Ballpark Digest
The Business of Ballparks and Baseball in Major League Baseball, Minor League Baseball, Indy, Summer Collegiate and College
Due to high water surrounding Modern Woodmen Park, the Quad Cities River Bandits (Low A; Midwest League) are shifting a June 4-6 home series against the Peoria Chiefs to Peoria’s Dozer Park. The ballpark remains unaffected by the flood waters, but due to the recent flooding across River Drive there is no unimpeded access for fans, players and staff. (more…)
We have personnel news to report from the Peoria Chiefs (Low A; Midwest League), the Wilmington Blue Rocks (High A; Carolina League), and the Duluth Huskies (summer collegiate; Northwoods League). (more…)
We saw a few of these successful cross-team promos in 2017, and it looks like more are on tap this season, with the temporarily renamed Bowling Green Bootleggers and Peoria Distillers battling it out in the Low-A Midwest League. (more…)
Rocky Vonachen is stepping down as president of the Peoria Chiefs (Low A; Midwest League), saying that he’s ready to be done with the daily grind of running a Minor League Baseball team. (more…)
Caitlin Carter of the Visalia Rawhide (High A; California League) and Kate Voss of the Peoria Chiefs (Low A: Midwest League) are winners of the inaugural Women in Baseball Event Scholarship. The announcement was made by Minor League Baseball and Baseball Winter Meetings Supporting Partner InfoMart. (more…)
Another cool promo to note: The Peoria Chiefs (Low A; Midwest League) will be playing this Thursday as the Peoria Distillers, a throwback to the team’s identity in the early 1900s. (more…)
Another PDC to announce: The Peoria Chiefs (Low Class A; Midwest League) and St. Louis Cardinals have extended their player-development contract for four additional years, through the 2020 season. The current four-year deal was signed in September 2012 and runs through the 2016 season. “The Peoria Chiefs continue to run a first-class operation providing us […]
Pete Vonachen, the guiding spirit behind the Peoria Chiefs (Low Class A; Midwest League) since 1983, passed away yesterday at the age of 87. Vonachen was already an important member of the Peoria community when he bought the then-Peoria Suns in 1983; he was a high-profile restaurateur and entrepreneur with several businesses to his name. […]
The Peoria Chiefs (Low Class A; Midwest League) have sold naming ballpark rights to Caterpillar under a 10-year, $2-million deal, with result being Dozer Park. “The company was founded on the bulldozer,” said Jim Baumgartner, Director of Corporate Affairs. “We wanted to choose something that represents Caterpillar’s heritage but also represents Peoria. This is our […]
The Peoria City Council easily approved a $1.2-million debt-reduction package for the Peoria Chiefs (Low Class A; Midwest League), clearing the way for the team to restructure some $7.35 million in debt. The proposal, which passed 9-1, wipes out debt owed to the city on Peoria Chiefs Stadium. With city approval, private lenders will move […]
A proposal to restructure debt on Peoria Chiefs Stadium, home of the Peoria Chiefs (Low Class A; Midwest League), will be discussed by the Peoria City Council tonight. The city is being asked to forgive $1.2 million on Chiefs ballpark debt as part of a larger debt-restructuring deal, with private lenders retiring and restructuring much […]
The Peoria Chiefs (Low Class A; Midwest League) are reportedly seeking public assistance on debt remaining on Peoria Chiefs Stadium, as the team faces financial issues on the outstanding bank loan and property-tax fronts. There is $4.2 million of debt remaining on the ballpark, and the team has faced some financial issues in the last […]
The Peoria Chiefs (Low Class A; Midwest League) unveiled a new logo to coincide with the team’s signing of a new affiliation with the St. Louis Cardinals — with the subtlest change we’ve ever seen. There is only a single change between the old logo (at right) and the new logo, shown above. If you […]