Pacific Coast League (1960-1965)
Tombstone
Born: 1959 – The Phoenix Giants relocate to Tacoma, WA
Moved: October 1, 1965 (Phoenix Giants)
First Game: April 16, 1960 (L 7-2, W 9-0 vs. Portland Beavers)
Last Game: September 6, 1965 (W 1-0, L 1-0 vs. Hawaii Islanders)
PCL Champions: 1961
Stadium
Cheney Stadium
Opened: 1960
Ownership & Affiliation
Owners:
Major League Affiliation: San Francisco Giants
Background
Pro baseball returned to Tacoma, Washington in the summer of 1960 with the transfer of the Pacific Coast League’s Phoenix Giants. The San Francisco Giants’ top farm club languished in the smothering Arizona heat during the summer of 1959, drawing fewer than 100,000 fans for a 72-game home slate. The City of Tacoma and Pierce County agreed to bond a new 7,000-seater ballpark for the Giants at a cost of just under $1 million. Local lumber dealer Ben Cheney agreed to cover the inevitable cost over-runs and the stadium was named in his honor. The city’s prior club, the Tacoma Tigers of the Western International League, left town after the 1951 season.
San Francisco’s farm system was well stocked during this early 1960’s. Although the Giants era in Tacoma lasted just six seasons, the team produced a stream of future Major League regulars, including a trio of eventual Hall-of-Famers:
- Pitcher Juan Marichal (Tacoma ’60)
- First baseman Willie McCovey (Tacoma ’60)
- Pitcher Gaylord Perry (Tacoma ’61)
Other future All-Stars included OF Matty Alou (Tacoma ’60 & ’63), pitcher Eddie Fisher (Tacoma ’60-’61) and OF Manny Mota (Tacoma ’61).
Return To Phoenix
At the end of the 1965 season, the Giants moved their Pacific Coast League operation back to Phoenix.
The Chicago Cubs swiftly filled the void at Cheney Stadium, entering the Tacoma Cubs (1966-1971) into the PCL for the 1966 season.
Tacoma Giants Shop
Baseball in Tacoma-Pierce County (Images of Baseball)
by Marc H. Blau
Links
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One Response
One of the other baseball stars who moved up to the San Francisco Giants was Jose Pagan. He played outfield, shortstop and even pitched. He hit a home run for SF in the World Series, and was traded to the Pittsburg Pirates where he hit a game winning home run that gave the Pirates the series.