Peoria Chiefs
Founded in1983 Peoria, Illinois
Team logo Cap insignia
Minor league affiliations
Class	High-A (2021–present)
Previous classes	Class A (1983–2020)
League	Midwest League (1983–present)
Division	West Division
Major league affiliations
Team	St. Louis Cardinals (2013–present)
Previous teams	Chicago Cubs (2005–2012) St. Louis Cardinals (1995–2004) Chicago Cubs (1985–1994) California Angels (1983–1984)
Minor league titles
League titles(1)	2002
Division titles(4)	1985 1986 2002 2018
First-half titles(3)	2002 2006 2016
Second-half titles(2)	1996 2009
Wild card berths(8)	1985 1986 1998 2004 2015 2017 2018 2023
Team data
Name	Peoria Chiefs (1984–present)
Previous names	Peoria Suns (1983)
Colors	Red, navy, white
Mascot	Homer
Ballpark	Dozer Park (2002–present)
Previous parks	Vonachen Stadium (1983–2001)
Owner/ Operator	Peoria Chiefs Community Baseball LLC
General manager	Jason Mott
Manager	Roberto Espinoza
Website	milb.com/peoria

ThePeoria Chiefs are aMinor League Baseball team of theMidwest League and theHigh-A affiliate of theSt. Louis Cardinals. The team was established in 1983 as thePeoria Suns. They are located inPeoria, Illinois, and were named for thePeoriaIndian tribe for which the city was named. In 1996, the team replaced the Native American logo associated with the "Chiefs" name with a logo of a cardinal. The logo was changed again in 2005 to adalmatian depicted as afire chief.^[1] The Chiefs play their home games atDozer Park, which opened in 2002. They previously played atVonachen Stadium nearBradley University from 1983 through 2001. The Chiefs have made the playoffs a total of 13 times, through eight wild-card berths, three first-half titles, and two second-half titles.

The history of professional baseball in Peoria dates to the late 19th century. ThePeoria Reds,Peoria Canaries, andPeoria Blackbirds played in several early leagues during parts of 1878 to 1895. The first ballpark used by these teams was reportedly calledSylvan Park and was located at the corner of Northeast Glendale Avenue and Spring Street on the location of the present-day St. Augustine Manor.^[2] In 1883, the club moved a few blocks towardPeoria Lake, to a facility calledLake View Park, on the southeast corner of Northeast Adams Street and Grant Street, which would remain the home of various Peoria clubs for the next four decades.

The 1895 club was dubbed thePeoria Distillers, referencing theHiram Walker plant. From 1891 to 1911, Frank E. Murphy fromGreen Bay, Wisconsin, became involved with baseball, beginning with the purchase of the Peoria team of the Midwest League, which he later renamed thePeoria Hoosiers. That nickname would stick with the various Peoria clubs for the next couple of decades, including their first stretch with theThree-I League from 1905 to 1917. After the resumption of following the peak of American involvement inWorld War I, thePeoria Tractors name gained favor in 1919, with the growth of the nearby branch of the company later calledCaterpillar Inc.

In 1923, the team opened a new ballpark calledWoodruff Field in honor of a long-time mayor of Peoria. The new park was just across Grant Street from Lake View Park. The Tractors continued to play in several leagues before folding after the 1937 season. The city was then without professional baseball for the next 15 years. The name Peoria Chiefs first appeared with a new franchise in the Three-I League in 1953. This club disbanded after 1957, and Peoria was again without professional ball, for the next 25 years until the current Chiefs set up shop. The Woodruff Field site is now a softball facility called Woodruff Park.

The Peoria Suns began play in 1983 when theDanville Suns relocated to Peoria fromDanville, Illinois.^[3][4] They played their home games atMeinen Field, built in 1968, near theBradley University campus. The team's name was changed to the Chiefs in 1984. The 1984 team wasmanaged by futureMajor League Baseball managerJoe Maddon.

The 1988 team, managed by future major league managerJim Tracy, was the subject of Joseph Bosco's bookThe Boys Who Would Be Cubs.^[5]

Meinen Field was renovated before the 1992 season and renamed Vonachen Stadium in honor of Chiefs ownerPete Vonachen. The team moved toDozer Park in downtown Peoria on May 24, 2002. During the new park's first year, the team set a franchise attendance record of 254,407 and won the Midwest League championship.

Former Cubs catcherJody Davis managed the 2006 team.

Baseball Hall of FamerRyne Sandberg was hired to manage the 2007 Chiefs, which went 71–68 and finished the second half 40–30 in a tie for the division title, but missed the playoff on a tiebreaker. The team set a new season attendance record of 259,794, an average of 3,800 per game. Sandberg returned to manage the Chiefs in 2008. The team set a Midwest League single-game attendance record on July 29, 2008, when the Chiefs drew a crowd of 32,103 toWrigley Field in Chicago for a game against theKane County Cougars.^[6]

The Chiefs' affiliation with the Cubs ended after the 2012 season,^[7] and they entered into a player-development contract with theSt. Louis Cardinals.^[8]

UnderMajor League Baseball's restructuring of Minor League Baseball in 2021, the Chiefs were organized into theHigh-A Central.^[9] In 2022, the High-A Central became known as the Midwest League, the name used by the regional circuit before the 2021 reorganization.^[10]

The team is owned by Peoria Chiefs Community Baseball LLC.^[11]

During a game on July 23, 2008,Dayton Dragons hit three Chiefs batters. The teams played again the following day, and in the first inning, Chiefs pitcher Julio Castillo hit Dragons batterZack Cozart in the head. Two batters later, Castillo hit Angel Cabrera in the arm, and nearly hit another Dragon player in the head after that. Cabrera then spiked the Chiefs shortstop at second base on a slide. At that point, Chiefs fill-in managerCarmelo Martinez began arguing with the umpire. This brought out the Dragons manager, Donnie Scott, and the two argued for a few minutes before the umpires broke it up.

During the coaches' argument, pitcher Castillo fired a ball at the Dragons' dugout. The ball struck a fan, who was taken to the hospital. Brandon Menchaca proceeded to tackle Castillo from behind as both benches cleared, delaying the game for 69 minutes. After the game, Castillo was arrested for felonious assault.^[12] The injured fan, Chris McCarthy, suffered a concussion but recovered.

On August 8, 2009, Castillo was convicted of felonious assault causing serious physical injury and was sentenced to 30 days in jail.^[13] In April 2010, a judge released Castillo from probation "on the condition that he leave the United States and not return for a minimum of three years."^[14][15]

• Benson, Michael (1989).Baseball Parks of North America. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Co.
• Dinda, J. (2003),Peoria, Illinois, in the Midwest League
• Filichia, Peter (1993).Professional Baseball Franchises. New York: Facts on File Books.

Wikimedia Commons has media related toPeoria Chiefs.

• Official website
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• Midwest League teams
• Baseball teams established in 1983
• Sports clubs and teams in Peoria, Illinois
• Professional baseball teams in Illinois
• St. Louis Cardinals minor league affiliates
• Chicago Cubs minor league affiliates
• Los Angeles Angels minor league affiliates
• 1983 establishments in Illinois
• High-A Central teams

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