| |
Former names | O'Brien Field (2002–2008) Chiefs Stadium (2009–2013) [1] |
---|---|
Location | 730 Southwest Jefferson Street Peoria, IL 61605 |
Coordinates | 40°41′15″N89°35′51″W / 40.68750°N 89.59750°W |
Public transit | CityLink |
Owner | Peoria Chiefs Community Baseball LLC |
Operator | Peoria Chiefs Community Baseball LLC |
Capacity | 8,500 |
Record attendance | 8,825 (May 24, 2002 vs. Kane County Cougars) |
Field size | Left Field: 310 ft (94.49 m) Left Center: 375 ft (114.3 m) Center Field: 400 ft (121.92 m) Right Center: 375 ft (114.3 m) Right Field: 310 ft (94.49 m) |
Surface | Sod (1–1¼ inches) |
Construction | |
Broke ground | August 16, 2001 |
Opened | May 24, 2002 [1] |
Construction cost | $23 million ($39 million in 2023 dollars [2] ) |
Architect | HNTB |
Services engineer | Clark Engineers MW Inc. [3] |
General contractor | River City Construction LLC [3] |
Main contractors | Prairie Construction Systems Inc. [3] |
Tenants | |
Peoria Chiefs (MWL/High-A Central) (2002–present) Bradley Braves (NCAA) (2002–present) |
Dozer Park, originally O'Brien Field and formerly Chiefs Stadium, is a baseball field located in downtown Peoria, Illinois. [4] It is the home of the Peoria Chiefs, the Midwest League affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals; the Chiefs previously played at Meinen Field. The college baseball team of Bradley University also uses the field. It opened on May 24, 2002. [1]
Official groundbreaking ceremonies for the $23 million multi-purpose stadium took place on August 16, 2001. [5] The stadium opened on May 24, 2002, as O'Brien Field, [1] with a game between the Chiefs and the Kane County Cougars. [6]
O'Brien Auto Team held the original naming rights to the facility. [6]
In 2011, the stadium hosted to the IHSA Class 1A and 2A baseball state finals. This was the first year the games were played at the facility. [7]
In April 2013, the Chiefs, including the stadium, received $7.35 million in financing and debt forgiveness. The plan included forgiveness of $1.2 million in debt to the City of Peoria; including $2 million in funding from Caterpillar Inc. for naming rights over 10 years; and $2.7 million in new investment of cash and equity by the Chiefs' ownership group of about 50. [8]
On May 10, 2013, Caterpillar and the Chiefs announced that the stadium would be renamed "Dozer Park", a reference to Caterpillar bulldozers. [4] [1]
Dozer Park's sod has an 8-inch (200 mm) deep root zone of 90% sand and 10% Dakota peat for nutrition. The high concentration of sand naturally relieves soil compaction.
Beneath the sand and peat mix are 6 inches (150 mm) of gravel. Running through the gravel are drainage tiles that run from home plate to center field. A huge sump pump beyond center field then drains into the city sewer system.
The makeup of the pitcher's mound and batter's boxes are almost 100% clay because it packs better and is wear resistant. The rest of the infield skin area is around 40% clay, 30% silt and 20% sand.
The field will hold up to 5 inches (130 mm) of rain an hour.
The field is mowed every day during homestands, trimmed to 1–1+1⁄4 inches (25–32 mm) high. It takes 1.25 hours to cut the outfield grass 2 directions with a 100-inch (2.5 m) cut mower. A walk-behind mower is used for the infield.
The price tag for the field itself was around $450,000. [9]
Dozer Park accommodates 20 luxury suites. Examples include:
Other than the five fixed concession stands, there are mobile carts around the park. The Chiefs' concessionaire is Professional Sports Catering. [11]
Trenton Thunder Ballpark, formerly known as Mercer County Waterfront Park and Arm & Hammer Park, is a ballpark in Trenton, New Jersey. It is the home park for the Trenton Thunder, a collegiate summer baseball team of the MLB Draft League. They were previously a Double-A level Minor League Baseball team of the Eastern League (1994–2020). For 2021, it served as temporary home of Triple-A East's Buffalo Bisons, as their regular stadium, Sahlen Field, was being used by the Toronto Blue Jays due to travel restrictions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. The official seating capacity is 6,440.
Hammons Field is a minor league baseball stadium located in Springfield, Missouri, with a capacity of 7,986 plus approximately 2,500 general admission seating. The facility, funded entirely by local businessman, hotel mogul and benefactor John Q. Hammons, is the centerpiece of the midtown development project, Jordan Valley Park, on the corner of Sherman Avenue and Trafficway Boulevard. Completed in April 2004, it is home to the Springfield Cardinals, the Texas League affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals as well as the Missouri State University Bears.
Chukchansi Park, formerly known as Grizzlies Stadium, is a city-owned baseball stadium located in Fresno, California, United States, completed in 2002 as the home for Minor League Baseball's Fresno Grizzlies. The first game was May 1, 2002. Located in downtown Fresno, it was designed to be an anchor in the rehabilitation of the area, as other commercial development is planned in the Central Business District Loop. The ballpark is also used for music concerts, motocross events, and high school football.
NBT Bank Stadium is a publicly owned, 10,815-seat, minor league baseball stadium in Syracuse, New York. It is the home stadium for the Syracuse Mets Triple-A baseball team of the International League. The stadium, owned and at times operated by Onondaga County, opened on April 10, 1997, replacing the aging MacArthur Stadium which had served as home to Syracuse's professional baseball teams since 1934 and which was demolished in 1997.
Victory Field is a minor league ballpark in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. It is home to the Indianapolis Indians of the International League.
Northwestern Medicine Field is a baseball field located in Geneva, Illinois. The stadium was built in 1991 and holds 10,923 people. It is the home ballpark of the Kane County Cougars. The stadium has the highest capacity for any independent league baseball stadium.
Momentum Bank Ballpark is a ballpark in Midland, Texas. It is primarily used for baseball, and is the home field of the Double-A Midland RockHounds minor league baseball team of the Texas League. Opened in 2002, the stadium holds 6,669 people with 4,709 fixed seats and the rest in berm seating.
Bank of the James Stadium, formerly Calvin Falwell Field at City Stadium and originally named "City Stadium", is a ballpark located in Lynchburg, Virginia, United States, and the current home of the minor league Lynchburg Hillcats team.
Classic Auto Group Park is a stadium in Eastlake, Ohio, in the suburbs of Cleveland. It is primarily used for baseball, and is the home field of the Lake County Captains minor league baseball team. It was built in 2003 at a cost of $22 million under the name Eastlake Park and holds 7,273 people.
ShoreTown Ballpark is a stadium in Lakewood, New Jersey. It is primarily used for baseball and is the home field of the Jersey Shore BlueClaws South Atlantic League baseball team, affiliated with the Philadelphia Phillies Major League Baseball team. It is also used for outdoor concerts, featuring touring musical artists such as Bob Dylan. It was built in 2001 and has 6,588 fixed seats with extended additional space on grass berms and at picnic tables around the 360-degree concourse.
DoTerra Field at UCCU Ballpark, is a baseball park in the western United States, on the campus of Utah Valley University (UVU) in southwestern Orem, Utah. It is the home field of the Utah Valley Wolverines of the NCAA Division I Western Athletic Conference (WAC).
Valley Strong Ballpark is a minor league baseball stadium in Visalia, California. The stadium, formerly known as Recreation Ballpark, currently serves as the home to the Visalia Rawhide of the California League. The Rawhide is an affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Huntington Park is a baseball stadium located in Columbus, Ohio, United States. It primarily serves as the home of the Columbus Clippers of the International League, the Triple-A minor league affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians since 2009.
Medlar Field at Lubrano Park is a 5,570-seat baseball stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania, that hosted its first regular season baseball game on June 20, 2006, when the State College Spikes lost to the Williamsport Crosscutters, 5–3. The Penn State Nittany Lions college baseball team began play at the ballpark in 2007.
Melaleuca Field is a stadium in the western United States, located in Idaho Falls, Idaho. Primarily a baseball park, it is the home field of the Idaho Falls Chukars independent Minor League Baseball team and was built during the Pioneer League 2006–07 offseason. American Legion and local high school games are also played at the field.
Bowling Green Ballpark is a 4,559-seat stadium in Downtown Bowling Green, Kentucky. It is primarily used for baseball and is home to the Bowling Green Hot Rods of the High-A East of Minor League Baseball. This state-of-the-art stadium opened with Citizens First Opening Night on April 17, 2009, to a standing room only crowd of 6,886. The Bowling Green Hot Rods defeated the Kannapolis Intimidators 8–4 in this much anticipated opening game that brought professional baseball to Bowling Green for the first time in 67 years. Many ceremonial "first" pitches were thrown, and the starting lineup of the Hot Rods were driven onto the field by locally owned vintage Hot Rods. The offices for the Bowling Green Hot Rods and several other touches were finally completed after the 2009 season.
Oneok Field is a baseball park in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Located in the historic Greenwood district adjacent to downtown Tulsa, it is the home of the Tulsa Drillers of the Texas League. The stadium is named for Oneok.
Parkview Field is a ballpark in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It is the home of the Fort Wayne TinCaps, a Minor League Baseball team in the Midwest League.
Werner Park is a minor league ballpark in eastern Nebraska, the home of the Omaha Storm Chasers and USL League One professional soccer club Union Omaha. The University of Nebraska Omaha Mavericks also occasionally used the stadium for some home college baseball games.
Las Vegas Ballpark is a baseball stadium in Summerlin South, Nevada, United States. It is the home field for the Las Vegas Aviators of the Pacific Coast League, who are currently affiliated with the Athletics. The stadium, along with its primary tenant, is owned by Seaport Entertainment Group. Las Vegas Ballpark is located in Downtown Summerlin near the intersection of South Pavilion Center Drive and Summerlin Center Drive next to City National Arena and across the street from the Downtown Summerlin shopping center. Construction of the $150 million stadium began in 2018 and was completed in time for the Aviators' 2019 season. It replaced the team's previous home at Cashman Field, where the Aviators had resided since 1983 as the Stars and 51s, respectively.