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The new Comiskey Park opened tomixed re-
views in 1991, but over the years numerous im-
provements and upgrades have beenmade to
appease the fans: Upper-deck seats have been
removed, sight lines improved,blueseatspainted
green, statues of Sox stars erected, fan-friendly
areas and restaurants added. Fortunately, the
concept of former owner Bill Veeck’s “exploding
scoreboard,”which sets off fireworks after every
Soxhomer, cameover from theoldComiskey too.
BacardiatthePark
, a full-service,Sox-themed
restaurant with more than 65 flat-screen TVs,
opened outside Gate 5 in 2011, a year after an
outdoor beer garden opened in the same area.
Neither requires a ticket to the game, and both
have become popular pregame stops for fans to
meet and relax.
Becauseof somepolitical and communityop-
position, the Bridgeport neighborhood adjacent
to theballparkhasnotbecome theentertainment
district some had envisioned (i.e., a South Side
Wrigleyville). But, with one notable exception,
Sox fans can still congregate at bars and restau-
rants their parents andgrandparents patronized.
Longtime Sox fans prefer
Schaller’s Pump
, a
neighborhoodbar thathasbeen inoperationsince
the 1880s and that is run by the original owner’s
grandson.Alsopopular is
Shinnick’sPub
, aclassic
Chicago tavern (all booze, no food) dating to the
late 1800s. One of my college buddies insists a
Cubs fanwouldn’tdare toshowuphere.But, sadly,
gone forever is the legendaryMcCuddy’s, a bar
directlyacross35thStreet from theoldComiskey
thatwas razed tomake room for thenewpark. It
was here that BabeRuthused togo after games
(and, according to legend, sometimesbetween in-
nings) tohaveacoldoneor two.Hisautographed
bat used toadorn thewall behind thebar.
SAFECO F I ELD, SEAT TLE
I
T DOESN’T
have ivy-covered outfieldwalls
or a Green Monster, but Safeco Field, which
replaced the later-demolished Kingdome as
the Seattle Mariners’ home in 1999, does score
veryhighamong the relativelynewmajor league
ballparks in termsof architecture, ambience, aes-
thetics and overall fan experience. Good thing,
too, because theMariners are theonlyAmerican
League franchise never toplay in aWorldSeries,
a dubious distinction the team shares with the
WashingtonNationals (néeMontreal Expos), the
only National League franchisewithout a Series
appearance.
And there’s no denying that Safeco Field, or
The Safe, is a jewel in the Emerald City’s crown.
Located in Seattle’s SoDo neighborhood (South
ofDomeorSouthofDowntown— takeyourpick),
SafecoField isa retro-modern-styleballpark that
combines features from 1950s-eraballparks (e.g.,
a brick façade and a front-entrance rotunda)
withamenities common inballparks constructed
around the turnof the21st century.
Its defining feature is a one-of-a-kind retract-
able steel roof designed tocover but not enclose
the ballpark during inclement weather, guaran-
teeing an open-air environment at all times. The
22-million-pound structure has three movable
panels that, at the push of a button, glide in to
cover the field likeagiant umbrella—anecessity
in a city that averages 140 rainydays a year. The
open-airatmospherealsoassures that fans inout-
field seats and those in the beer garden beyond
the center-field fence can enjoy beautiful views
of the Seattle skyline and Puget Sound sunsets
during the summer.
Safeco Field sits in an area that borders
Pioneer Square, a historic district teemingwith
restaurants,bars, artiststudiosandshops.
Seattle
Alehouse
is known for its microbrews, such as
Curve Ball BlondeAle.
Sluggers SportsBar
also
has lotsofmicrobrewsandsignedMarinersmem-
orabilia on the wall.
F.X. McRory’s SteakChop
&Oyster House
is known for its oysters and ex-
tensive scotch/bourbonmenu.
Jimmy’sonFirst
is an upscale bar where KJR Sports Radio does
game-daybroadcasts. (Try Jimmy’sGiantBacon
Wrapped Brat, a deep-fried, footlong sausage
with smoked bacon and provolone cheese on a
pretzel roll.Yum.)Hole-in-the-wall typeswill love
the
TrianglePub
, a favoriteamongneighborhood
locals.Ordera“mancan” (24-ouncebeerspecial),
and you’ll fit right in. The
Central Saloon
offers
up some appetizing fried feta cheese sticks, and
Swannies Sports Bar andRestaurant
became
famousduring theKingdomeerawhen itoffered
well drinks for the price of poor-hitting catcher
DaveValle’sbattingaverage.
RAINORSHINE:
Mariners fans canenjoyagame
at SafecoField regardlessof theweather, thanks to
the stadium’s 22-million-pound retractable roof.
AA.COM/AMERICANWAY
APRIL 01, 2013
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