Seattle Mariners

---

Wednesday
August 26th
Seattle Mariners
While Jane provided assistance to Karen in her primary pastime shopping, Maya and I went to Safeco Field to watch a Seattle Mariners baseball game. Tonight Seattle is playing the Oakland Athletics. This clean modern park was the antithesis of our home field Fenway Park. Access to the park was easy and we were able to get van transportation from our downtown hotel to the park for $10 round trip for the two of us. Automobile parking was right outside the park and was only $7 not the $50 that’s common at Fenway. Our tickets were $45 for excellent seats at the “Terrace” and the ushers and personal were very helpful to Maya and myself. Our seating usher when he found out it was our first visit to the park told us all about the park and the 100 level with its complete walk around. He told us where to go for great views such as Mt. Rainer and how to get right outside the bull pin. He was a great help. Of the nine major league baseball parks I’ve visited, food at the Safeco was clearly the best. Maya, a vegetarian was able to get a personal meal cooked by a chef for $10. He stir-fried her selection of pasta and fresh vegetables right there in a wok. This would have been a great meal anywhere but at a ballpark it was quite unusual. Unfortunately the people of Seattle don’t aggressively support their baseball team. Tonight over half the seats on this clear warm night were empty. The game, the reason we were here was exciting and the Mariners beat Oakland, with a score of 5 to 3. Nomar Garcia Para who now plays for Oakland struck out in the ninth for a Mariner win. One more professional ball field checked off my bucket list.
One interesting side note: The park has a giant sliding roof that they close when rains. This rounded shell of a roof is built over the very active railroad yard. Mile log trains that service the harbor passed under the roof throughout the game. Each time a train passes under the roof it blasts it’s horn and the sound of the train just rumbles though the stadium. This certainly provided a unique dimension to the game.

---

Photos

Seattle MARINERS 1
Maya & Syl

Seattle MARINERS 4
Maya's great meal

Seattle MARINERS 5
The roof

Seattle MARINERS 6
Train passing under roof