The Seattle Mariners invited my brother-in-law Phil to sing the Star Spangled Banner and God Bless America during the game on 29 April 2007 at Safeco Field. In return for his voice, he received four tickets located in the “Commissioner’s Box” by the Mariner’s dugout plus field passes for the four of us (Phil, Marion, Kim and me) for pregame festivities. It was quite a thrill to stand beside Phil when he stepped up to the microphone and belted out a terrific version of the Star Spangled Banner.

Before the game, we got to hang out behind home plate for about twenty minutes while watching the groundskeepers prepare the field and players from both teams warming up. Also, they had a pregame contest with kids in giant shoes running the bases with the Mariner Moose umpiring home plate.

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Phil singing the National Anthem

Our seats were excellent, in the third row near first base just to the right of the photographer’s well. And the game turned out to be sunny, which wasn’t expected, and exciting, too, with the Mariners staging a late rally and winning 5-1.

Here’s some of what we saw from our seats:

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For the 7th inning stretch, Phil and Kim returned to the home plate tunnel, and Phil stepped onto the field a second time to sing God Bless America.

During the Mariners big rally in the sixth inning, Betancourt slides past second base and crawls back safely for a double: