|
Dozer Park
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] HistoryOfficial 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] The fieldDozer 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] Luxury suitesDozer Park accommodates 20 luxury suites. Examples include:
FoodOther than the five fixed concession stands, there are mobile carts around the park. The Chiefs' concessionaire is Professional Sports Catering.[11] See alsoReferences
External links |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
