Assistant Sports Editor
Adam Thaler
253-597-8512
athaler@theolympian.com
Sports Reporter
Meg Wochnick
360-754-5473
mwochnick@theolympian.com
Matt Mangini doesn't remember many details from his last trip to AT&T Brick-town Ballpark in Oklahoma City, but he does recall that it was a special experience.
Nick Lachey, part-owner of the Tacoma Rainiers and former boy-band heartthrob, stood by smiling and watching as the players sprayed beer and champagne throughout the visiting locker room at AutoZone Park Friday night.
The story of how the Rainiers took command of the Pacific Coast League championship with an 11-7 Game 2 win over the Memphis Redbirds Wednesday night at AutoZone Park was actually more of a trilogy.
So the Rainiers won't get to play at home during the Pacific Coast League championship series with Memphis. So?
Ryan Feierabend was told his surgically repaired elbow would feel different. And, sure enough, it did.
Some in the crowd of 983 fans who attended Saturday's Game 4 of the Pacific Coast League Pacific Conference playoff series between the Tacoma Rainiers and Sacramento River Cats must have wondered where this was 10 years ago.
Playing in the not-so-familiar confines of the big league organization didn't seem to faze the Tacoma Rainiers. But the Safeco Field advantage didnt exactly live up to expectations.
The fickle waves of momentum have been uncertain at best in the opening round Pacific Coast League playoff series between the Tacoma Rainiers and Sacramento River Cats.
In 2045, when Dustin Ackley and Justin Smoak return to Seattle for the silver-anniversary celebration of the Mariners 2020 world championship , their conversation will take them back to Sept. 10, 2010 - the first time they played in Safeco Field as teammates on the Tacoma Rainiers.
Tacoma got an ideal start to Sunday night's game and kept it going all the way to another ideal ending: The Rainiers are the Pacific Coast League's Pacific North Division champions for a second consecutive season.