supported their Mariners in the dingy Kingdome and they do so in beautiful Safeco today. The fans are a bit more rude than I would expect in the laid-back West, but that is probably because many people came here from the East.

The Seattle area is gorgeous with a large downtown sitting along the scenic Puget Sound. The metropolitan area wraps around the Sound and its many islands, though the traffic is horrible because of the dense population, the many bridges and the tight topography. To the West are the jagged Olympic Mountains, to the East are the North Cascades and to the South is majestic Mount Rainier towering at 14,410 feet above sea level. All three mountainous areas are National Parks!

Stuff to do while there:
Downtown has many attractions, including the Space Needle and Experience Music Project at Seattle Center, the famous Pike Street Market (known for its fish throwing) and the nightlife of the Underground. The Puget Sound and nearby Lake Washington are big with boaters and the mountains provide incredible hiking or mountaineering opportunities. The best view of the city comes from either Beacon Hill on the South side or Woodland Park on the North side.

Story:
I had originally planned to fly from Cleveland to Seattle to see the Mariners-Indians game on August 11, 2000. However, the flight turned into a road trip when I moved to Beaverton, Oregon the week before the game. I took a half day from work and drove up to catch the 7:05 pm game in Seattle (just 3-1/2 hours away).

Fun facts:
Since Safeco Field's roof does not fully enclose the park, it is the only "domed" stadium that doesn't have a heating or air conditioning system.

The Mariners slogan is "Sodo Mojo", which means "South of Downtown Magical Power". (Webster's Dictionary defines "mojo" as a "Magic spell, charm or hex. Magical power.")

The Mariners mascot is named "Mariner Moose" and he kind of looks like Bullwinkle. Click here to see the Mariner Moose.

The old Seattle Kingdome was imploded on March 26, 2000. Click here to see the AP photo.

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A 10-photo mosaic of Safeco
Field from the third base line
August 11, 2000

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Seattle's Freddy Garcia fires a pitch to Indians 1B Jim Thome
August 3, 2002

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Matt at Safeco Field
August 11, 2000

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The Seattle skyline and Qwest Field tower over Safeco
August 3, 2002

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The infield from right center
August 3, 2002

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The left field entrance
August 11, 2000