dozer park sponsored by pete vonachen and senator

“It’s the guy he was, the friends he had,” Vonachen said before the game.

The Chicago Cubs, who withdrew their affiliation from Peoria following the 2012 season, held a moment of silence prior to their game with the Cincinnati Reds at Wrigley Field.Ĭhiefs President Rocky Vonachen said the support is appreciated. The news was felt around the baseball world. “Most of what I remember about Pete is the laughing, whether it’s him laughing or him making you laugh and then him laughing with you,” Chiefs director of media and baseball operations Nathan Baliva, who has been with the team since 2003, said. “It’s a day to reflect, but also a day to celebrate what he’s done and continue that legacy.”Įven after handing control of the Chiefs over to his son Rocky, Vonachen was still a fixture at the ballparks the Chiefs called home - first at the stadium on Nebraska Avenue named in his honor and then at the Downtown ballpark since 2002. “You could just tell he was genuine with what he thought about the game of baseball and how much he enjoyed it,” Bilardello said. Vonachen’s death prompted a groundswell of emotions prior to the Chiefs game with the Quad Cities River Bandits.įans placed flowers and baseballs at the foot of the statue honoring Vonachen just inside the main gate.Ĭhiefs front-office staff and players released red and blue balloons following a video tribute and moment of silence.Ĭhiefs manager Dann Bilardello, in his first year managing in Peoria, had limited interactions with Vonachen, who was not around the ballpark this season as much as in past years because of declining health.īut even in their few interactions, Bilardello said he could see why Vonachen was loved by Peoria and the baseball community. The music played, as it always does before Peoria Chiefs games at Dozer Park, on Monday night, but with a somber tone with the news that former owner and city baseball ambassador Pete Vonachen died in the morning.

Dozer park sponsored by pete vonachen and senator