Many great players have appeared at Cheney Stadium over the years, and a glance at the rosters for Tuesday’s Major League Baseball All-Star Game reveals that the ballpark continues to showcase premiere talent.
Leading the way are such players as Felix Hernandez, Alex Rodriguez, Cliff Lee and Asdrubal Cabrera. After those four, 16 more of the 2011 All-Stars played at Cheney Stadium as visiting players.
Hernandez made 19 appearances for Tacoma in 2005 prior to making his major league debut, and 10 of those appearances came at Cheney.
Rodriguez hit .360 with 15 home runs in 54 games for Tacoma in 1995, and he made a two-game cameo for the Rainiers in 1996.
Lee stopped by Tacoma for one start in 2010, a rehabilitation appearance in which he threw six scoreless innings on April 25.
Cabrera – who replaces the injured Rodriguez as the starting shortstop for the American League – played in 66 games for Tacoma in 2005 and 2006.
Other All-Stars made marks at Cheney Stadium as visiting players.
As a member of the Salt Lake Buzz in 1999, Boston’s David Ortiz spoiled the Rainiers’ home opener with a winning homer that landed on Foss hill.
San Francisco’s All-Star pitching quartet of Tim Lincecum, Brian Wilson, Matt Cain and Ryan Vogelsong each dressed in the visiting clubhouse as members of the Fresno Grizzlies.
Lincecum’s lone professional Cheney Stadium appearance came on April 17, 2007. He threw 62/3 dominant, scoreless innings while striking out 11, only to have Wilson blow the save when then-Rainiers hitter Jeff Clement reached him for a two-run double in a 2-1 victory.
Los Angeles Angels ace Jered Weaver struck out 12 hapless Rainiers in an impressive outing for Salt Lake in April 2006.
Milwaukee Brewers stars Prince Fielder and Rickie Weeks visited with Nashville in May 2005. Fielder went 6-for-19 in the series, doubling three times off the old, tall right-field fence, and then-Tacoma manager Dan Rohn said he felt like the Rainiers had held him in check.
The Rainiers really did keep Weeks in check – he went 2-for-17 in the series.
Oakland’s Gio Gonzalez made his Triple-A debut at Cheney Stadium in 2008 as a member of the Sacramento River Cats.
In 1999, New Orleans arrived in town with young prospect Lance Berkman on the roster. Berkman had all kinds of trouble, misplaying numerous balls in left field at Cheney Stadium – which goes to show that young players get better. Berkman has since became a solid outfielder and is making his sixth All-Star appearance.
Dodgers star Matt Kemp made his Triple-A debut at Cheney Stadium as a member of the Las Vegas 51s on July 17, 2006. He went 1-for-3 in that first game, and then homered off Cesar Jimenez the next day.
Some players were around Tacoma so much, it’s surprising they are now All-Stars. Detroit Tigers closer Jose Valverde visited Tacoma as a member of the Tucson Sidewinders from 2002 to 2004.
Other current All-Stars who played at Cheney Stadium include Shane Victorino, Michael Cuddyer, Carlos Quentin and Paul Konerko.
Mike Curto is the radio broadcaster for the Tacoma Rainiers.
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