John Petrakis Park was a baseball

ballpark A ballpark, or baseball park, is a type of sports venue where baseball is played. The playing field is divided into two field sections called the infield and the outfield. The infield is an area whose dimensions are rigidly defined in part ba ...

located in

Dubuque, Iowa Dubuque (, ) is a city in Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, and its county seat. The population was 59,667 at the 2020 United States census. The city lies along the Mississippi River at the junction of Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin, a region ...

. It originally opened in 1915 as Municipal Stadium. It served as the home of the

Dubuque Packers Minor league baseball teams have operated in the city of Dubuque, Iowa under a variety of names in various leagues, playing in 52 seasons between 1879 and 1976. Dubuque teams were an affiliate of the Houston Astros (1975–1976), Kansas City Royal ...

minor league baseball team from 1954 to 1976. It was renamed John Petrakis park in 1967. The park was named for Johnny Petrakis, who was President and General Manager of the

minor league Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in Nort ...

franchise. A longtime baseball supporter in Dubuque, Petrakis was a supporter of both youth leagues and minor league baseball. In 1956, Petrakis received major recognition as he was featured in an edition of the

Saturday Evening Post ''The Saturday Evening Post'' is an American magazine published six times a year. It was published weekly from 1897 until 1963, and then every other week until 1969. From the 1920s to the 1960s, it was one of the most widely circulated and influ ...

. The same year, he also was named "Executive of the Year for minor leagues" by

the Sporting News ''The Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a ...

, another national publication. On May 4, 1986, after the demise of the original ballpark, a new field was dedicated and named "John Petrakis Field". The new field is within the Gerald McAleece Park & Recreation Complex in Dubuque."Gerald McAleece Park & Recreation Complex
Dubuque, IA

References

{{reflist Defunct sports venues in Iowa Parks in Dubuque, Iowa Defunct baseball venues in the United States Defunct minor league baseball venues Mississippi-Ohio Valley League Defunct Midwest League ballparks