Big Weekend at the Safe!

Since we've been missing so many M's games this year (apparently our "boys of summer" are also taking the summer off!), I promised Gerry we could go to every game of this past home stand (for those scoring at home that was SIX GAMES!)  We had quite a bit of "scrip" accumulated (they put the money back into our account when we exchange our tix for future - this season only - use) so I thought it would make it much more enjoyable if we upgraded our tix to the "All Star Club" - fabulous suite seats with a full-buffet and really great parking all included in the package!

And though we didn't get to see much in the way of play (c'mon Kyle - "bobblehead" is a promotional giveaway, not a level of play!) on Friday night we did have an awesome front row view to some spectacular fireworks:



Saturday was pretty impressive (again not the game...we were shutout 10-0).  The pre-game festivities included (for the first time in a REALLY long time) a sell out crowd - all there to watch Ken Griffey, Jr. (in what is surely just a warm-up to Cooperstown) be inducted into the Mariner Hall of Fame.  It was quite the lovefest.

While we weren't the first to arrive...

...we weren't the last either.

We arrived by 3:30 pm (for a 6:10 supposed start) and the line for what will probably be the last Junior bobblehead until 2016 was already incredibly long!  Once the line started moving it was all incredibly efficient and orderly and we had plenty of time to collect our bobbleheads (for the grandsons), return them to the car, make our way back into the ballpark, find dinner and be in our seats for the the ceremonies began at 5:30 pm.

When finally introduced, Junior made his way, appropriately enough, in from centerfield - his number #24 painted on the grass.  Once last time he headed for home plate to be greeted by the entire Mariner Hall of Fame (Alvin Davis, Marilyn Niehaus - representing her husband, Dave Niehaus, Jay Buhner, Edgar Martinez, Randy Johnson and Dan Wilson) along with his wife, children and parents and Mariner management (Howard Lincoln, Chuck Armstrong and John Ellis).  All that was missing was Trey (Junior's oldest who was off playing football for the Arizona Wildcats but sent a video message) and Lou Piniella.












Watching the videos and listening to the tributes and Griffey's gracious and heart-felt thanks to everyone who contributed to his success - his parents, his family, his teammates, the front office, his agent and so many friends and fan - I was struck by a couple of thoughts:

• The visual of the entire Mariner dugout - so many of these kids not much older than Griffey was when he started in 1989 (Brad Miller our current short-stop was actually BORN the year Griffey was a rookie!) - all of them with their caps worn backward in homage to the man who was not only responsible for the SEATTLE Mariners (not the Tampa Bay Mariners instead) but a true legend of the game.

• How genuinely touched he was by the outpouring of affection from fans and teammates.  Tears came to his eyes when a video tribute from Ichiro was played.  They had become tremendous friends when given the chance to play together that last season in 2009.  And Griffey spoke eloquently and effusively when thanking absolutely everyone.

• And I couldn't help but think of another young man who came up with this organization.  All he ever, ever wanted was what Griffey always had - family, friends, fans and how these two lives could not have taken more divergent paths.  These two youngsters seemed so similar at the time and one couldn't help but feel the greatness that was before each of them.  Now one is a certain Hall of Famer, headed not only for Cooperstown but destined for a happy, wonderful life post baseball...the other most likely looking towards the bitter end of a once-promising career with his "achievements" now pock-marked with asterisks indicating a "less than honest" performance. 

But while the pre-game was certainly moving and a joy to witness, the top of the third inning turned out to be the only highlight of the game itself:

August 10, 2013, we celebrated our 33 1/3 wedding anniversary and while I've never seen it listed on the Hallmark website of suggested traditional wedding anniversary gifts, apparently the "modern" equivalent for reaching the one-third century mark is a notice on the GINORMOUS Mariner Vision screen.

[He's pretty sneaky that husband of mine.  I don't know which impressed me more - he arranged for this early in the season, he kept the secret, he remembered to look up at the screen at the appropriate time so he could record the memory!]

~later, tw

Opening Day 2013 at Home

The Mariners at their best (and it's apparently all...okay only mostly...downhill from here)!

Clearly it's going to be a long season.  We are right now today, 4/16/13, on pace to LOSE 116 games (Yeah, I'm not great at math but it seems like in 2001 we won every 3-game series and split two of the 4-game series which led to 116 games won that season and so far this season, WE HAVE DONE EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE so shouldn't I...and everyone else...be thinking that the OPPOSITE results  are indeed possible, if not outright probable?  And I really hate the notion that two weeks into the season my team is already mathematically eliminated!)

But still...opening day is something special. The introduction of the entire Mariner team.










The huge American flag.




The national anthem (shown on the REALLY BIG SCREEN!)






























The fireworks.












The first kid from Make a Wish who gets to "touch 'em all" as she runs the bases to kick off the Mariner 2013 season.









And best of all - to throw out the ceremonial first pitch of this season... 
# 50 - Jamie Moyer















The pitcher is set and starts his wind up and delivers the pitch.  And who better to catch him than #6 - Dan Wilson.




And all of a sudden, it's just like old times again.  One of the best starting batteries in baseball, certainly in Mariner history has taken the field and I'm ready for some baseball.

Fifty is a special number for Jamie - not only his jersey number, but also his age this year!  And still he says he's got some gas in the tank and is not yet ready to retire.  I just hope that Jack Z. was listening...and has Jamie's number on speed dial!


~later, going to get me some crackerjacks, tw

Mariner All*Star Suite

All season long we've been trading in some of our Mariners tickets.  Sometimes it's because we can't go, sometimes it's because no one else can go, sometimes we got tickets for games we thought someone could go with us.  The ticket office and all their employees have been absolutely fabulous about this.  At their suggestion, they would help us find random seats for the final game of the season so that we didn't lose any $$ on our season ticket package.




We decided this year to give ourselves a little treat (since the team clearly wasn't up to providing anything to cheer about at the end of this "yet-another-rebuilding-effort") and we gathered up all the little "onesies and twosies" tickets and traded them in for a pair of tickets in the All*Star Suite.

I think this is something new this year and there are even people who purchase entire half-season or full-season tickets for this place (though Gerry and I agree that would be really overdoing it!).  The Mariners have taken 3 (or possibly even 4) of their existing suites (that probably would have remained unsold most of the season) and redesigned them into a wonderful venue to watch the game.  The package includes more food/beverage than you could ever hope to consume (you can purchase beer/wine/liquor right there at the bar in the suite).

Chef Michael develops his own menu for each game and it's truly something special - probably the best food I've had not only in the park (we have dined on everything from Mariner dogs to Hit It Here Cafe to the Diamond Club buffet) but better than most restaurants.  Last night's menu included three AMAZING SALADS (a Greek one, a "regular" - not that there was anything remotely "regular" about it! - one with raspberries and pears and a wonderful raspberry viniagrette, and a beautiful Caesar salad with freshly shaved parm...that one lost a couple of points because the dressing was on the side.  I realize that not all people groove on Caesar salad but it is really one salad that needs to be dressed before serving since it is difficult to really get it all tossed together by dolloping the dressing on top.)

The entrees were: Beef Loin (aka Prime Rib) with a mushroom medley and Chicken Parmesan (incredibly moist and, as everything there, wonderfully delicious).

The dinner is served from 2 hours before game time until ~ 1 hour into the game but not to worry, you won't be going hungry for long.  On the back wall near the carvery, there is a full assortment of "baseball grub" - Mariner dogs, brats, popcorn, peanuts (oddly no cracker jacks).  On the opposite side of the bar you find the desserts.  Again these were amazing FRESHLY made cakes, pies, cookies with a soft serve ice cream machine, waffle cones, cups and an assortment of "toppings."










Best of all - the bar served the BEST ICE TEA I'VE EVER HAD AT SAFECO (which I know doesn't sound like much since Safeco's ice tea is HORRIBLE but this was really good tea!)

Oh yeah - there was a game being played by two teams who have absolutely nothing to play for.  We thought maybe we would see one last great game by Felix but not so much.  Here's to yet another rebuilding year in 2013 (though I'm thinking we will still finish in 4th place in the AL West at least it won't be LAST place since Houston is joining the division).

We still have one more game to enjoy - the final game on Wednesday afternoon - before the season is officially over (for us anyway - I'm going to cheer on the Nats who are going to their first playoff!)




~later, tw