The sun is warm on our faces as we sit in third row seats along the first base line at Dozer Field. We eat jumbo hot dogs drenched in tangy yellow mustard and wash them down with cold beer. We’re watching the Peoria Chiefs take on the Quad Cities River Bandits in a minor league baseball game. Later, as we stand for the seventh inning stretch, the team mascot, a dalmatian named Homer, leads us in singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” This is the quintessential all-American summer afternoon.
St. Louis Cardinals affiliate
The Peoria Chiefs, a St. Louis Cardinals affiliate, play at Dozer Field near Peoria’s downtown riverfront. In the early 1990s we occasionally went to a Peoria Chiefs game. The team was affiliated with the Chicago Cubs back then, and they played at a different stadium. Beside from playing with a different team affiliation and at a new field, the Peoria Chiefs games are as I remember them: family friendly and inexpensive.
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Family-oriented baseball
It’s not uncommon for players to sign autographs for kids before the game or during special event days like Youth Replica Jersey giveaway day. Families with little ones often purchase lawn tickets and spread out a blanket so the kids can move around when they get antsy. Kids are involved in contests and races between innings. And after the game kids are invited to run the bases. Inflatables are a favorite among the little ones, too.
And if you run into Homer, he’s happy to pose for a photo.
While food prices at some minor league ballparks have risen to almost as high as major league fields, prices at Dozer Field have remained affordable. Our jumbo hot dogs were $3.50 each. On Won Dollar Wednesdays, one dollar buys a hot dog, an ice cream sandwich or a soda.
It was good to see that despite time, new owners and a new field, families can still enjoy a day at the ballpark for an affordable price.
If you go to a Peoria Chiefs game
Dozer Field, home of the Peoria Chiefs, is located at 730 SW Jefferson, Peoria, Illinois. Check the web site for the schedule, special promotions, or to purchase tickets.
Accommodations: We stayed at the Mark Twain Hotel during our Peoria Visit. Check hotel rates here.
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Disclosures: Our visit to the Peoria Chiefs game was hosted by the Peoria Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. However, any opinions expressed in this post are strictly mine.
This article contains an affiliate link. If you book a hotel room through the “Check hotel rates” above, I will receive a small commission, at no additional cost to you.
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