There is nothing quite like spending a summer afternoon or evening watching the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park. But if you’re looking for a cheaper, family-friendly way to catch a baseball game, head south for a Tacoma Rainiers game.
The Rainiers are the Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners and play at Cheney Stadium in Tacoma. That means you’ll see players who have spent time with the Mariners, familiar names working their way back to the majors, and young prospects who could be playing in Seattle before long.
But with kids, the baseball is only part of what makes a Tacoma Rainiers game worth the trip.
I’ve been going to Rainiers games since I was a kid with my dad. Now I take my own son and daughter, and I’ve found that Cheney Stadium is the perfect place to introduce kids to baseball.
Get Closer to the Baseball at Cheney Stadium
One of my favorite things about Cheney Stadium is how close you feel to the action. You can hear and see everything happening right in front of you.
It’s a much smaller ballpark than T-Mobile Park, and there really aren’t many places where you feel far from the field. That makes a difference when you’re watching a game with younger kids.
I’ve noticed my son sits longer, asks more questions about what’s happening and generally seems more engaged at a Tacoma Rainiers game. He can see the players more clearly and follows the action without it feeling quite as distant.
For a kid who is still learning baseball, that intimacy makes the game easier to experience and understand.
See Future Mariners Before They Make It Big
The Tacoma Rainiers aren’t just a minor league baseball team. They’re the final stop before the majors for many of the players in the Mariners organization.
That makes watching the actual baseball a lot of fun.
Depending on the roster, you might see a familiar Mariners player rehabbing an injury in Tacoma or one of the organization’s top prospects getting close to making his major league debut.
Part of the fun is being able to tell your kids a few years later, “We saw him play in Tacoma!”
And because Triple-A rosters are constantly changing, the team you see early in the season might look quite a bit different later in the summer.
There’s Plenty to Do When the Kids Need a Break
Let’s be real. Most young kids aren’t going to sit quietly and watch nine innings of baseball.
Fortunately, a Tacoma Rainiers game isn’t designed that way.
There are games, contests and other entertainment between innings that keep things moving even when the baseball stops. It’s enough to give kids something new to watch every few minutes without taking away from the game itself.
And when sitting in your seat has run its course (which it will), there are places for kids to burn off some energy.
Cheney Stadium has a playground along with a small wiffle ball field where kids can take their own swings. The wiffle ball field always seems to be packed with kids during the games we’ve attended.
It means you don’t necessarily have to leave when your kids are done sitting. Give them a break, let them play for a while and head back to your seats when they’re ready.
Don’t Forget the Ballpark Food
Going to a baseball game isn’t complete without something to eat.
You’ll find the ballpark staples you’d expect at Cheney Stadium, including hot dogs and burgers, along with sandwiches, seafood and plenty of other options throughout the stadium.
For our family, getting something to eat is part of the experience. Sometimes a trip for food is also exactly the break a kid needs before settling back in for a few more innings. Parents, you know exactly what I’m talking about.
A More Affordable Way to Take the Family to a Baseball Game
Mariners games are a blast. We have a flex season ticket membership.
But taking an entire family to a Major League Baseball game can get expensive quickly once you add together tickets, parking, food and everything else that comes with a day at the ballpark.
That’s one of the reasons we enjoy Tacoma Rainiers games.
They give families another way to experience professional baseball without making every trip to the ballpark a major outing. It’s also easy to make a Rainiers game the centerpiece of a day in Tacoma or simply head down for the game and head home afterward.
You’re getting professional baseball, ballpark food and all the traditions that make going to a game fun. You’re just experiencing them in a smaller and more relaxed setting.
Taking My Kids to the Same Ballpark I Visited as a Kid
Some of my earliest memories of the Tacoma Rainiers are going to games at Cheney Stadium with my dad.
Now I’m the dad bringing my own kids.
The stadium has changed and the experience has evolved, but there’s something pretty cool about taking my son and daughter to the same place where I watched baseball as a kid.
And now I get to watch my kids lean forward in their seats, ask questions about the game and start figuring out what’s happening on the field.
We love going to Mariners games. But you don’t always need the major leagues to have a great day at the ballpark.
Sometimes a Tacoma Rainiers game is exactly what you’re looking for.
Have you gone to a Tacoma Rainiers game? What is your favorite part of the experience? We’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment below or connect with us on Facebook and Instagram. You can also check out Seattle Bloggers for more family-friendly activities around the Seattle area.
