Seattle’s All-Star Week offers fun for fans at Play Ball Park
Even without a game happening, All-Star Week fans are finding plenty to do at Play Ball Park, where they could practice batting, behold baseball memorabilia and meet former players, including Mariners greats such as Edgar Martinez and Felix Hernandez.
Play Ball Park’s free outdoor festivities are being held at Lumen Field’s Muckleshoot Heritage Plaza, in the north parking lot and on Occidental Avenue. The indoor experience, $35 per ticket, is held in Lumen Field and the event center.
“Not everyone has access to an All-Star Game ticket or a Home Run Derby ticket, but everyone has access to this,” said Jacqueline Secaira-Cotto, MLB’s director of global events. “This is really where we provide that All-Star experience to everyone.”
Ben Juarez, 10, played at the batting cages outside Saturday afternoon. He traveled from Port Orchard with his mother and grandfather specifically for Play Ball Park. On six pitches, Ben batted .500. He gestured he did “so-so” with his hand after getting out of the cage.
“I wanted to go to the game but I can’t afford it,” Ben’s grandfather, Dan Juarez, said. “We came down for the free stuff for [Ben] … it’s great.”
Juarez said he was in Seattle the last time the city hosted All-Star Week in 2001 and that there weren’t nearly as many fan attractions then.
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Inside Play Ball Park, fans bought and traded Topps baseball cards and pins and sat through live auctions for a chance to get signed balls and player jerseys.
Ellen Dean came from Pleasant View, Utah, for All-Star Week with her 16-year-old daughter, an aspiring baseball statistician.
“She would forgo a car to come here,” Dean said while waiting for the live auction to start. Dean was hoping to win Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s No. 27 Blue Jays jersey for her daughter. (She later said she won it.)
Seattle-based artist Shakore Nelson, who goes by Vision Graceful, was painting the Seattle Pilots, a 1969 MLB team that played a single season.
“This brings more life to the city,” Nelson said. “COVID brought this dark gray cloud over the city for so long. I don’t remember the last time I’ve seen this many faces happy in [Seattle].”
Corey Matney and his sons Luca, 6, and Corey Miguel, 8, snacked on cotton candy and ice cream after playing baseball in a miniature diamond as part of the park’s Rookie Leagues experience for kids 4 feet and under, which includes running practice and pitching.
“I did pretty awesome,” Luca said.
“They want to stay for the rest of the day,” Matney said. “[Luca] told me ‘You brought me to my favorite place.'”
Play Ball Park is open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday.
Source: The Seattle Times
