Take Me Out to the Ballgame

Lore & Background

During the 1990s, the suitability of the Mariners' original stadium, the Kingdome, as an MLB facility came under question, and the team's ownership group threatened to relocate the team. In September 1995, King County voters defeated a ballot measure to secure public funding for a new baseball stadium. Shortly thereafter, the Mariners' first appearance in the MLB postseason and their victory in the 1995 American League Division Series revived public desire to keep the team in Seattle. As a result, the Washington State Legislature approved an alternate means of funding for the stadium with public money. The site, just south of the Kingdome, was selected in September 1996 and construction began in March 1997. The bonds issued to finance the stadium were retired on October 1, 2011, five years earlier than anticipated. The stadium was originally named Safeco Field under a 20-year naming-rights deal with Seattle-based Safeco Insurance. T-Mobile acquired the naming rights on December 19, 2018, and the name change took effect on January 1, 2019.

In Their Own Story

The rain begins to tap against the retractable roof, a gentle rhythm that usually signals a pause in the game, but here, it only builds anticipation. As the seventh inning approaches, the organist strikes up the familiar opening notes. A hush falls over the section behind home plate, then slowly ripples outward until the entire stadium is leaning forward. "Take me out to the ballgame," thousands of voices boom, a sound that has echoed through every era from Kingdome days to the present. For a moment, the record books and the standings don't matter; there is only this song, this shared breath, and the unwavering belief that today could be different.

Reader's Guide

T-Mobile Park is in the SoDo district of downtown Seattle, bounded by Dave Niehaus Way to the west, Edgar Martínez Drive to the south, Royal Brougham Way to the north, and BNSF railroad tracks to the east. Parking is available at the stadium's parking garage across Edgar Martínez Drive, the Lumen Field garage to the North, and other privately operated lots in the area. Sounder commuter rail serves nearby King Street Station. T-Mobile Park is also served by the 1 Line of Sound Transit's Link light rail system and local King County Metro and Sound Transit Express bus routes at the nearby Stadium station. Events at T-Mobile Park are scheduled to avoid conflicts with Lumen Field, which is directly north of the stadium. The Mariners have priority for schedule slots per an agreement reached with the Seattle Seahawks, who play at Lumen Field. A dedicated ride-hailing lot opened in June 2023 along 3rd Avenue; it cost $2.8 million to construct and opened ahead of the 2023 MLB All-Star Game.

Did You Know?

• The stadium's record attendance is 54,097, set at WrestleMania XIX in 2003.
• The naming rights were sold to T-Mobile for $87.5 million for a 25-year agreement.
• The first game at the stadium was on July 15, 1999, with the Mariners losing 3–2 to the San Diego Padres.
• The field surface underwent its first full replacement after the 2017 season.