The promotions schedule for the 2015 season has been announced with several great giveaways planned for fans.

• Beard Hat Night (April 17) – first 20,000 fans
• King Felix Bobblehead Night (April 18) – first 20,000 fans 
• Hisashi Iwakuma Bear Hat Night (April 24) – first 20,000 fans – This sweet hat celebrates Hisashi’s nickname “Kuma,” meaning “bear” in Japanese.
• Fernando Rodney Bobblehead Night (May 9) – first 20,000 fans 
• Mariners Fedora Hat Night (May 15) – first 20,000 fans
• Nelson Cruz Bat Night (May 30) – all kids 14 & under
• Kyle Seager Bobblehead Night (June 2) – first 20,000 fans
• Nelson Cruz Bobblehead Night (July 11) – first 20,000 fans
• Jamie Moyer Mariners Hall of Fame & Bobblehead Day (August 8) – first 20,000 fans
• Robinson Cano Bobblehead Night (August 22) – first 20,000 fans

In addition, there will be four themed post-game fireworks nights:

• May 29 vs. Cleveland: I Love the ‘90s
• June 19 vs. Houston: Star Wars
• July 24 vs. Toronto: Sing Along
• August 21 vs. Chicago White Sox: Songs of Summer as voted on by fans

Several ticket specials that have become popular in recent seasons will also return in 2015  including, Family Nights and Packs, Military and Senior Specials, College Nights and King’s Court games.

Opening Day Tickets Pre-Sale

Tickets for Mariners Opening Day on April 6, against the Los Angeles Angels, will be available during a special pre-sale leading up to and during FanFest. There is a limit of eight tickets per account.

• Mariners season ticket holders — 12 pm, Thursday, January, 22 (online only)
• Mariners Mail subscribers, Mariners social media followers, Ticketmaster subscribers — 12pm, Friday, January 23 (online only)
• All fans – 10am, Saturday, January 24 until 11:59 p.m., Monday, January 26. (Safeco Field box office, Mariners Team Stores and mariners.com/tickets)

Opening Day tickets will be available again starting Saturday, March 7, when Mariners 2015 single-game tickets go on sale to the public.

Here is the full promo schedule (subject to changes):

This Saturday, the clocks at Safeco Field will be turned back to 1979, when the Seattle Mariners host the Houston Astros at 7:10 pm.

As with most of baseball’s Turn Back the Clock promotions, the emphasis will be on the teams wearing their throwback uniforms.  The Mariners, who were in their third season in 1979, will wear their original uniforms.  The Astros will wear their famous “rainbow” jerseys.  It will be a fun night in the ballpark.

The 1979 Mariners were led offensively by Willie Horton (29 home runs, 106 RBIs) who was the American League Designated Hitter of the Year, and Bruce Bochte (.316, 100 RBIs) who singled in the All-Star Game that was played at the Kingdome.  The Mariners finished in sixth place in the AL West under Manager Darrell Johnson.

The 1979 Astros were all about pitching, led by J.R. Richard (18-13, 2.71 ERA, 292 innings pitched, 313 strikeouts) and Joe Niekro (21-11, 263 innings).  The Astros finished in second place in the N.L. West under Manager Bill Virdon, just 1-1/2 games behind the Cincinnati Reds.

A Tale of Two Ballparks:

The Mariners and the Astros both played in domed stadiums in 1979.  But the similarities ended there.

The Kingdome was a home run paradise, especially in the early years of Mariners Baseball.  In 1979, the Mariners (88) and their opponents (94) belted 182 home runs, the most of any ballpark in Major League Baseball.

In contrast, the Astrodome in Houston yielded the fewest roundtrippers in all of the Major Leagues, 46.  The Astros hit just 15 of those 46 homers.

1979 All-Star Game in Seattle:

Baseball’s 50^th All-Star Game was played at the Kingdome on July 17, 1979.  The National League won the game 7-6 as Pirates’ right fielder Dave Parker earned the MVP Award on the strength of throwing out two baserunners, including what would have been the go-ahead run at the plate in the eighth inning to keep the score tied at 6-6. A crowd of 58,905 filled the Kingdome, which stood as the record Seattle baseball crowd until the 1997 ALDS. Here are some highlights from the Midsummer Classic played in Seattle:

• Mariners first baseman Bruce Bochte was named to the A.L. team.  After receiving a long standing ovation during pregame introductions, he hit a pinch RBI single in the sixth inning and remained in the game.  That was the first hit and RBI by a Mariners player in All-Star history.
• There was a star-studded cast in this game.  A total of 15 All-Stars were eventually inducted in the baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, as were both managers (Tommy Lasorda of the NL, Bob Lemon of the AL).
• National League (9): Joe Morgan, Gaylord Perry, Mike Schmidt, Dave Winfield, Gary Carter, Steve Carlton, Lou Brock, Bruce Sutter, Johnny Bench (Pete Rose also played in this game)
• American League (6): George Brett, Jim Rice, Carl Yastrzemski, Nolan Ryan, Rod Carew, Reggie Jackson

A Fun Night at Safeco Field:

•  The first 20,000 fans will receive a poster featuring Mike Zunino and Brad Miller doing their best to look like Starsky & Hutch.
• Lenny Wilkens, legendary coach of the 1979 World Champion Seattle Sonics, will throw out the ceremonial first pitch.
• A costume contest will take place in The ‘Pen, and throughout the evening we’ll celebrate the sights and sounds of the ‘70s.

 

If you have been longing to get in on the hipster trend of wearing a beard but can’t quite manage it, the Mariners have a solution. A handy app that lets you “Put a Beard On It.”

Friday, when the Mariners take on the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, we’ll give out knitted beard caps to the first 20,000 fans. (Recently called the “Giveaway of the Year” by the Bleacher Report.)

Until then, you can use this link to upload a photo from Facebook or your desktop and add a Mariners beard hat to it.

You can share it on Twitter and if you use the hashtag #PutABeardOnIt, you could win a trip to the MLB Fan Cave to watch the Mariners in New York. The contest ends on April 25.

Tickets to Beard Hat Night on Friday, April 26 are available here.

We’re celebrating last Friday’s historic combined 6-man no-hitter this Thursday at Safeco Field. In honor of the rare achievement, several View Level sections for Thursday’s game vs. the Padres (7:10 pm) will be available for just $6. Visit Mariners.com for all details on the special ticket offer to help celebrate the historic no-hitter.

Plus, all fans in attendance will receive the following commemorative poster:

A special edition Combined No-Hitter t-shirt is also available at the Safeco Field Team Store.  The t-shirt features all 6 pitchers stats from the game and are available in Adult $30 and Youth $24.

The Mariners announced today that Coors Light is the new “official” beer of the Seattle Mariners.

As part of the sponsorship The Rail Bar in The ‘Pen, presented by ROOT SPORTS™, will be rebranded the Coors Light Rail Bar and Coors Light will be the exclusive presenting sponsor of the ROOT SPORTS Mariners pregame program that originates from The ‘Pen before every Mariners home game.

As the Mariners official beer, Coors Light will be celebrating the Mariners 35^th Anniversary this summer with a series of pint glasses that will feature the likenesses of Mariners legends Jay Buhner, Edgar Martinez and Ken Griffey Jr. The glasses will be used in select pubs, bars and restaurants throughout the Pacific Northwest for a limited time.

 

– RH