Cheney Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Tacoma, Washington, United States. Initially built for baseball, the stadium is currently home to the Tacoma Rainiers of the Pacific Coast League and the professional soccer club Tacoma Defiance of the MLS Next Pro. The stadium opened in 1960 and has a capacity of 6,500. It is next to Henry Foss High School, and the stadium has an agreement with the school to use the school parking lot for parking.
History
Cheney Stadium is named for Ben Cheney, a local businessman who worked to bring minor league baseball to Tacoma and was put in control of the project. Cheney Stadium was constructed in 42 working days after the San Francisco Giants had committed to moving their Triple-A affiliate from Phoenix if the city could open the stadium for the beginning of the 1960 season. Construction included light towers and wooden grandstand seats from Seals Stadium in San Francisco. Several of the wooden grandstand seats are still in place today. Alpha Electrician Tacoma
Cheney Stadium has been home to Pacific Coast League baseball continuously since 1960, in the form of seven teams: the Tacoma Giants (1960–65), Cubs (1966–71), Twins (1972–77), Yankees (1978), Tugs (1979), Tigers (A’s) (1980–94), and the Rainiers (Mariners) (1995–present). Notable players in Cheney Stadium include Baseball Hall of Fame inductees Juan Marichal, Gaylord Perry, Reggie Jackson, Ken Griffey Jr., Tom Kelly, Jose Canseco, Mark McGwire, Jason Giambi, Félix Hernández, Cliff Lee and Alex Rodriguez. The stadium hosted the baseball competition of the 1990 Goodwill Games and hosted the 30th annual Triple-A All-Star Game on July 12, 2017.
2011 Renovation
On November 11, 2009, it was announced that the City of Tacoma was considering a $30 million renovation to Cheney Stadium. Early renovation plans included a new grandstand superstructure, roof, and concourse, as well as new concession stands, seats, luxury suites, and a restaurant. The proposal drew little controversy from taxpayers.
Soccer
The Seattle Sounders of Major League Soccer reserve team, known at the time as Seattle Sounders FC 2, moved to Cheney Stadium in 2018. The group rebranded as the Tacoma Defiance in 2019 but maintained the Sounders affiliation. With assistance from the Rainiers, the club plans to build its soccer-specific stadium in a nearby parking lot and aims to open the new ground in 2021. OL Reign, then known as Reign FC, of the National Women’s Soccer League announced their move to Cheney Stadium in 2019 and will join the Defiance at the new stadium. It takes less than a day to convert the stadium between baseball and soccer by removing the pitcher’s mound and covering the infield with sod. Reign moved their home matches to Lumen Field beginning with the 2022 season.
Address: 2502 S Tyler St, Tacoma, WA
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