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Home > Baseball > MLB Stadiums > Safeco Field
Safeco Field
For more than two decades the Seattle Mariners played at the very dull Kingdome. However in 1999 the Mariners moved into one of baseball's premier ballparks, Safeco Field. By the time the 1990s arrived, the Kingdome became a terrible venue for the Seattle Mariners. Many individuals and organizations began working to get the Mariners a new ballpark. After several years of negotiations, the team decided to build a new ballpark. It has a brick facade, natural grass, and a retractable roof. Safeco Corporation bought the naming to the ballpark in 1997 giving its name, Safeco Field.
A capacity crowd filled Safeco Field on its opening day, July 15, 1999. Three levels of seating extend from the left field foul pole to home plate around to the right field foul pole and into right-centerfield. Bleacher seats and a message or scoreboard are located above the bullpens in left field. The retractable roof covers the entire ballpark but does not enclose it, giving it an open air feel. When open the roof sits above and behind the right field seats. The structure covers nearly 9 acres, weighs 22 million pounds and contains enough steel to build a skyscraper 55 stories tall. The three movable panels glide on 128 steel wheels powered by 96 ten horsepower electric motors. A push of a button closes or opens the roof in an average of 10-20 minutes.
Safeco Field offers a number of exciting areas for fans. The Bullpen Market located behind left field features interactive games and activities for fans, including the Fan Walk personalized bricks, local food vendors, an open pit barbecue, and one of the best views of the game from behind the centerfield fence. Lookout Landing at the end of the left field line on the upper deck provides hard to believe views both inside and outside the ballpark. The Outside Corner Picnic Patio, directly above the Home Plate Gate entrance, is a gathering location that provides fans with breathtaking views over Puget Sound, as well as tables and benches for picnic lunches. Children’s Hospital Playfield, located on the main concourse in center field, lets kids work off surplus energy on fun, baseball-theme playground equipment. Since its opening Safeco Field has become a pitchers park and the team has had success in winning 116 games in 2001.
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