The Chiefs joined the Midwest League in 1983 when an Angels farm team relocated here from Danville, Illinois, after one year. Originally known as the Suns, the team was renamed the Chiefs ( a traditional name for minor league and semi professional baseball teams which have existed in Peoria since the late 1800's) for the 1984 season. The Angels organization left Peoria after the 1984 season and the Chiefs then became affiliated with the Cubs from 1985 through 1994. In 1995, the Chiefs joined the Cardinals' farm system.
The Chiefs' first home park was Meinen Field on the Bradley University campus, built in 1968; it was renovated before the 1992 season and renamed Pete Vonachen Stadium in honor of the Chiefs' owner. The team moved to a new park in downtown Peoria, O'Brien Field, on May 24, 2002; they set a franchise attendance record of 254,407 in the new park's first year.
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