About Cheney Stadium
Cheney Stadium is a Minor League Baseball stadium in the city of Tacoma, Washington. The stadium is home to the Tripe-A Minor League Baseball team the Tacoma Rainiers, as well as housing the professional soccer clubs,the Tacoma Defiance of the USL Championship and OL Reign of the National Women’s Soccer League. The stadium is located beside Henry Foss High School in Tacoma and has an agreement with them to use the school parking lot for added parking during games. The stadium has a capacity of 6,500 people.
History: Tacoma Baseball and Cheney Stadium
Baseball has had a spotted history in Tacoma over the years, even before Cheney Stadium was built. Tacoma Washington was home to the Tacoma Tigers from 1904 to 1905, before returning to where they started in San Francisco. After the Tigers, there wasn’t another baseball team in Tacoma for 55 years.
Cheney Stadium was built in 1960 to be the home for the Tacoma Giants, a minor league baseball team that started in Phoenix in 1959 before relocating to Tacoma in 1960. In 1965, the Giants moved back to Phoenix. The stadium has housed many teams briefly, including the Chicago Cubs’ brief time in Tacoma from 1966 to 1971 and the New York Yankees in 1978.
Now that we’ve outlined a little bit of the history of baseball in Tacoma, we can get back to discussing Cheney Stadium. Construction of the stadium was very fast, only 3 months and 14 days, so that it could be ready for the Giants opening game.
The Rainiers were formed in 1995 and have been the baseball team for Tacoma ever since. Following the Rainier’s last home game in September 2010, a large renovation began and was completed by the start of the next season in April 2011. This renovation was to update the beams holding the stadium up and to build a roof and to give the stadium a general face-lift.
The Teams of Cheney Stadium
While Cheney Stadium was originally built as a minor league baseball stadium, it is now home to the Tacoma Rainiers as well as 2 different soccer teams. Here is a little background on each of the teams that call Cheney Stadium home:
Tacoma Rainiers
The Tacoma Rainiers were coined in 1995, when the Calgary Cannons relocated to Tacoma and changed their name. The team has been affiliated with the Seattle Mariners ever since its founding in 1995. The Rainiers season spans from May to September.
Tacoma Defiance
The Tacoma Defiance was founded as a team in 2015. They have played in Cheney Stadium since 2018, thanks to the impressive ability to transition the field between a baseball diamond and a soccer field. The team is a part of the Triple-A West Minor League baseball league. The Defiance’s season is from May to October, so if you are here during those months, you could catch a game.
OL Reign
OL Reign belongs to the national Women’s Soccer League. OL Reign play between the months of May and October. The team was founded in 2012 as the Seattle Reign FC and became OL Reign in 2020 when the majority owner became OL Groupe. The team has been able to play its home games at Cheney Stadium since 2018.
In Conclusion
If you are in Tacoma anytime from May to October, try to catch a game at Cheney Stadium. Whether you like baseball or soccer, there will likely be a game that fits your schedule and your interests. While in the area, make sure to swing on over to the Museum of Glass to see some mesmerizing and intriguing pieces of art.
Photo Credit: Photo By Ken Lund @ https://flic.kr/p/2XR1ry
