📍 Tacoma, Washington
⚾ Home of the Tacoma Rainiers

Nestled in between the craggy peaks and evergreen forests of northwest Washington, you’ll find one of Minor League Baseball’s most far-flung teams. The Tacoma Rainiers – nicknamed in honor of the all-seeing mountain that dominates the horizon for many folks in the Puget Sound region – are the most remote Triple-A franchise and have been playing continuously in the City of Destiny since 1960.

One of the fastest venues ever built in America, Cheney Stadium was constructed in an expedited fashion in order to host the relocated Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. After undergoing several different affiliation swaps and name changes, the club would be rebranded as the Rainiers and become the top farm club of the nearby Seattle Mariners in 1995, something that has remained unchanged to this day.

Despite being a somewhat older ballpark, Cheney Stadium has received multiple rounds of renovations, including a major overhaul in 2011 that modernized the venue. It’s now truly one of the best parks in Triple-A, featuring a distinctly Pacific Northwest façade and comfortable confines all around. Amenities include a full restaurant on the suite level right behind home plate, an expansive hangout area and picnic deck on the third base side, a Bull Pen Lounge in left field and a kids playground and small wiffle ball field in the right field corner.

Though it was designed primarily as a minor league baseball facility, Cheney also hosted a few soccer teams during its lifetime. The Tacoma Defiance of the USL Championship and the OL Reign of the NWSL, however, were forced out of the venue following Major League Baseball’s strict alternative facility use policies instituted in 2021.

The team’s namesake, Mount Rainier – or Tahoma in the native Twulshootseed language – is often visible on the horizon beyond the first base side of the stadium, looming in the distance on clear, cloudless evenings. Perfectly placed signage draws the attention of fans on the third base side, who can see clear across the ballpark, to Rainier and its hazy silhouette.

Many Mariners stars – both during their minor league development and on rehab assignments – have played in front of packed out crowds at the 6,500-seat stadium, including Alex Rodriguez, Felix Hernandez and Ken Griffey, Jr. The Rainiers franchise, including their prior nicknames and affiliations, have also won 6 Pacific Coast League titles and 10 division titles. Their most recent championship came at the conclusion of the 2021 campaign, when no Triple-A playoffs were held.

Cheney Stadium is a truly magnificent ballpark that not only embodies the spirit of the Pacific Northwest, but also gives fans in western Washington an affordable and entertaining opportunity to see the Mariners’ stars of tomorrow compete on the only professional baseball diamond with a view of snow-capped Mount Rainier.