Mariners’ New Park Thrown Off Target
The Seattle Mariners’ ballpark might not be ready come opening day in April 1999 unless team owners can find $20 million in the next week, the stadium board says.
The seven-member board announced the possible delay on Monday after a 90-minute closed-door meeting.
The board was unable to complete a deal with the Mariners for a $20 million line of credit that would be part of the team’s $45 million contribution to the $330 million stadium.
The Washington State Major League Baseball Public Facilities District needs the money from the team so it can order steel and buy property south of the Kingdome for the 45,611-seat stadium.
Delays in clearing the 19.6-acre ballpark site for construction and ordering steel would make it unlikely the stadium could be built in 24 months, which is the current schedule, said board chairwoman Joan Enticknap said.
“We can’t meet the schedule if we can’t acquire property, period,” board member Shelly Yapp said.
Enticknap and Mariners Vice-President Paul Isaki said they’ll try to get the deal worked out in time for a special board meeting Sept. 23.
Notes
Whether or not the Rangers consider this a pennant race, Mariners fans obviously do. They’re certainly putting their money where their loyalties are.
More than 36,000 post-season ticket strips were sold in the first three days of their availability. The strips include tickets at the same seat location for all 11 possible games in the Kingdome (three in the division series, four in the ALCS and four in the World Series). Prices for the 11-game strips range from $210 to $550, with 21,000 strips remaining.
Meanwhile, advance ticket sales for the Mariners’ final five home games are similarly strong: 27,472 and 28,262 for the final two Texas games, 48,605 for Fan Appreciation Night on Friday against Oakland, 33,553 for Saturday and 44,322 for Kids Appreciation Day on Sunday.
The M’s have set a new home attendance record (2,480,291) and have had seven crowds top 50,000.
Texas’ two runs in the sixth inning off Terry Mulhullond ended a string of 29 consecutive scoreless innings (the club record is 31) for Mariners pitchers - including the back-to-back shutouts by Salomon Torres and Jamie Moyer/Bobby Ayala Sunday and Monday. Those were the first back-to-back shutouts for the M’s since April 27-28, 1993, against Cleveland.
Who’s getting hot at the right time? Edgar Martinez, naturally.
After starting September in a slump that concluded with an 0-for-17 stretch, Martinez has gone 14 for 35 (.400) - including 3 for 3 Tuesday night.
, DataTimes