When was safeco field opened

Dimensions: Left field foul pole: ft. S eattle's new ballpark for the Mariners was built to resemble the great ballparks of yesteryear. It is open-air and has real grass. It also features a retractable roof that covers the ballpark, but does not enclose it. Safeco Field was inspired by popular retro-style ballparks built earlier in the s in Baltimore, Cleveland, and Denver.

It combined nostalgic touches such as a red brick exterior and hand-operated scoreboard with modern touches such as restaurants, wide concourses, and a giant video screen in centerfield. When the gates opened on July 15, , more than 40, saw the Seattle Symphony Orchestra play "Thus Sprach Zarathustra," the theme from the movie Space Odyssey, while the roof silently and majestically rolled opened.

Play-by-play broadcaster Dave Niehaus b. The reaction was mostly oohs and ahs. Fans could see downtown Seattle over the left field wall, and Elliott Bay and the Olympic Mountains from the terrace atop the leftfield grandstand. Besides the traditional hot dogs, they could eat food ranging from full sit-down dinners to sushi, clam chowder, and fruit kabobs.

And unlike the Kingdome, there were enough restrooms to handle a capacity crowd. The upgrade was dramatic. The long-sought ballpark quickly proved its value. Attendance for its first two seasons topped 6. Some of that payback was driven by the action on the field, but a good share could be attributed to the sheer attractiveness of the ballpark.

Click here to read the full essay on historylink. A; O. In response, the Seattle Mariners 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.

Construction officially began on March 8 , with a groundbreaking ceremony featuring Mariners star Ken Griffey, Jr. The naming rights to the stadium were sold to the Seattle-based insurance company Safeco. Construction continued until July The first game was played on July 15 , against the San Diego Padres.

Safeco Field has a unique retracting roof that, rather than fully enclose the stadium as the roof of stadiums like Bank One Ballpark and Minute Maid Park do, only acts as an umbrella for the stands and field. Here is the guide to everything you need to know about Safeco Field for your next visit. Safeco Field gates open two to two and a half hours before the first pitch.

The Pen, which is out in center field, opens up 2. Check out the T-Mobile Park food guide before your next visit! Check out the Mariners parking guide if you plan to drive to the game. If you are looking for Lumen Field Parking , you can visit that link. The Mariners are a major league baseball team in the American League West division.