O'Brien Field
Encyclopedia
O'Brien Field is a baseball
field located in downtown Peoria, Illinois
. It is the home of the Peoria Chiefs
, the Class A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs
; the Chiefs previously played at Meinen Field. The college baseball
team of Bradley University
also uses the field. The first game scheduled for the stadium was May 24, 2002, Chiefs vs. Kane County Cougars
. O'Brien Auto Team has the naming rights
to the facility.
Official groundbreaking ceremonies for the $23 million multi-purpose stadium
took place on August 16, 2001. The new stadium includes a Trans-Lux video screen in right field, a state-of-the-art sound system
, 300 Internet stations and the latest in telecom
equipment. The stadium is built to hold 6000 people. About $1 million had been invested in audiovisual equipment, versus $10,000 worth at the old Meinen Field.
The field's official website calls the ballpark "Central Illinois' largest outdoor sports & entertainment facility."
The Chiefs have been experimenting with selling the naming rights to businesses. As they have been unable to find a permanent sponsor, the club has worked out a plan to sell naming rights for a game or set of games that include signage on top of each dugout, mentions in the Chiefs radio broadcasts and over the park's public address system, a 30-second commercial on the video board, 50 tickets to that night's game and the opportunity to distribute promotional material to fans.
In 2011, O'Brien Field played host to the IHSA
Class 1A and 2A baseball state finals. This was the first year the games were played at O'Brien.
has an eight-inch (203 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 six inches (152 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 holds moisture well. The rest of the infield skin area is around 80% clay and 20% sand.
The field will hold up to five inches (127 mm) of rain an hour, another advantage of O’Brien Field. The only way a game could be rained out would be due to a torrential downpour during a game.
The field is mowed every day during homestands, trimmed to 1–1¼ inches high. It takes less than an hour to cut the outfield grass with a 72 inches (1,828.8 mm) cut mower. A walk-behind mower is used for the infield
.
The price tag for the field itself was around $450,000.
stands there are about 40 mobile carts around the park. The Chiefs' concessionaire is Sportservice from Buffalo, New York
. Other stadiums the company services include Busch Stadium
in St. Louis and U.S. Cellular Field
and Soldier Field
in Chicago
.
Aside from the usual fare of hot dogs, cheeseburgers, nachos
, and pizza
, specialty foods such as Vienna Beef
Chicago-style hot dog
s, Dippin' Dots
, and Wisconsin cheese
s are also available.
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
field located in downtown Peoria, Illinois
Peoria, Illinois
Peoria is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States. It is named after the Peoria tribe. As of the 2010 census, the city was the seventh-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 115,007, and is the third-most populated...
. It is the home of the Peoria Chiefs
Peoria Chiefs
The Peoria Chiefs are a Class A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Chicago Cubs, from Peoria, Illinois. They play in the Midwest League....
, the Class A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
; the Chiefs previously played at Meinen Field. The college baseball
College baseball
College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. Compared to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a less significant contribution to cultivating professional players, as the minor leagues primarily...
team of Bradley University
Bradley University
Bradley University, founded in 1897, is a private, co-educational university located in Peoria, Illinois. It is a small institution with an enrollment of approximately 6,100 undergraduate and postgraduate students and a full-time faculty of approximately 350....
also uses the field. The first game scheduled for the stadium was May 24, 2002, Chiefs vs. Kane County Cougars
Kane County Cougars
The Kane County Cougars are a Class A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Kansas City Royals, that plays in the Midwest League. Their home games are played in Geneva, Illinois, about 35 miles west of Chicago....
. O'Brien Auto Team has the naming rights
Naming rights
In the private sector, naming rights are a financial transaction whereby a corporation or other entity purchases the right to name a facility, typically for a defined period of time. For properties like a multi-purpose arena, performing arts venue or an athletic field, the term ranges from three...
to the facility.
Official groundbreaking ceremonies for the $23 million multi-purpose stadium
Multi-purpose stadium
Multi-purpose stadiums are a type of stadium designed in such a way as to be easily used by multiple sports. While any stadium could potentially host more than one sport, this concept usually refers to a specific design philosophy that stresses multi-functionality over specificity...
took place on August 16, 2001. The new stadium includes a Trans-Lux video screen in right field, a state-of-the-art sound system
Sound reinforcement system
A sound reinforcement system is the combination of microphones, signal processors, amplifiers, and loudspeakers that makes live or pre-recorded sounds louder and may also distribute those sounds to a larger or more distant audience...
, 300 Internet stations and the latest in telecom
Telecommunication
Telecommunication is the transmission of information over significant distances to communicate. In earlier times, telecommunications involved the use of visual signals, such as beacons, smoke signals, semaphore telegraphs, signal flags, and optical heliographs, or audio messages via coded...
equipment. The stadium is built to hold 6000 people. About $1 million had been invested in audiovisual equipment, versus $10,000 worth at the old Meinen Field.
The field's official website calls the ballpark "Central Illinois' largest outdoor sports & entertainment facility."
The Chiefs have been experimenting with selling the naming rights to businesses. As they have been unable to find a permanent sponsor, the club has worked out a plan to sell naming rights for a game or set of games that include signage on top of each dugout, mentions in the Chiefs radio broadcasts and over the park's public address system, a 30-second commercial on the video board, 50 tickets to that night's game and the opportunity to distribute promotional material to fans.
In 2011, O'Brien Field played host to the IHSA
IHSA
IHSA can refer to:*Illinois High School Association*Intercollegiate Horse Show Association...
Class 1A and 2A baseball state finals. This was the first year the games were played at O'Brien.
The field
O'Brien Field's sodSod
Sod or turf is grass and the part of the soil beneath it held together by the roots, or a piece of thin material.The term sod may be used to mean turf grown and cut specifically for the establishment of lawns...
has an eight-inch (203 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 six inches (152 mm) of gravel
Gravel
Gravel is composed of unconsolidated rock fragments that have a general particle size range and include size classes from granule- to boulder-sized fragments. Gravel can be sub-categorized into granule and cobble...
. Running through the gravel are drainage tiles that run from home plate
Home Plate
Home Plate is the fifth album by Bonnie Raitt, released in 1975 .-Track listing:#"What Do You Want the Boy to Do?" – 3:19#"Good Enough" – 2:56#"Run Like a Thief" – 3:02...
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 holds moisture well. The rest of the infield skin area is around 80% clay and 20% sand.
The field will hold up to five inches (127 mm) of rain an hour, another advantage of O’Brien Field. The only way a game could be rained out would be due to a torrential downpour during a game.
The field is mowed every day during homestands, trimmed to 1–1¼ inches high. It takes less than an hour to cut the outfield grass with a 72 inches (1,828.8 mm) cut mower. A walk-behind mower is used for the infield
Infield
Infield is a widely used term in sports terminology, its meaning depends on the sport in which it is used.- In baseball :In baseball the baseball diamond plus a region beyond it , has both grass and dirt, in contrast to the more distant, usually grass-covered outfield...
.
The price tag for the field itself was around $450,000.
Luxury suites
O'Brien Field accommodates 20 luxury suites. Examples include:- Peoria attorney Jay Janssen’s suite — "A large, ornate Oriental rugOriental rugAn authentic oriental rug is a handmade carpet that is either knotted with pile or woven without pile.By definition - Oriental rugs are rugs that come from the orient...
covers most of the green-carpeted suite, which includes six candelabraCandelabra"Candelabra" is the traditional term for a set of multiple decorative candlesticks, each of which often holds a candle on each of multiple arms or branches connected to a column or pedestal...
wall sconces, a chandelierChandelierA chandelier is a branched decorative ceiling-mounted light fixture with two or more arms bearing lights. Chandeliers are often ornate, containing dozens of lamps and complex arrays of glass or crystal prisms to illuminate a room with refracted light...
in the center, cherry wood cabinetry and chair rail, decorative border print, a green marbleMarbleMarble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
-topped tableTable (furniture)A table is a form of furniture with a flat and satisfactory horizontal upper surface used to support objects of interest, for storage, show, and/or manipulation...
, a rose-colored graniteGraniteGranite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
pedestalPedestalPedestal is a term generally applied to the support of a statue or a vase....
bar overlooking the field and burgundy leatherLeatherLeather is a durable and flexible material created via the tanning of putrescible animal rawhide and skin, primarily cattlehide. It can be produced through different manufacturing processes, ranging from cottage industry to heavy industry.-Forms:...
stoolsChairA chair is a stable, raised surface used to sit on, commonly for use by one person. Chairs are most often supported by four legs and have a back; however, a chair can have three legs or could have a different shape depending on the criteria of the chair specifications. A chair without a back or...
and chairs. In the kitchenetteKitchenetteA kitchenette is a small cooking area.In motel and hotel rooms, small apartments, college dormitories, or office buildings a kitchenette usually consists of a small refrigerator, a microwave oven or hotplate, and, less frequently, a sink...
, a full-sized refrigeratorRefrigeratorA refrigerator is a common household appliance that consists of a thermally insulated compartment and a heat pump that transfers heat from the inside of the fridge to its external environment so that the inside of the fridge is cooled to a temperature below the ambient temperature of the room...
is accompanied by a full-size ovenOvenAn oven is a thermally insulated chamber used for the heating, baking or drying of a substance. It is most commonly used for cooking. Kilns, and furnaces are special-purpose ovens...
and a sinkSinkA sink is a bowl-shaped plumbing fixture used for washing hands, for dishwashing or other purposes. Sinks generally have taps that supply hot and cold water and may include a spray feature to be used for faster rinsing...
with a gold-plated faucet." according to the Peoria Journal StarPeoria Journal StarThe Journal Star is the major daily newspaper for Peoria, Illinois and surrounding area. First owned locally, then employee-owned, it became a Copley-owned entity in 1996. In 2007, the paper was sold to Fairport, New York-based GateHouse Media.-History:... - Caterpillar, Inc. owns a double suite that is primarily used to entertain the customers and VIPVIPVIP and V.I.P. is a three-letter acronym that may refer to:-In general:* Vacuum insulated panel* Values, Influence, and Peers, an anti-crime campaign in Ontario elementary schools* Variable Information Printing, a form of on-demand printing...
guests the company hosts in the community.
Food
Other than the five fixed concessionConcession stand
A concession stand , snack kiosk or snack bar is the term used to refer to a place where patrons can purchase snacks or food at a cinema, fair, stadium, or other entertainment venue. Some events or venues contract out the right to sell food to third parties...
stands there are about 40 mobile carts around the park. The Chiefs' concessionaire is Sportservice from Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
. Other stadiums the company services include Busch Stadium
Busch Stadium
Busch Stadium is the home of the St. Louis Cardinals, of MLB...
in St. Louis and U.S. Cellular Field
U.S. Cellular Field
U.S. Cellular Field is a baseball ballpark in Chicago, Illinois. Owned by the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority, it is the home of the Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball's American League. The park opened for the 1991 season, after the White Sox had spent 81 years at old Comiskey Park...
and Soldier Field
Soldier Field
Soldier Field is located on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, Illinois, United States, in the Near South Side. It is home to the NFL's Chicago Bears...
in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
.
Aside from the usual fare of hot dogs, cheeseburgers, nachos
Nachos
Nachos are a popular food based on nixtamalized corn, of Mexican origin associated with Tex-Mex cuisine that can be either made quickly to serve as a snack or prepared with more ingredients to make a full meal. In their simplest form, nachos are tortilla chips or totopos covered in melted cheese...
, and pizza
Pizza
Pizza is an oven-baked, flat, disc-shaped bread typically topped with a tomato sauce, cheese and various toppings.Originating in Italy, from the Neapolitan cuisine, the dish has become popular in many parts of the world. An establishment that makes and sells pizzas is called a "pizzeria"...
, specialty foods such as Vienna Beef
Vienna Beef
Vienna Beef is a manufacturer of hot dog used in the classic Chicago style hot dog, as well as Polish sausage and Italian beef, delicacies of independent Chicago-style hot dog and beef stands...
Chicago-style hot dog
Chicago-style hot dog
A Chicago-style hot dog, or Chicago Dog, is a steamed or water-simmered all-beef frankfurter on a poppy seed bun, originating from the city of Chicago, Illinois...
s, Dippin' Dots
Dippin' Dots
Dippin' Dots is an ice cream snack, invented by Southern Illinois University Carbondale graduate Curt Jones in 1987. The confection is created by flash freezing ice cream mix in liquid nitrogen; consequently, Dippin' Dots contain less air than conventional ice cream...
, and Wisconsin cheese
Wisconsin cheese
Wisconsin's cheese making tradition dates back to the 19th century. European immigrants who settled in Wisconsin were drawn to its fertile fields.Soon, dairy farms sprang up around Wisconsin, and farmers began producing cheese to preserve excess milk. In 1841, Anne Pickett established Wisconsin’s...
s are also available.