SEATTLE -- Safeco Field came with a $517 million price tag.
But as Seattle Mariners fans maneuvered through the crowd Thursday night, many said the cost was definitely worth it.Matt Gehrts of Seattle was looking forward to sipping beer in the Hit it Here Cafe, the large-windowed restaurant perched above right field, while watching Mariners center fielder Ken Griffey Jr. swing for the fences on the field below during the game against the San Diego Padres.
"I've been planning on this for three years," Gehrts, 37, said as he stood in a line two-dozen-deep to buy a program.
Concessions with monikers like Moose's Munchies and the On-Deck Deli were packed by the crowd of more than 44,000 for opening night at the nation's most expensive baseball stadium.
The Padres won 3-2, but that was beside the point.
The crowd got to see a successful tryout of the 22-million-pound retractable roof. And that grass beneath the players' feet was real, in contrast to the artificial turf of the Kingdome.
The Mariners say the stadium, erected next to its utilitarian predecessor, will ensure the future of baseball in the Northwest.
However, they might not be able to afford both the stadium and the high cost of keeping Griffey and shortstop Alex Rodriguez.
Both are eligible for free agency after the 2000 season, and it might cost $400 million or more to keep them. Rodriguez's agent, Scott Boras, is expected to seek a 10-year deal averaging $20 million per season or more.
Taxpayers are picking up $372 million of the stadium tab, originally expected to total $417 million.