A night at Safeco for my first Mariners game
Yesterday I mentioned that my wife and I were heading to Safeco Field for our first Mariners game. We made it, and it was really fun. The baseball wasn’t the most brilliant (more on that later), but overall it was a great experience.
I work about 3 blocks away from Safeco, so my wife (Mollie) picked me up from work and we just walked over to the park. I have been wanting an retro Mariners hat for awhile, actually since before we even thought of moving here. So as we made our way from the office, down the street filled with food and souvenir vendors setting up their tents, we stopped into a souvenir shop that looked at least reputable. I found the cap I was looking for and we were on our way. The smell of caramel corn was too alluring for us to pass up, and since you’re allowed to bring outside food into the ballpark we pulled the trigger on some corn.
It has long been one of my favorite things to do. The walk up into a baseball stadium, first you start to see the seats filling up, people milling about. But then, then the field (btw, I just got chills writing that) opens up. The grass is so green, and tightly manicured. The basepaths laid out so meticulously. It captures me every single time. I shared the love of this moment with my wife when I brought her to her first game. It was Miller Park in Milwaukee and Greg Maddux was going for number 299. She took to the tradition, and now we share the love of coming into a park and seeing the field.
Wednesday night was no different. In fact, because it was a new place, and now our baseball home, it was even more important that we do it right. That we experience it to the fullest. Our seats were in the upper deck on the third baseline. We could have entered the stadium from the left field entrance, but that would not have done the experience justice. We were compelled to enter through the home plate entrance, and give ourselves the grand tour. I think we made the right call. Upon entering we saw the baseball bat sculpture pictured above. I think it’s cool when elements such as a baseball bat can be beautifully used to create artwork (probably a discussion for a different blog). Anyway, there were these two kids (Mollie and me) that were just giddy as they entered the stadium a full hour and half before the first pitch. We were there so early that the Mariners were just finished BP, and the A’s were just prepping for it. The stadium was pretty empty, but that was perfect for us. We wanted to explore and see what this place was all about.
We sat down about 15 rows behind home plate. Thanks to whomever those seats belonged to, we borrowed them to settle into Safeco, and chow on a little caramel corn. We looked around and saw the field, and the architecture, the players on the field taking BP, and grounders, and just goofing off.
After we snacked and settled, we decided we would take a stroll and look around. We walked along the main concourse seeing all of the vendors selling their gear. I have to say that the amount of different food smells I got was pretty amazing. There was Asian food, BBQ, pizza, and of course hot dogs. But the smell that permeated the most was that of garlic fries. I guess that is something that Safeco is known for. Before we decided on what to have for dinner we needed a beer. Another great thing about Safeco is that the beer vendors offer a better selection than your typical ballpark. The regulars are there of course, your Bud and Bud light. Actually, I’m not sure if it was a Bud or a Miller kind of place, and quite frankly I couldn’t care less. What I did care about was that they offered a bevy of regional micro brews for our drinking pleasure. Mollie and I both settled on a Manny’s Pale Ale (a Seattle original). After that we climbed up to the upper deck, found our seats and decided on some grub. We wanted to stay traditional (especially on our first visit). If you can get the standard fare down, I can trust you with the other stuff. So beer, hot dogs, and garlic fries it was for us. We sat down, watched the teams warm up, and enjoyed our meal.
Then the game started. Ugh. As, I think, we all know, the Mariners are not a good baseball team. Of course they won their first two games against a team that they struggled against last year. Good for them. On Wednesday, they got their asses handed to them. I don’t know if it was Rich Harden just dealing it or if the Mariners just can’t hit a round ball with a round stick? They managed to get 3 hits all game. They did grab 4 walks (hey I’m looking for the good stuff too) for a total of 7 baserunners… all game. Even if all of them scored they couldn’t have matched the run production that Miguel Batista allowed. He got pounded early and often. I know he’s a number 3 starter, but he’s not a good number 3 starter. I watched the game last Friday he pitched against the Cubs, and he looked just as lost then.
I think the most disappointing thing about the team was their plate discipline. Trust me when I talk about bad plate discipline, I’m a Cubs fan. They weren’t taking the first pitch, they were swinging from their heels, and over their heads. They looked silly. Adrian Beltre in particular. It looked like he had no business being in an MLB batters box. I’m not sure if anyone remembers how Aramis Ramirez started off last year after Derrek Lee broke his wrist. Well, it was bad. And that is what Beltre looked like.
3 games does not a season make, but the Mariners definitely need to get it together with their bats.
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