We have new neighbors down here in SoDo. We’re excited to have KING 5 News join us right across the street at the intersection that is the namesake of this blog–Dave Niehaus Way and Edgar Martinez Drive.

This is their first week broadcasting from a new state-of-the-art studio, so we thought we’d drop by and say hello:

Their new home features a 360-degree set, a first-of-its kind Microsoft Surface Hub, tens of thousands of LED lights, 16 satellite dishes and a lot more. It’s quite the setup.

Not only did the Mariner Moose make a cameo, our V.P. of Marketing, Kevin Martinez, joined Mark Wright to discuss the upcoming season.

 

Want a detailed rundown of the events going on at Safeco Field for the remainder of the homestand and future games? Well, we’ve got you covered. Hope to see you out at Safeco Field soon!

 

 

Bacon-wrapped hot dogs, Dungeness crab sandwich and fish tacos at Edgar’s…

Hungry baseball fans have a lot of new options at Safeco Field this season.

The Way Back Crab Shack in center field on the Main Level, will feature a grilled Dungeness crab sandwich and Pike Brewery beer on tap.

Edgar’s Cantina in left field is introducing fish tacos this season. There’s also an Edgar’s Cantina annex on the Terrace Club that will offer chicken, pork and beef tacos, bacon-wrapped hot dogs and red and white sangria and Zac margaritas on tap.

The Hit it Here Café over right field has an updated décor and a new menu, courtesy of consulting Chef Ethan Stowell. Stowell has brought a “Northwest fresh” theme to a selection of pub classics such as wings, burgers and a selection of flatbread pizzas including prosciutto and arugula, wild mushroom, and pepperoni.

For dessert, the Hit it Here features beer floats with Snoqualmie creamery ice cream and local craft beers.

Follow @SafecoFieldFoodie on Instagram for a closer look at all of the great food and beverages available at Safeco Field throughout the season.

The Mariners received an award on Saturday from Sustainable Seattle in recognition of our “commitment to raising the bar for sustainability in the Puget Sound region.”

The “Setting an Example” award was handed out during the Sustainability Leadership awards banquet in downtown Seattle.

Dennis McLerran, Environmental Protection Agency Regional administrator, commented on the Mariners award, “The Mariners reflect the green values of their city and fans as they set a national example for sustainable games. The sustainability practices the Mariner use at Safeco Field on a large scale – recycling, composting, installing efficient lights – are simple and impactful things fans can do at home.”

Since 2005, the Mariners sustainability practices have improved the recycling rate at Safeco Field from just 12% to over 90% today. We have twice been named American League Recycling champs, and are among the founding members of the Green Sports Alliance, a group of nearly 300 sports teams and venues dedicated to sustainable operations.

Just last week, we announced that Safeco Field is the first Major League ballpark to switch from outdated metal halide lights to LEDs to illuminate the playing field. This change will not only provide a better on-field experience for our players and for fans watching at the ballpark and at home, but will also reduce our energy consumption by 60%-70% percent.

Safeco Field will be the first Major League ballpark to light the playing field with LED lights.

LED are light emitting diodes. They produce brighter, more uniform light that is as close to daylight as a man-made fixture can be.

For the players, that means fewer shadows on the field and less glare. For fans in the stands, and those at home, especially if you’re watching on an HDTV, the lights will make everything will look crisper and more vibrant. Because the light is more evenly distributed across the spectrum, there’s no flicker, which is necessary for today’s super-slow motion replays.

MLB had a team of lighting experts at Safeco Field last week to check the levels at precise points on the field. In every location the new lights met or exceeded MLB requirements.

In addition to benefits for players and fans, the new lights are a lot more efficient than the old metal halide lights. They’ll reduce electricity consumption by 60%-70%, and each fixture should last 50 or more years (as opposed to three years for the old lights).

The project was a partnership between the Mariners, Planled (of Federal Way, WA) and KMW, Inc. of Korea.

Although Safeco Field will be the first MLB ballpark to go LED, there are a handful of pro sports facilities that have already made the move: Staples Center in Los Angeles; NRG Stadium in Houston; and University of Phoenix Stadium in Phoenix, where the Seahawks will play under LED lights at Super Bowl XLIX on February 1.

Ever wonder how many times the Mariners have played at Safeco Field with the roof open, closed, or even how many times the roof has moved during the course of a game?

Well, we’ve got you covered as we have recorded the date for all of the roof openings and closings during the history of Safeco Field dating back to the first game played on July 15, 1999 vs. the San Diego Padres.

Since the first game at Safeco Field, there have been 1,262 regular season games played, with the Mariners holding a record of 669-593 (.530) in those games.

The below graphic will show you the amount of times the retractable roof has been open during a game, closed for a game or moved to the closed position during a game. MLB rules state that the roof can only close during play once. If the game starts with the roof closed, it must remain that way for the entire game.

While Seattle is notoriously known for “always raining”, the roof has actually been open in 78% of games played (985 of 1262). It has been closed (or moved during a game) roughly 22% of the time. The record for most games played in the open air is 71 (out of 81 home games) in 2006 and 2012.

Here is a breakdown of the Mariners records by roof “position”:

Roof Open: 520-465 (.528) — 985 of 1262 games
Roof Closed: 91-82 (.526) — 173 of 1262 games
Roof Moves: 58-46 (.558) — 104 of 1262 games

And for those interested, here is a fun look at the Safeco Field roof closing, which takes 10-20 minutes depending on wind and other weather conditions.

Throughout the offseason we will be giving you a behind-the-scenes look at Safeco Field. To start with, we wanted to share with you the rebranding of the conference rooms at Safeco Field. The main goal is to celebrate our history and current team in a more dynamic way throughout our offices.

The rebranding of the conference rooms at Safeco Field is an effort to give these rooms that are utilized by front office staff, corporate partners and fans a fresh look. The rooms will celebrate the organization’s history as well as the current team.

The first room that received a new-look was the large conference room on the suite level of Safeco Field. This room is not only used by Mariners staff but it can be booked on a game day by fans looking for a bigger space to have a meeting or a pre-game gathering (more on booking an event). The room was rebranded the “Legends Room.”  It features all of the Mariners Hall of Famers as well as various photographs of Safeco Field.

Four other conference rooms will be rebranded this off-season. One will honor Ken Griffey Jr.  Another will pay tribute to “Mr. Mariner” Alvin Davis.  A third will salute the Mariners all-time hits leader Ichiro Suzuki. The fourth will celebrate the current team with images of Felix Hernandez, Robinson Cano, Kyle Seager, Hisashi Iwakuma and others.

All the work will be completed by the end of January 2015.

Here are some pictures of the Legends Room: