| Safeco Field | |
|---|---|
| Location | 1516 First Avenue South Seattle, Washington 98134 |
| Broke ground | March 8, 1997 |
| Opened | July 15, 1999 |
| Owner | Washington-King County Stadium Authority |
| Operator | Seattle Mariners |
| Surface | Kentucky Bluegrass / Perennial Ryegrass blend |
| Construction cost | $ 517.6 million ($682 million in 2012 dollars[1]) |
| Architect | NBBJ 360 Architecture |
| Project Manager | Hunt-Kiewit[2] |
| Structural engineer | Stephen Tipping + Associates[3] |
| General Contractor | Skilling Ward Magnusson Barkshire[2] |
| Main contractors | The Erection Company Inc.[2] |
| Capacity | Baseball: 47,878 with standing room Football: 30,144 |
| Record attendance | 54,097 Wrestlemania XIX |
| Field dimensions | Left Field - 331ft / 101m Left-Center - 390ft / 119m Center Field - 405ft / 123m Right-Center - 385ft / 118m Right Field - 326ft / 99m |
| Tenants | |
| Seattle Mariners (MLB) (1999–present) Seattle Bowl (NCAA) (2001) WrestleMania XIX (WWE) (2003) |
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Safeco Field (originally rendered SAFECO Field and sometimes referred to as Safeco) is a retractable roof baseball stadium located in Seattle, Washington. The stadium, owned and operated by the Washington-King County Stadium Authority, is the home stadium of the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball (MLB) and has a seating capacity of 47,878 for baseball. It is located in Seattle's SoDo neighborhood near the western terminus of Interstate 90.
During the 1990s, the suitability of the Mariners' previous stadium—the Kingdome—as an MLB facility came under doubt, and the team's ownership group threatened to relocate the team. In September 1995, King County voters defeated a ballot measure to secure public funding for a new baseball stadium. Shortly thereafter, the Mariners' first appearance in the MLB postseason and their victory in the 1995 American League Division Series (ALDS) renewed a public desire to keep the team in town. As a result, the Washington State Legislature approved an alternate means of funding for the stadium with public money. The site for the stadium—just south of the Kingdome—was selected in September 1996, and construction began in March 1997. Construction lasted until July 1999, and the stadium hosted its first game on July 15, 1999.
Aside from the Mariners, Safeco Field is also used for amateur baseball events including the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association high school state championships and one Washington Huskies baseball game per season. Major non-baseball events that have been held at Safeco Field include the 2001 college football Seattle Bowl and WWE WrestleMania XIX, which set Safeco Field's attendance record of 54,097 in 2003.[4] It is also used for major corporate, political, and other events, as well as smaller events such as weddings.
Naming rights to the stadium are owned by Seattle-based Safeco Insurance. Safeco reportedly paid US$40 million to have its name on the stadium for 20 years.
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Safeco Field is located in the SoDo district of downtown Seattle, bounded by Dave Niehaus Way South (a block of First Avenue S.) to the west, and Edgar Martínez Drive S. (formerly S. Atlantic Street)[5] to the south, S. Royal Brougham Way to the north, and BNSF railroad tracks to the east. The stadium is located near the western terminus of Interstate 90. The attached map is in error, I-90 terminates at 4th Ave. South, NOT Airport Way/Dearborn.
Parking is available at the stadium's parking garage located across Edgar Martínez Drive, the CenturyLink Field garage to the North, as well as other privately operated lots in the area. Public transportation is available along the arterial streets surrounding the stadium. Additionally, the stadium is convenient to Sounder commuter rail service at nearby King Street Station. The Metro shuttle service was suspended in 2009 due to a new Federal Transit Administration (FTA) rule.[6] Safeco Field is also served by Sound Transit's Central Link light rail line and local Metro bus routes via the nearby Stadium Station.
On March 30, 1994, King County executive Gary Locke appointed a task force to assess the need for a new baseball stadium to replace the rapidly-deteriorating Kingdome. Many feared that the Mariners would leave Seattle if a new stadium was not built. In January 1995, the 28-member task force recommended to the King County Council that the public should be involved in the financing of the stadium. The task force concluded that a sales tax increase of .01% would be sufficient to fund the stadium. King County held a special election in September 1995, asking the public for this sales tax increase. The measure was narrowly defeated.
On the baseball field that same month, the Mariners mounted a late-season comeback after being as many as 13 games out of first place and won their first American League West division title after winning a one-game tiebreaker against the California Angels. They went on to defeat the New York Yankees in the American League Division Series, a series that was clinched on a memorable 11th inning double by Edgar Martínez. Despite the Mariners' subsequent loss to the Cleveland Indians in the American League Championship Series, the late-season comeback and postseason run renewed the public's interest in keeping the team in Seattle. In particular, Martinez' double is known in Seattle today simply as "The Double" (à la Willie Mays' "The Catch") and is regarded by many as having "saved baseball in Seattle".
On September 9, 1996, the site was selected for the new stadium, just south of the Kingdome. In late fall, several members of the King County Council wrote a letter to the Seattle Mariners, stating that officials consider postponing construction and the opening of the (then projected) $384.5-million stadium project.[7] In response, Mariners ownership held a news conference stating that they would either sell the team, or move the team from Seattle. After a public outcry, the King County Council voted to reaffirm their cooperation with the Mariners in building a new stadium. Mariners ownership contributed $145 million to cover cost overruns.
Construction officially began on March 8, 1997 with a groundbreaking ceremony featuring Mariners star Ken Griffey, Jr. The construction continued until July 1999. The first game in the new stadium was played on July 15, 1999 against the San Diego Padres. The Padres won 3-2.
Before the stadium was initially christened, the naming rights to the stadium were sold for advertising. Seattle-based Safeco insurance company paid $40 million for the naming rights for the ballpark's first 20 years. However, the acquisition of the Safeco company by Boston-based Liberty Mutual Group has opened the distant possibility that the name could be changed before the contract expires in 2019. However, experts speculate this will only happen if Liberty Mutual retires the Safeco name during that time.[8]
When Ken Griffey, Jr., returned to Safeco in 2007 with the Cincinnati Reds, he came to a hero's welcome, receiving gifts from the Mariners organization, and fellow former players Jay Buhner and Edgar Martínez. They unveiled a new poster that declared Safeco Field "The House That Griffey Built." The series was also noteworthy for the beginning of the Rally Fries tradition at Mariners games.
Like most ballparks built from the 1990s onward, Safeco Field is a 'retro-modern' style ballpark that incorporates many of the features of ballparks built in the 1950s and earlier with modern amenities. In contrast with the Kingdome and the other multi-purpose stadiums built primarily during the 1960s and 1970s, Safeco Field features a brick façade, an asymmetrical field dimension, a natural grass field, spectator sightlines more suited for baseball, and is surrounded by city streets, a railroad line, and buildings. On a modern note, the ballpark features a retractable roof, luxury suites, extensive food and beverage selection beyond traditional ballpark fare, and modern clubhouse amenities for players, as well as technology that allows spectators to monitor special game-time features with Nintendo DS receivers, and is fully ADA-accessible.
Unlike the Kingdome, whose small dimensions gave it a reputation as a hitter's park, Safeco Field has a reputation for being very friendly to pitchers.
The stadium has four main gates open to all ticket holders during Mariners games, located at the southwest, northwest, northeast, and southeast corners. These are identified as Home Plate, Left Field, Center Field, and Right Field, respectively. Entry to all ticket holders is also available through the Mariners Team Store off First Avenue. Special entrances for media and holders of certain ticket levels are located on the southwest and south sides of the stadium.
There are five main levels to the stadium: Field (or Street), Main Concourse (100 level - about 22,000 seats), Club Level (200 level - about 4,600 seats), Suite Level (about 1,700 seats), and Upper Concourse (300 level - about 16,000 seats). Two bleacher sections are located above left field and below the center field scoreboard, each with about 1,800 seats. The Broadcast Center (press box) is located on the Club Level and sub-level between it and the Suites Level. As the field is approximately at street level, entry into any of the main gates requires visitors to ascend a flight of stairs, escalator, or elevator to access the main concourse, with the exception of Right Field, which opens onto the main concourse. Stairs, escalators, elevators, and ramps located around the ballpark provide access to all levels.[9]
Safeco Field has an extensive food and beverage selection above and beyond the traditional ballpark fare of hot dogs, pizza, soda, and beer. Concession stands selling traditional ballpark fare are plentiful on the main and upper concourses. Food courts behind home plate on the main concourse, as well as in the "The 'Pen" (known as the Bullpen Market prior to a major 2011 remodel) located on the street level inside the Center Field gate, sell items such as sushi (including the "Ichiroll"), burritos, teriyaki, stir-fries, pad thai, garlic fries, crepes, health food, seafood, and barbecue. An extensive selection of beer can also be found in those locations, as well as a location on the upper concourse.
Several restaurants and food services are available exclusively for fans purchasing certain ticket levels:
Safeco Field has a unique retractable roof that only acts as an "umbrella" for the stands and field rather than forming a complete climate-controlled enclosure, as is the case with all other retractable roofs in Major League Baseball. Seattle's relatively mild climate means the park rarely needs to be heated or cooled, but frequent precipitation necessitated a roof. The roof is sometimes closed however in dry weather when the temperature is particularly low. Because heat rises, closing the roof can help a bit in making the stadium warmer, though not by much. The only other covered baseball stadium in the world with permanent openings is the fixed-roof Seibu Dome in Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan, home of the Saitama Seibu Lions.
In the open position, the roof rests over the BNSF Railway tracks that bound the stadium to the east, with part of it hanging over the stands in right field. This has the effect of echoing the horns from passing trains into the stadium, a frequent occurrence due to a working passenger train station and rail yards nearby. Consequently, train horns have become a fixture of the Safeco Field experience, for spectators and players alike.
The roof consists of three major sections that extend into the closed position in a telescoping manner, with the two outer sections resting under the larger center section. Each section rests on a set of parallel tracks located on the north and south sides of the stadium, with the outer sections moving along the inner set of tracks, and the center section moving along the outer set. Each section is structurally independent; i.e., no section depends on another for structural stability. "Welcome to Safeco Field, Seattle" is painted on top of the center section, visible from aircraft whether the roof is open or closed. A lighted "Safeco Field" sign was added to the east side of the roof in 2007, which aids in identification of the stadium from the freeways to the east.
Each section is independently powered by electric motors that move the respective sections along the tracks. It is controlled from a central control room located under the center field scoreboard. Depending on wind and weather conditions, the roof takes approximately 10 minutes to move from the fully open to the fully closed position, and vice-versa. The roof movement is nearly silent, blending in with the ambient noise typically present during a game. During normal operation, the movement of each section is governed by computers, with all three sections moving at the same time. During an emergency or maintenance operation, each section can be independently moved. A working spare motor and wheel assembly for the roof can be found inside the center field gate. In its present state, it serves to educate visitors on how the roof operates, but if needed, it can be used to replace a similar part on the roof should one become damaged or defective.
Batted ball striking the roof or roof trusses:
Movement of the roof:
Safeco Field features a manual scoreboard, a light emitting diode (LED) video display from Daktronics, a main incandescent monochromatic matrix board, a color LED out-of-town scoreboard, and LED ribbon boards along the First, Third, and Hit It Here Cafe Facade.[12][13]
Pitcher record and pitcher-hitter match-up data is usually displayed near the Hit It Here Cafe. Additionally, television screens showing the local telecast of the game hang from the bottom of the Terrace Club level, for spectators seated in the last several rows of the main concourse seating areas, as well as those standing on the main concourse. Though fans in these areas have a full view of the field, their view of the scoreboards is obstructed by the overhang of the Terrace Club level. These screens display the content shown on the video board between innings or when the telecast is on a commercial break.
Safeco Field and its adjoining parking garage feature extensive public art displays, including:
The Baseball Museum of the Pacific Northwest pays homage to now-defunct professional baseball teams that played in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and British Columbia before the establishment of the Mariners in 1977. Additionally, it features hands-on displays explaining the composition of baseballs and bats, and the different types of gloves, as well as a replica outfield fence with props to allow fans to photograph themselves pretending to be outfielders.
Co-located with the Baseball Museum of the Pacific Northwest, the Mariners Hall of Fame features bronze plaques of the four inducted members (Jay Buhner, Alvin Davis, Edgar Martínez, and broadcaster Dave Niehaus). Those plaques describe their contributions to the franchise, as well as murals and television screens showing highlights of their careers with the Mariners.
A bronze statue [14] of late Seattle Mariners broadcaster Dave Niehaus was unveiled Friday September 16th, 2011 at Safeco Field. The statue captures the Hall of Fame broadcaster who broadcast 5,284 Mariners games over 34 seasons (1977–2010)[15][16] at a desk, behind a microphone, wearing headphones with his Mariners scorebook in front of him. There is an empty seat next to the statue, so fans can sit next to Dave and pose for photos. Dave's longtime broadcast partner Rick Rizzs presided over a private ceremony to unveil the statue. Dave is wearing a favorite necktie with tiny baseballs on it and a sport coat. He's holding a pencil in his right hand and wearing the 2001 All-Star Game ring on his left. The scorebook in front of him is open to the 1995 American League Division Series game against the New York Yankees. The scorebook is so detailed, you even see the word "Unbelievable" scribbled -- and misspelled -- at the top in Dave's handwriting. One person in attendance said Dave often misspelled the word because he was writing so fast. "That's unreal," said former Mariner Jay Buhner as he looked at the artistry. That game was won when Edgar Martinez hit a double down the left field line and Ken Griffey Jr. slid into home. The pages are engraved with Dave’s actual notes and scoring of the game. Artist Lou Cella looked at dozens of photos before creating the piece, which was first sculpted in clay, then cast in bronze. The statue is located on the Main Concourse near Section 105 in right centerfield.
The Dave Niehaus Broadcast Center is located on the Club Level behind home plate. When Niehaus died, his headset and microphone were placed by his empty seat in the Broadcast Center as a tribute.[17]
The flagship Mariners Team Store is located on the west side of the stadium. The first level of the store, on the street level, sells a comprehensive assortment of Mariners merchandise, while the upper level, on the main concourse, displays game-used items for sale, as well as a custom jersey embroidery station. Other stores include the Kids' Clubhouse at the northeast corner on the main concourse, a walk-in store at the southwest corner on the upper concourse, and kiosks throughout the ballpark.
Children's Hospital Playfield is a playground for children located at the northeast corner of the stadium on the main concourse. Also located in this area is "Moose's Munchies", a concession stand selling ballpark fare in child-sized portions.
The Moose Den, located on the main concourse near the Children's Hospital Playfield, is a meet-and-greet area for the Mariner Moose, the team's mascot.
An analog clock is integrated into the Mariners' compass rose logo above the left field bleachers.
Safeco Field also gives walking tours of the stadium for a small fee. Departing from the main Team Store, the tour includes information about the stadium not generally provided at games, as well as entry into areas not open to the general public during games, including the visitors' clubhouse, playing field and dugouts, Dave Niehaus Broadcast Center (press box), and a luxury suite.
| Events and tenants | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by The Kingdome |
Home of the Seattle Mariners 1999 – present |
Succeeded by current |
| Preceded by Turner Field |
Host of the All-Star Game 2001 |
Succeeded by Miller Park |
| Preceded by SkyDome |
Host of WrestleMania XIX 2003 |
Succeeded by Madison Square Garden |
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