Shea Stadium (Peoria, Illinois)
Encyclopedia
Shea Stadium is a privately owned and managed facility located in Peoria, Illinois
, less than a mile north of Bradley University
and just to the west of the USDA National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research
. It is the home of Bradley University
soccer.
Braves baseball. Its name was chosen to honor Bradley athletic director
and baseball coach John "Dutch" Meinen. It served as the home field for Bradley baseball for 32 years, from 1970 to 2002,, and the home field for the Peoria Chiefs
from their first game on April 19, 1983 to 2002.
The baseball field was renovated twice: once in 1982, and once in 1992 when it was given a $2,200,000 overhaul. The facility was renamed Pete Vonachen Stadium at Meinen Field on June 6, 1992.
After the teams moved to O'Brien Field
early in the 2002 season, the university began to look for other uses for Meinen Field, eventually settling on its current setup as a soccer-only facility. It was substantially reconfigured, with a few remnants of its baseball days remaining: the old press box; most of the first-base seating area, which now forms the main seating area for the soccer field; some of the light standards; and the concession stands and some other outbuildings on the property.
On October 25, 2002, Meinen Field was renamed Shea Stadium after Tim Shea, a Bradley University
alumnus. The first Bradley soccer game at the newly renovated Shea Stadium was in August 2003.
On June 10, 2008, Shea Stadium played host to two Major League Soccer
teams in a U.S. Open Cup qualifier when the Chicago Fire played against the Columbus Crew
in front 3,829 people, the largest crowd ever to see a soccer game at Shea Stadium.
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...
, less than a mile north 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....
and just to the west of the USDA National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research
National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research
The National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research is an United States Department of Agriculture laboratory center in Peoria, Illinois...
. It is the home 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....
soccer.
History
The property was opened as Meinen Field around 1968 and opened as a baseball facility in 1970 for Bradley UniversityBradley 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....
Braves baseball. Its name was chosen to honor Bradley athletic director
Athletic director
An athletic director is an administrator at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic programs...
and baseball coach John "Dutch" Meinen. It served as the home field for Bradley baseball for 32 years, from 1970 to 2002,, and the home field for 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....
from their first game on April 19, 1983 to 2002.
The baseball field was renovated twice: once in 1982, and once in 1992 when it was given a $2,200,000 overhaul. The facility was renamed Pete Vonachen Stadium at Meinen Field on June 6, 1992.
After the teams moved to O'Brien Field
O'Brien Field
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...
early in the 2002 season, the university began to look for other uses for Meinen Field, eventually settling on its current setup as a soccer-only facility. It was substantially reconfigured, with a few remnants of its baseball days remaining: the old press box; most of the first-base seating area, which now forms the main seating area for the soccer field; some of the light standards; and the concession stands and some other outbuildings on the property.
On October 25, 2002, Meinen Field was renamed Shea Stadium after Tim Shea, a 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....
alumnus. The first Bradley soccer game at the newly renovated Shea Stadium was in August 2003.
On June 10, 2008, Shea Stadium played host to two Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
teams in a U.S. Open Cup qualifier when the Chicago Fire played against the Columbus Crew
Columbus Crew
The Columbus Crew is an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
in front 3,829 people, the largest crowd ever to see a soccer game at Shea Stadium.