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Sliding In Safeco Field

Official Review by Dennis Morrell, Stadium Journey Special Correspondent

Far and away, Safeco Field is in my top five of Major League Baseball stadiums to witness a game. It has everything you could ask for and all of the accompaniments to ensure you enjoy a game regardless of how well the team is playing.

After decades of domed baseball at the famous Seattle Kingdome, the Mariners now treat their fans to a taste of outdoor baseball at every game. After years of semi-competitive play on Astroturf, the team plays under a roof on inclement weather days, but with a view of the outside on all sides.

The roof serves as a canopy, as opposed to a dome, and slides over the field when it opens and closes. Its closing edge begins high above the third base side of the stadium footprint and opens along huge tracks out toward center and right field.

The first time I attended a game here was on opening day 2007 and my seat was a few rows from the top of the third base side. Right before first pitch, with the sun shining brightly, the public address announcer proclaimed this to be a great day for baseball. At that moment, the canopy began to open just a few dozen feet above my head, rays slowly reaching the field with every additional inch of movement along the rails.

As early as you can enter the stadium, usually two hours before game time, ascend from behind home plate at the corner of First Avenue South and Edgar Martinez Drive South to the main concourse. Make a right turn at the top of the steps and head right to guest relations behind section 128 where you can arm yourself with useful printed pocket guides and brochures detailing the wide array of food choices, art exhibits and other places to spend your time and money before the ballgame begins.

Food & Beverage    5

There may not be a better variety of food and beverages offered in any venue in Major League Baseball than in Seattle. In fact, you might even come away feeling as though you should have come to the ballpark to eat and maybe see a few innings of baseball between meals.

If the sandwich board signage throughout the main concourse doesn't provide you the details you want, stop by guest relations to pick up a pocket guide to carry with you as you roam in search of nourishment. The quest to belly up at Safeco Field is upon the arriving fan.

Start with a cup, not a bowl, of clam chowder from locally-famous Ivar's. It's good and you will want more, but you will have to pace yourself. There is much more to satisfy your palette.

In catering to the diverse local demographics, Asian food is particularly good and made right before your eyes behind section 133 in the main concourse. At Thai Ginger, you can watch two master chefs commence applying their culinary talents with a magical stir-fry blend. Only a large picture window separates you from view of the kitchen.

Grounder garlic fries are found near section 106, 149, 325 and 335. Just one size serving is offered and it a large one. For the money and portion, you would be best served sharing this with friends so you can share the goodness while saving room for so much other stuff. Consumption of this delicacy ensures vampires will stay away from you for at least a week.

Anything you could possible want is here and if you can't find something you want, it isn't worth having in the first place. They offer many types of food, but leave the cheesesteak sandwich for Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia (because they don't use Cheese Wiz on it Safeco) or Italian sausage for Wrigley Field in Chicago.

Sadly, I did not see any place in the ballpark to buy Tums or other Antacids. Trust me, I looked. Please come prepared by bringing your medicinal relief from home.

Atmosphere    5

No matter where you sit, you will enjoy your view of the field. In fact, if you are in a position to do so, spend a few innings in three or four different seating or standing areas.

Escalators are available to take you up to higher levels on the way up and take you down toward the end of the game. Steps and several out-of-the-way elevators also can get you to where you want to be.

Some things to keep in mind when selecting your tickets. Although I tend to be on the thrifty side of selecting what price level to purchase, I am always conscious of where the sun sets in relation to the playing field, what seat provides the best backdrop, etc.

At Safeco Field, the direction of home plate to the pitcher's mound is northeast. Left field is due North, right field is due East and the sun falls behind the seating along the 3rd base side. In this case, because the stadium allows for views to the outside, even with the roof closed, choose a third base side seat for evening games. The Mariners take the first base dugout while the opposition faces right field.

I always like upper deck seating on one side of the infield so that I can see at least one dugout. I like watching at least one manager, especially if one of them is a future Hall of Fame skipper. In my mind, these seats provide the most value for the money.

My single seat on this night was a View Reserved seat, full price at $22, was just $9 on the street to see the Mariners play their division-rival Oakland Athletics mid-week in the last series of the season when both teams were long out of the playoff race.

Prices are slightly higher for purchase day of game. In addition, marquis opponents cost a little more. Always look at promotions on the team website before you go. There were several on this night, but I decided to roll the dice and did all right.

Neighborhood    4

Since Safeco Field and nearby CenturyLink Field were erected, plenty of restaurants have filled the open spaces providing fans with plenty of options.

Directly across the street from the home plate entrance on the North Side of the stadium footprint and along South Royal Broughan Way is Jimmy's on First (this is the street the runs North to South and right into Safeco Field).

While it looks a bit upscale, don't be fooled. I paid $11 for a gourmet burger and side salad and combined it with a couple of local draft brews, all for $19. The restaurant was filled with carefully placed televisions to watch the baseball races going down to the wire and Monday Night Football. The decor is not over done, the service is spectacular and the food fantastic. When I was finished, I walked fifty steps to the gate and into the stadium.

Fans    4

Mariners fans are knowledgeable and good sports. Seattle baseball has been around a very long time and it seems like fans remember all the details as to the rich history. Despite the Mariners poor fortunes in 2011, they still support their team very strongly. They are particularly fond of Ichiro Suzuki and cheer his every move in the outfield and at the plate.

Access    5

There is plenty of parking, but it comes at a price and with some hassle. Forget about driving to Safeco Field and take Central Link light rail, part of the Sound Transit Network. The light rail runs North to South with Sea-Tac Airport the southernmost station and Westlake being the northernmost station. Stadium station is at the northern third of the line and the stadium is just three blocks west.

Fares are based upon distance traveled and age. Adults 19-64 will pay anywhere from $2-$2.75. Children 6-18 are $1.25 while seniors and disabled passengers are $0.75. Trains run 7-10 minutes apart depending upon time of day.

Return on Investment    5

This is one of the best all around atmospheres in baseball. To some, ticket prices might seem high, but once you get a taste of the atmosphere and all it has to offer, you will feel good about the amount of money you spent. The team thinks of everything, there is no stone unturned, no effort weak. They have every base covered.

Extras    4

The Game Program is one of the best in baseball, but be careful to get the OFFICIAL PROGRAM only inside the stadium. Vendors sell one they claim is updated with all of the roster moves, etc., but the reality is it is a "knock-off" publication which lacks MLB quality.

I made the mistake of buying the outside program several years ago and lacked good quality action photos that were out of focus, etc. Also, the OFFICIAL PROGRAM is the only one with a scorecard. Get it inside only.

Also, Safeco Field is home to an ever-growing art collection devoted to baseball, a brochure at guest relations which can explain the details about the artist, what they were trying to accomplish with the piece and where they are on exhibit throughout the stadium.

Perhaps the best display is the "Stable" located at street level behind home plate. This piece of art is a dramatic sculpture hanging as a chandelier in the center of this rotunda entrance. The content involves 1,000 translucent bats lit with flickering incandescent lights conveying the power and movement of the swing of the bat. If you get there early enough and your young children are looking to burn off some of that energy, there are eleven pieces scattered throughout the park, each one worth spending time enjoying.

Dave Niehaus, recently deceased radio voice of the Mariners since its inception in 1977, is honored on the concourse in right center field with a bronze statue posed seated at a desk behind a microphone. The statue, a magnificent addition to an already remarkable setting, was unveiled in the summer of 2011. It faces the concourse and is surrounded by decorative bronze fencing where some of his famous broadcast sayings are etched such as "My Oh My" and "Get out the rye bread and mustard, Grandma, it is grand salami time!". The fencing sets traffic off from nearby concourse traffic. The night I was there, fans were in line posing for photographs, the backdrop of which was the emerald green playing field.

In the latter innings, a must visit are the bullpens in left field. Access to this area is only down steps from the main concourse in left and center field. The bullpens are near field level and provide you as close a glimpse as you will ever get to a major league fireballer, even closer than seats behind home plate. Both the home and visiting bullpen are end to end with the visitor's warm-up area closest to the left field foulpole.

Behind center field and just a short stroll from these bullpens is an area honoring the team's rich pitching history since their inception in 1976.

In the main concourse behind sections 133 - 138 and off the beaten path is the Seattle Baseball Hall of Fame. Just about any significant artifact from minor and major league baseball is here.

There is also an area where you can see what it is like to jump and catch a long fly ball right before it exits the playing field and over the outfield wall. Gloves, attached balls and the padded wall are all included for your photo-taking pleasure.

In only thirty-four seasons, the Mariners have enjoyed four major logo and color scheme makeovers all of which are available in some souvenir or clothing form somewhere in the stadium for you to take home.

Did you go to the right stadium? The beer selection is far from limited. In fact, of the 15 or sta

Did you go to the right stadium?
The beer selection is far from limited. In fact, of the 15 or stadiums I've been to, I think Safeco has the most different and interesting beer options I've seen.

I believe the centerfield stand alone has about a dozen taps, and many of the isolated kiosks offer unique options (including some from very small breweries like Lazy Boy, Elysian and Hale's)

Certainly many of the main concession stands sell the requisite Coors/Bud/Miller, but most have a microbrew alternate and in most cases it's either local or at least NW.

This incredibly false statement clouds my opinion of the entire review.

by BigGreenFrank | Apr 20, 2010 12:01 PM

No stadium lot?? Are you blind? Did you miss the 6 floor parking garage that has a sky bridge to th

No stadium lot?? Are you blind? Did you miss the 6 floor parking garage that has a sky bridge to the stadium?

Also you say "The beer selection is limited, with only a few non-macro options, and no local options to speak of." There are many local brews available at the game. How did you miss the specialty beer stands seemingly every few feet on the main level?

by ace71 | Apr 20, 2010 12:04 PM

1. The beer selection section is especially damning. I\'ve never been to a stadium with a better l

1. The beer selection section is especially damning. I've never been to a stadium with a better local beer selection. I have seen plenty of stadiums with pathetic selections, but Safeco is certainly not one of them.

2. There is a giant parking lot that you should have noticed. I do agree that parking is still a problem if you drive to the game, but to say there is no parking is not accurate.

3. I agree that there has been some lame cracking down on fun things like Yankees suck and stuff like that, but I don't see how this could be in evidence on a night with a passive 20,000 person crowd.

by Donkey | Apr 20, 2010 01:01 PM

Thanks for the comments about the parking. After looking into it, we have updated the \"Access secti

Thanks for the comments about the parking. After looking into it, we have updated the "Access section" regarding the parking options.

by paul | Apr 20, 2010 01:46 PM

I\'m a lifelong Chicagoan and recent transplant to Seattle. As a diehard White Sox fan, I think the

I'm a lifelong Chicagoan and recent transplant to Seattle. As a diehard White Sox fan, I think the Seattle fans - specifically for the Mariners - can be a bit anemic. I dare say that they're the opposite of Cubs fans. Your typical bleacher bum is loud and obnoxious with limited baseball knowledge. Mariners fans seem to sit on their hands for the entire game but are rather knowledgeable about the sport.

As a vegetarian I was pleased that they've added a stand (The Natural) that serves only vegetarian food! The best part is theres hardly ever a line for it. Aside from that, I've heard that there are some new items at the ballpark like prime rib nachos! The beer selection is better than average, you just need to know where to look.

If you get down to Safeco early theres a few bars to pre-game at but, as far as I know, there is no tailgating allowed in the parking lot.

I live near the stadium and have never dealt with parking but I don't think it's a major issue; traffic on the other hand is! If you're coming from East of Mercer Island leave plenty early as I90 is gridlocked on game day. I'm assuming 520 & I5 suffer as well, but haven't experienced that firsthand yet.

by Carpenter | Apr 22, 2010 10:03 AM

Here to echo my sentiments about a couple of things. Beer Selection In now way does Alex know wh

Here to echo my sentiments about a couple of things.

Beer Selection
In now way does Alex know what he is talking about. Multiple brews from Pyramid, Hale's, Georgetown, DeChuttes, Widmer, New Belgium ect. are available. (3 of the breweries I mentioned are local and the 2 others are from Oregon)

Access
Who parks at the stadium for $20-$40 buck a pop? Morons thats who!! Find a bus, or park in Pioneer Square somewhere (the 5 block walk is going to kill you?), or park in one of the many "event parking" lots that are littered around the stadium (usually around $10).

by John | Apr 27, 2010 10:38 AM

I love Safeco, and I love the M\'s, but one thing is for sure, the return on investment is minimal.

I love Safeco, and I love the M's, but one thing is for sure, the return on investment is minimal. Good tickets are going to run you $40 as a charter seat holder, $58 at the door.

With beers approaching $8-9ea, you can't afford to have food with your drink. A family of 4 trying to have the good 'ol fashion baseball experience can count on spending easily $300 between 4 decent tickets, 1 drink each, 1 meal each (say burger and fries?) and parking (which the stadium parking IS excellent for it's SUPER easy to park, SUPER easy to leave).

Want an officially licensed MLB souveniour? maybe a jersey for each member of the family? You're in $500+ for one game.

All this so a guy can make $20,000,0000 - $50,000,000 (possibly Puhols next contract?) per year playing baseball. Best game on earth, but prices of salaries and prices at the ball park are an insult to the game and the people who love it.

by Dustin07 | May 03, 2010 07:50 AM

DONT PARK AT THE SAFECO PARKING GARAGE !!!!!

We parked at the Safeco parking garage immediately across the street from the ballfield. We came out to find our car had been vandalized during the event. We contacted Malcom who is in charge of Seattle Mariners Parking and he said this is a regular event, but the Mariners refuse to help the people it happens to. They have attendants to take your $$$, but then they leave and the garage is left for car prowling and vandalizing !!!!!!

by markwsea | Dec 21, 2010 06:12 AM

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