Not letting their December disappointment hold them back, The Mariners take on an old foe come May 11th — the Déjà Vu strip club. The team is attempting to use a 2007 city law – which prohibits adult cabarets within 800 feet of schools, community centers, and parks and open space – to block the opening of the club, citing that Safeco Field, Safeco Plaza, Edgar Martinez Plaza, and the Edgar Martinez Drive South overpass all fall under the realm of parks and open space.

Doubters can’t be faulted for wondering if the team is less concerned with protecting green space than the moral high ground. Safeco field is a park that charges for entry but prohibits certain expressions of free speech, Safeco Plaza is easily considered a sidewalk, Edgar Martinez Plaza is a locked asphalt lot and surrounded by a chain-link fence, and the overpass is technically a segment of the Mountains to Sound Greenway (MSG), a network of trails not officially declared a park or open space.

This is the Mariners second attempt at shielding the ballpark from insidious influences. The City Council previously rejected the Mariners’ argument that the field should be given a buffer zone protecting children attending games from strip clubs and a business permit was issued for the club in December 2008.

Come May 11th, we’ll find out if the courts also think the team is reaching in its newest bid to defend family values. More from the Stranger.

Deja Vu Seattle