SEATTLE — From garlic fries to team T-shirts, Seattle businesses are preparing for one of the busiest days in city sports history as the Mariners host the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series on Wednesday.
A trip to the World Series — the first in franchise history — is now just two wins away.
Inside and around T-Mobile Park, preparations have shifted into overdrive. All 47,000 seats are expected to be filled, and concession operators say they’re stocking up like never before.
Bob Donegan, president of Ivar’s and vice president of Kidd Valley, oversees some of the most popular food stands inside the ballpark. He’s been calculating exactly what it will take to feed the postseason crowds — and that includes a serious boost in supplies.
“We would normally bread 150 to 200 pounds of cod for fish and chips,” Donegan said. “We’ll have 700 to 800 pounds of cod for fish and chips delivered. So it’ll be good.”
That’s not all. From their headquarters on the Seattle waterfront, Ivar’s trucks have been hauling in extra ingredients from across the region. Donegan says one of the biggest surges comes in garlic, the key to one of the ballpark’s most iconic menu items.
“The truck with garlic from Gilroy, California came in,” he said. “We would normally, at this time of year, have 40 or 50 buckets of marinated garlic. We had 150 four-pound buckets delivered.”
By his math, roughly one out of every 11 fans who walks through the turnstiles will order garlic fries, making them the most-consumed food in the stadium.
Food sales are expected to spike even more Wednesday, when gates open a full 30 minutes earlier than usual, giving fans extra time to eat and shop before the first pitch. Donegan says his data shows about 80% of all food is sold before catcher Cal Raleigh’s first at-bat.
Outside the ballpark, local shops are also bracing for record crowds. Several retailers near SODO and along the waterfront say they’re doubling staff to keep up with demand for Mariners gear, especially anything featuring Raleigh or star outfielder Julio Rodríguez.
Across the street, some fans are traveling long distances and spending big to be part of the moment. Randy Thompson, a Blue Jays fan visiting from Alberta, said he spent $800 on a single ticket near the dugout.
“So, I spent 800 bucks American,” he said. “I’m sitting about six rows back from the dugout with the Blue Jays, but the tickets got cheaper after they lost that game, so now I’m a little upset.”
Despite the rivalry, the mood around the stadium remains friendly. Mariners fans say they’re soaking in every moment of a playoff run that feels surreal after decades of waiting.
“I don’t know how to feel,” said Ethan Wansley, a lifelong Mariners fan. “There’s so much excitement, but there’s still this kind of thought of, is this real? Am I dreaming?”
Wednesday, those dreams collide with reality as Seattle’s road to the World Series runs straight through SODO.
트위터 공유: 시애틀 월드컵 경기장 열기 고조! 매리너스의 역사적 경기 임박