Even as most of the sports within our campus community have begun to wind down, the larger Tacoma sports scene is just heating up.
Tacoma’s history in the Pacific Coast League dates all the way back to 1904, when the Tacoma Tigers played their first game. However, the franchise and the league left the city for over half a century, until the Tacoma Giants came to town in 1960.
Following their move from New York to San Francisco, the Giants needed a farm team on the same coast. Tacoma, by then one of the largest cities in Washington, fit the bill perfectly.
While the Giants did not keep their affiliation with their Tacoma team, the PCL remained invested in the city. Six different teams placed their minor league affiliates in Tacoma since that day.
The last of these was the Seattle Mariners, who moved their Triple-A team from Calgary in 1995 in an effort to generate more support for the franchise in the state of Washington.
During this stretch, Tacoma has played host to a number of famous ballplayers who made their names elsewhere, including Mark McGuire, Juan Marichal and Alex Rodriguez.
However, this edition of the Rainiers may be one of the best yet. A strong pitching staff and better-than-expected offense have propelled the team to a 19-11 record through their first 30 games, the best mark in the PCL.
The team has a number of prospects that are nearly ready to make their mark for the Mariners, including top pitching prospects Danny Hultzen and James Paxton, along with shortstop Nick Franklin and catcher Mike Zunino, each of whom are among the most coveted young players at their positions.
Moreover, the newly renovated Cheney Stadium is an underrated asset in the Tacoma area. As the home of the team since 1960, the stadium underwent extensive renovations following the 2010 season to add modern touches and change the facade of the building.
Following the changes, Cheney Stadium is once again among the finest parks in the PCL, with seating and amenities for over 7,200 lucky fans.
On the particular Friday that I was fortunate enough to attend, all of the park’s charms were on full display. The sun was just beginning to drop below the grandstand for the 7 p.m. start time, bathing the nearly filled stands with the rare orange glow of a Tacoma sunset.
As for the game itself, the Rainiers faced off against the Reno Aces, the Triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Right from the beginning, the Rainiers looked impressive, battering beleaguered Aces starter Chase Anderson for five runs in the first two innings, including a home run from Rainiers left fielder Nate Tenebrink to lead off the scoring.
On the other side, James Paxton started for the Rainiers and immediately showed why he is considered one of the best young pitchers in baseball. He rendered the Aces helpless to start the game, holding them without a base runner through the first three innings, and striking out nine over the course of his five-inning start.
Still, though, the Rainiers had to withstand a late rally by the Aces to secure their victory. The team saw a 7-1 advantage shrink to one run during a five-run seventh inning from Reno.
However, center fielder Denny Almonte made a leaping catch on a deep fly ball to preserve the 7-6 lead. Closer Danny Farquhar took things from there, getting the final two outs of the game to get the save and preserve the win for the Rainiers.
It was just one game, and there is obviously plenty of season left to be played, but fans have to be encouraged with how the Rainiers have started.
Tickets for the main concourse can be bought for just $13 per person, just a fraction of what the same seats would cost at a major league game. Even better, the stadium features a large grass lawn down the first base line, where fans can bring their blankets and watch a game for $6.
If you’re interested in watching a Tacoma institution chase their first PCL title since 2010, or you just want to spend a pleasant evening watching baseball, give Cheney Stadium and the Tacoma Rainers a look.