The Name
An investment in the Safeco Field naming rights was made by Safeco, a Seattle-based insurance and investments company. Founded in 1923, Safeco shares a commitment with the Mariners to invest in and provide service to the communities where our customers, fans and employees live, work and raise their families. Safeco has been a major sponsor of Mariners community relations projects including the annual Safeco Mariners Caravans and the Safeco Coaches Clinics. Since 1994, these two programs have taken Mariners baseball to the hometowns of Mariners fans of all ages and provided free baseball skills clinics to tens of thousands of young people. The Mariners are very proud of our partnership with Safeco. www.Safeco.com
The Roof
The ballpark's one-of-a-kind retractable roof is designed to cover but not enclose the ballpark, thus preserving an open-air environment. The structure covers nearly 9 acres, weighs 22 million pounds, and contains enough steel to build a skyscraper 55 stories tall. The three movable panels glide on 128 steel wheels powered by 96 ten horsepower electric motors. A push of a button closes or opens the roof in an average of 10-20 minutes (depending on wind and other weather conditions). The roof is self-grounded (in the event of lightning strikes) and is designed to withstand 6-7 ft. of snow and sustained winds of up to 70 mph.
Scoreboard System
Safeco Field features one of the most comprehensive scoreboard systems in Major League Baseball, including 11 electronic displays and an old-fashioned hand-operated scoreboard in left field. The main scoreboard in center field features a huge state-of-the-art LED technology video screen and matrix board for display of graphics and animation. The out-of-town scoreboard in left field displays current inning scores of games in progress from around the Major Leagues. Two, first-of-their-kind play-by-play boards along the first and third base lines display running summaries of plays to help fans follow the action. Four auxiliary boards display player at-bat information, pitch speed and type, and additional game-in-progress information.
Playing Field
Safeco Field's playing surface is a custom designed state-of-the-art field. It features a specially designed drainage system and a custom blend of four kinds of Kentucky bluegrass and two kinds of perennial ryegrass to provide the optimal playing surface for the athletes, the retractable roof, and the Northwest climate. The drainage system includes layers of drainage pipe, pea gravel, sand, and grass. A spider web of one-inch plastic hose circulates hot water under the grass to bring it out of dormancy in time for Opening Day, and also compensate for shade and low levels of direct sunlight.
Ballpark