When the 2024 Pacific International League’s Cheney Studs take the field this summer, you may not be aware of the nostalgia attached to this particular season. When pinstripe uniforms were originally adorned by Stud players in 1954, a movie ticket was 70 cents, “Father Knows Best” had just debuted on National Television, the average cost of a new car was $1,700, and Swanson was introducing their innovative “TV Dinners” to families across America.
The year the Studs played their inaugural game, some of baseball’s historical narratives were already underway with the dominance of the New York Yankees, the growing popularity of televised games, and the emergence of new and electrifying Hall of Famers. In 1954 specifically, Yogi Berra and Willie Mays were recognized as league MVPs, and Sports Illustrated printed it’s very first issue and featured “America’s Favorite Pastime” on the cover with a photo of Hall of Fame third baseman Eddie Mathews at the plate. Meanwhile, for Tacoma’s own baseball champion, Ben Bradburry Cheney, his desire to create and sponsor a team of his own had become a reality. Ben Cheney founded the Cheney Studs in 1954 and for a handful of years, he played for the team as an infielder. Little did he know that 70 years later his prized “Studs” would eventually be the third oldest team of those eligible to participate in the National Baseball Congress (NBC). On top of that, he certainly could not have anticipated that his youngest grandchild, Henry, would earn a MVP award of his own after helping lead the Studs to victory in the 2019 National Baseball Congress World Series.
For those unfamiliar with the Pacific International League, the summer collegiate league is populated by three groups of ballplayers: collegiate athletes, former professional athletes, and college graduates are also able to participate. Their season runs late May through mid-August with approximately 35-40 games on their schedule, and culminates in the National Baseball Congress World Series in Wichita, Kansas. 2024 marks the 90th year of this tournament. It’s an opportunity for players to showcase their abilities and for some, a chance to simply keep playing the game they love. To date, the NBC World Series has produced more than 800 Major League Baseball players including Satchel Paige, Tony Gwynn, Mark McGwire, Roger Clemens, Ozzie Smith, Albert Pujols, and Tim Lincecum.
Ben Cheney had one son, Bradbury (Brad), who sits at the helm of the Cheney family foundation and is the natural spokesperson, in many ways, for the family’s public facing activity. A devoted baseball fan to this day, Brad played first base and pitcher for the Browns Point Little League version of the Studs team. More than a hobby for his father to engage in, he recognizes that through creating the Studs his father was able to sponsor a baseball team at the highest level possible, investing in a team and players with talent, skill and genuine passion. Today Brad is most proud of the team’s longevity and how his father’s dream has continued on as long as it has. However, when approached about the Cheney Studs, he is quick to turn the story to another man who has served his family faithfully for nearly four decades. Working closely with Brad in a long-time Studs leadership role is a local man who originally came alongside Brad and eventually became the teams enthusiastic and inimitable leader.
When Barry Aden was 10 years old, he and his family found themselves at a sports complex in Burien, Washington for his 16-year-old brother’s baseball game. As the younger brother curiously wandered the facility and peered through a cyclone fence, one team in particular caught his eyes, ending his exploration. The next thing he knew, he was being handed a sweaty helmet and was invited to serve as the bat boy for Cheney Studs for the next five innings. After that experience, he was hooked. Only later in life would he learn his very own father had tried out for the Cheney Studs in 1954, but unfortunately it was too late to be added to the roster. Fast forward to the early 1990’s and then again in 2001 when the early signs of Studs fandom turned into much more as this now experienced ball player took the role as their new head coach, and then GM, and field manager. He continues to fill these roles in 2024 and no one would argue that Barry Aden is the heart and the soul of the team.
Barry Aden, now a member of the National Baseball Congress Hall of Fame, successfully pitched for the Studs from 1980 to 1993, with a Studs career boasting of three no hitters and 100 wins. As the head coach he has managed the team through 27 appearances at the NBC World Series resulting in three championship titles. In 35 years of coaching, he has produced over 1,200 wins. Perhaps more satisfying than the stats and victories, is the knowledge that he’s a part of something that matters for our region, all the while securing a legacy of sportsmanship and service for himself and his family. Furthermore, keeping in the theme of generations, two out of Barry’s four boys are heavily involved with the team as well.
To “Coach Barry” the Studs represent tradition, family, longevity and respect. Things a community needs and can rely on. He feels rewarded to see the lifelong relationships forged on the team; between him and the players, and between the players themselves. He is grateful to know that who he is, as a man and a coach, will be remembered because of his time spent with the team.
Having never met Ben Cheney himself, Barry strives to manage the type of organization the founder would be proud of. Among the countless memories he has collected over the years, there is one that holds a special spot in his mind and heart; the time Ben Cheney’s youngest grandchild, Henry, helped lead the Studs to Victory in the 2019 NBC World Series.
Tacoma’s Henry Cheney, son of Brad Cheney and grandson of Ben B. Cheney, has loved the game of baseball as long as he can remember. His childhood memories are filled with playing backyard baseball with his father and, of course, stories of his grandfather’s beloved Studs. In his teenage years, he credits baseball for teaching him the value of teamwork and how to work hard. He took those values to University of Portland where he played collegiate ball, and then to Charles Wright Academy where he currently serves as the school’s Assistant Athletic Director and baseball coach. Naturally, when Henry had the opportunity to wear a uniform that featured his family name on both the front and back of the jersey, he jumped at the chance to play for the Cheney Studs the summers of 2018 and 2019. During those seasons he strove to make his family proud.
In 2019, the destinies of Ben B. Cheney, Brad Cheney, Barry Aden and Henry Cheney would intersect in an extraordinary way, adding a new newspaper clipping to Cheney Studs history books. That year the Studs made it to yet another NBC World Series in Wichita, Kansas but this year, with Right Fielder Henry Cheney on the roster. In true Hollywood fashion, his batting average rose to .429 and he ended up scoring the winning run in the championship game, ultimately helping secure the underdog Studs’ 5-4 win. As a result, he became the series MVP.
It was a moment that Brad, Barry and Henry would never forget, and one that was permeated with the spirit and simple, boyish excitement of Ben Cheney. As his father and grandfather before him, and as modeled by Coach Barry Aden, Henry continues to give back to his community serving as the Assistant Athletic Director for his alma mater, Charles Wright Academy, and on his family foundation board.
One of the great elements of baseball is the storytelling, and the Cheney Studs are filled with hometown stories; stories of friendships, legacy, family, and even serendipity, as in 10-year-old Barry’s case. For baseball fans, something as simple as a uniform can represent those stories so this year, look out for the pinstripes and remember the men and families who, together, have kept the Cheney Studs alive and have enthusiastically served countless aspiring baseball players for seven decades. If you want to root for the Cheney Studs in person as they celebrate 70 years of PNW baseball, you can find their 2024 at Seattlecheneystuds.com/home/schedule/.
