Tacoma Rainiers And Seattle Mariners Announce Four-Year Extension Of Player Development Contract Through 2022
TACOMA, Wash. - Tacoma Rainiers Team President Aaron Artman and Seattle Mariners Director of Player Development Andy McKay today announced a four-year extension of their Player Development Contract that will run through the 2022 Pacific Coast League season.The partnership between Tacoma and Seattle has been in place since 1995, making
TACOMA, Wash. - Tacoma Rainiers Team President Aaron Artman and Seattle Mariners Director of Player Development Andy McKay today announced a four-year extension of their Player Development Contract that will run through the 2022 Pacific Coast League season.
The partnership between Tacoma and Seattle has been in place since 1995, making their affiliation one of the strongest and longest-lasting affiliate relationships in baseball. The Rainiers 2019 season will be the 25th year as the Mariners top minor league affiliate - during that span Tacoma has posted an all-time record of 1,741-1,690 (.507).
"This has always been a great relationship," Tacoma Rainiers owner Mikal Thomsen said. "Our fans in Tacoma and I are all Mariners fans, so it is a natural thing to follow players on both teams from the fan standpoint. On the business side, the Mariners - to a person and as an organization - have been great to work with, and we look forward to maintaining this affiliation far into the future."
Since joining the Seattle organization, Tacoma has collected five division titles, three conference championships, and two Pacific Coast League Championships (2001, 2010). Rainiers players and field staff have also accumulated numerous awards over the course of the affiliation, including 47 mid-season all-star selections, one PCL Pitcher of the Year, two PCL Rookies of the Year, three PCL Mangers of the Year, five league ERA champions, and one league strikeout champion.
"The Mariners are excited to be able to extend our relationship with the Rainiers," McKay said. "The Rainiers have consistently demonstrated their commitment to providing the best possible environment for our prospects to develop, as well as providing an opportunity for baseball fans in the Pacific Northwest to meet the next generation of Mariners."
The Mariners current 38-man active roster features 22 players who have spent time with the Rainiers, including 17 who saw the Cheney Stadium field during the 2018 season. Since 1995, numerous future Seattle stars came through Tacoma before beginning their Major League careers in earnest including Félix Hernández, Kyle Seager, James Paxton, Mike Zunino, Freddy Garcia, and Alex Rodriguez.
"Being Seattle's Triple-A affiliate makes sense for this franchise on so many levels," Artman said. "We are thrilled to extend this partnership with the Mariners, and look forward to showcasing their top prospects at Cheney Stadium for years to come."
Since the renovation of Cheney Stadium in 2011, the Tacoma Rainiers have made numerous investments to improve the fan experience and baseball development facilities at the ballpark. These capital projects and upgrades have helped shape Cheney Stadium into one of the premier destinations in the country for grooming Major League talent.
"The relationship between the Mariners and the Rainiers has been a staple of baseball in the Pacific Northwest since 1995," Mariners Executive Vice President & General Manager Jerry Dipoto said. "While we are two franchises, we remain one baseball family and couldn't be more thankful for our terrific partners in Tacoma. We fully believe this is simply the next chapter in what will soon be a quarter century of tradition."
To learn more about 2019 season ticket options, party deck and suite options, or group ticket options, please email tickets@wertacoma.com or call 253-752-7707. The most up-to-date news and notes about the Tacoma Rainiers leading up to the 2019 season can be found by following the club on Twitter (@RainiersLand) and liking the team on Facebook.
Rainiers Name Rylee Pay Team Broadcaster
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Tacoma Adds Six Games to 2025 Home Schedule
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Tacoma Rainiers Broadcaster Announces Retirement
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Jason Vosler Named PCL All-Star
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Rainiers Set PCL Record in Shutout Win
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September 21 Game Notes: Tacoma Rainiers vs. Round Rock Express
TACOMA RAINIERS (80-68) vs. ROUND ROCK EXPRESS (71-75) Saturday, September 21 • 6:05 PM • Cheney Stadium • Tacoma, WA RHP Casey Lawrence (10-11, 6.13) vs. LHP Avery Weems (0-1, 11.57)
Express Win in Extras
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September 20 Game Notes: Tacoma Rainiers vs. Round Rock Express
TACOMA RAINIERS (80-67) vs. ROUND ROCK EXPRESS (70-75) Friday, September 20 • 7:05 PM • Cheney Stadium • Tacoma, WA RHP Blas Castano (5-4, 5.24) vs. LHP Jacob Latz (0-0, 2.45)
Rainiers Earn 80th Win
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September 19 Game Notes: Tacoma Rainiers vs. Round Rock Express
TACOMA RAINIERS (79-67) vs. ROUND ROCK EXPRESS (70-74) Thursday, September 19 • 7:05 PM • Cheney Stadium • Tacoma, WA RHP Michael Mariot (9-7, 5.94) vs. RHP Peter Solomon (6-4, 6.27)
Express Even Series
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September 18 Game Notes: Tacoma Rainiers vs. Round Rock Express
TACOMA RAINIERS (79-66) vs. ROUND ROCK EXPRESS (69-74) Wednesday, September 18 • 6:05 PM • Cheney Stadium • Tacoma, WA RHP Nick Payero (0-0, 1.80) vs. RHP Ryan Garcia (2-3, 3.08)
Rainiers Walk Off Express in Opener
TACOMA, WA – The Tacoma Rainiers (79-66) won a back-and-forth game against the Round Rock Express (69-74) by a score of 14-12 in extras, Tuesday at Cheney Stadium. Tacoma took an early 2-0 lead in the first on singles from Jason Vosler and Jake Slaughter, but Round Rock immediately answered
September 17 Game Notes: Tacoma Rainiers vs. Round Rock Express
TACOMA RAINIERS (78-66) vs. ROUND ROCK EXPRESS (69-73) Tuesday, September 17 • 6:05 PM • Cheney Stadium • Tacoma, WA LHP Rob Kaminsky (1-0, 6.98) vs. RHP Adrian Sampson (8-10, 5.57)
Rainiers Lose Final Road Game of Season
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Oklahoma City Takes Series Lead
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – The Tacoma Rainiers (78-65) lost by a score of 9-3 to the Oklahoma City Baseball Club (74-69), Saturday at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. Oklahoma City jumped in front with a solo home run from Dalton Rushing in the first inning, but Tacoma answered in the second on
September 14 Game Notes: Tacoma Rainiers @ Oklahoma City Baseball Club
TACOMA RAINIERS (78-64) @ OKLAHOMA CITY BASEBALL CLUB (73-69) Saturday, September 14 • 4:05 PM PT • Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark • Oklahoma City, OK RHP Blas Castano (5-3, 4.68) vs. RHP Carlos Duran (0-0, -.--)
Rainiers Even Series with Comeback
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – The Tacoma Rainiers (78-64) evened the series, beating the Oklahoma City Baseball Club (73-69) by a score of 10-5, Friday at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. Ryan Ward opened the scoring in the first inning with a three-run home run, his 30th of the season. Kobe Kato drew
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Late Comeback Gives Rainiers Win
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – The Tacoma Rainiers (77-64) scored seven late runs to beat the Oklahoma City Baseball Club (73-68) by a score of 8-3, Thursday at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. Tyler Locklear started the scoring in the third inning with an RBI single to give Tacoma a 1-0 lead. It