Cheney Stadium Tacoma, WA
Stadium Minor League History: Pacific Coast League 1960-present
Current Status: Home
of the Tacoma Rainiers of the Pacific Coast League (triple-A)
What's Good: Cheney
is a cozy, terrific place to watch baseball. A large grandstand is
angled around the field, and the relatively small foul territory results
in the box seats being particularly close to the action. Behind these
eight rows of seats is a cross-aisle leading to the main concourse beneath
the stands, while several rows of "reserved" individual seats and several
more rows of benches comprise the rest of the seating area. The concourse
is open to the outside, and features standard concessions, as well as a
souvenir store and a kind of bar with several beers on tap and tables to
sit at (though the field is not visible from there). The field is
well groomed, and an attractive if somewhat basic
scoreboard adorns left center. And for those fans sitting in
the last few rows of the third base stands, a clear day reveals an impressive
view of Mt. Rainier off in the distance. For me, though, the
best part of watching a game here was the laid-back atmosphere and the
visual cues to an earlier era (like the erector set light towers).
Rumor has it the current ownership wants either a new stadium or to relocate
the team, so Cheney is well worth a visit if you're in the neighborhood.
What's Not So Good:
I had the good fortune to catch a game on an absolutely perfect day, but
I'd imagine the weather (particularly earlier in the season) could make
games a bit damp or gloomy. Also, while the roof is certainly a welcome
presence, I have to admit that I felt a bit nervous with all that concrete
overhead and nothing visible supporting it. Give me a few view-obstructing
I-beams anyday...
This Photo: June 21, 2001 Tacoma Rainiers vs. New Orleans Zephyrs
