Loafing at Safeco passes Survivor test
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Oh, go ahead. Uncross your fingers, Seattle.
The eyes of the world began to focus squarely on Sodo this weekend. And for once, nothing really bad happened.
Yeah, there was that bit of embarrassing stupidity and ugliness that put the mayor in the hospital on Saturday. But not even that could put a dark circle under the eye of the hometown yesterday, when much of the sports/entertainment industrial complex splashed down in the Jet City - and some of it promptly fell in love.
"This is cool!" proclaimed celebrity softball pitcher/catcher/batter/trash talker Meat Loaf, who, unfortunately, put the belly into pop music way before Britney Spears was ever born.
Meat, smoking a victory cigar after wielding a Bat Out of Hell in the All-Star Legends/Celebrity Softball Game, sponsored by Radio Shack and given the tacit nod of approval from Tacoma Screw Products, Inc., confessed to some doubts about the place after he flew from Los Angeles and drove up I-5, only to be greeted by the tool-shed rear styling of the most expensive ballpark in the history of the world.
In fact, he mistook the new Seahawks Stadium for Safeco Field.
"I thought this was a shipyard," he said. "The thing they pull the boats out of the water with."
Impressions changed inside.
"I love this place," Meat enthused. "This is retro, man. It's like something from the 20s. This place has character. It's the best new park I've seen, Babe."
(Personal confession: Interviewing heads of state, ballplayers and other celebrities is sometimes fun, sometimes tiresome. But you haven't fully lived as a journalist until you've been called "Babe" by Meat Loaf.)
"The field's great," he continued. "Fantastic! They have grass out there. Did you notice that?"
It was 75 degrees and sunny at game time. Gentle breeze of 7 mph. Cold beer and hot dogs. Forty-thousand and change in the seats to watch softball and prospects. Minor-leaguers warming up for the future by throwing no-hitters and perfect games. Celebs in love at the mouth of the Duwamish.
Yankees great Don Mattingly: Smitten, squared. Great town, great fans, great place for the All-Star Game, he said. Yadda yadda yadda.
Something's in the air. And the water. Bread is raining from the sky on the original Skid Road. Eat it while it's hot.
Yeah, we know this is not necessarily good news to those of you renting mother-in-law apartments in Green Lake toolsheds for $1,650 a month.
But trust us, Meat wasn't the only uncapped gusher in the house. Across the way at Safeco Field yesterday sat none other than Tina Wesson, winner of "Survivor II," wearing the telltale look: That I-Have-Seen-the-Future-And-It-Is-On-Sale-At-Nordstrom gaze. It was the same satisfied stare Survivor competitor Michael had after killing that unassuming wild piglet with his bare hands.
"It's beautiful here," gushed Tina, who obviously has never left Renton for a business meeting in Lynnwood on a Thursday, only to arrive the following Monday. She has toured the Experience Music Project, been to the top of the Space Needle, etc. She loves the weather.
Wouldn't you know it.
One month Tina is slurpin' down grub worms in the Australian Outback, the next she's nibbling canapés at the Westin Hotel in Seattle. Do the math. Rent the U-Haul.
What does she want to do most after her brush with All-Star weekend? Come back. See the place without all the cameras. Go sea kayaking and hike at Mount Rainier.
Take a number, Babe.
Elsewhere amid the peanut shells
Perfect Day: In honor of his perfect game for the Tacoma Rainiers on Saturday, former Mariners starter John Halama will hereafter be known as The Dalai Halama.
Meat's Meat: A heated argument broke out before yesterday's Celebrity/Legend softball game. The question: Is Meat Loaf a Legend, a Celebrity, or both? It was determined that anyone who has ever been referred to, on second reference, by the stodgy New York Times as "Mr. Loaf" can be a legend, a celebrity, or anything he wants to be.
Extra Meat: Later, we felt obliged to put the question to the Meat Man himself. Celebrity? Legend?
"Neither, Babe."
Speaking of Loafing: Meat's black jersey bore the number 24. Emblazoned above it: "Loaf." It was believed to be the first 24/Loaf combination at Safeco Field since Ken Griffey Jr. failed to run out his last ground ball here in 1999.
Other Celebrity Softball highlights
Good wood: Much to the delight of everyone except the guy in the suit, "legends" softball power-hitter Steve Garvey struck the roving Latte mascot, who was cavorting in foul territory. Garvey was awarded a home run.
Edgar, meet Tug: How much does legendary reliever Tug McGraw hate the designated-hitter rule?
"Fielding's part of the game," he bellowed in the bowels of Safeco Field. "You have to earn your ups (at-bats)."
With the DH rule, "The one guy who's most earned his ups (the pitcher), they're taking the bat out of his hands. That's un-American!"
Ron C. Judd can be reached at 206-464-8280 or rjudd@seattletimes.com.