The Iowa Cubs
are a Triple-A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Chicago Cubs, that plays in the Pacific Coast League. Their home games are played in Des Moines, Iowa, at Principal Park.
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Franchise history
Triple-A baseball came to Iowa's capital city in 1969, as the Iowa Oaks of the
American Association began play. The Oaks were affiliates of the
Oakland Athletics (1969–1973), the
Chicago White Sox (1973–1974 and 1976–1980), and the
Houston Astros (1975). In 1981, the team affiliated with the
Chicago Cubs and adopted the nickname of the parent team, although it is often shortened to "I-Cubs" by fans and media to avoid confusion with the major league team. The team became part of the
Pacific Coast League in 1998 after the dissolution of the American Association. The current Player Development Contract (PDC) with the Chicago Cubs runs through 2012, ensuring that the I-Cubs remain the Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs through that date.
[1]
Their home
ballpark is
Principal Park (formerly Sec Taylor Stadium), located at the confluence of the
Des Moines and
Raccoon Rivers. The franchise attendance record of 576,310 was set in 2007. As of 2008, the I-Cubs are owned by Raccoon Baseball, Inc., an ownership group led by
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist
Michael Gartner. Sam Bernabe serves as the team's president and general manager.
The mascot of the Iowa Cubs is "Cubbie Bear," a lovable brown bear, who is often the Iowa Cubs' unofficial ambassador to schools and charitable events throughout central Iowa.
[2]
Notable former players
Many future Cubs stars have played in Des Moines before they were called up to
Wrigley Field. Some notable I-Cubs alumni include
Greg Maddux,
Rafael Palmeiro,
Mark Grace,
Doug Glanville,
Joe Carter,
Corey Patterson,
Carlos Zambrano,
Kyle Farnsworth,
Kerry Wood,
Steve Trachsel,
Tuffy Rhodes,
Bruce Kimm,
Shawon Dunston,
Hector Villanueva,
Mark Prior, and
Rod Beck. Wood and Prior both made rehabilitation starts for the I-Cubs in 2004 and 2005 before returning to the Chicago Cubs' active roster, and many Cubs players such as
Derrek Lee,
Daryle Ward,
Alfonso Soriano, and
Ryan Dempster have also made stops in Des Moines for rehab purposes. The Iowa Oaks hosted many future Major League Baseball stars such as sluggers
Bill McNulty,
Harold Baines,
Pat Tabler, and 1971
Cy Young and
MVP Award winning left-handed pitcher
Vida Blue.
[3]
Rod Beck gained national attention while pitching for Iowa during his comeback for living in a mobile home behind the team's Sec Taylor Stadium (now Principal Park) in Des Moines. Beck warmly welcomed fans to drop by and visit, use his restroom, and have some Coors Light from his refrigerator.
[4]
In 1993, Tuffy Rhodes hit an extra-inning
home run to win the American Association championship for the Iowa Cubs. After failing to latch on to a major league team, in 1995, Rhodes went on to a successful career playing in
Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan, where he currently is the career NPB home run leader by a non-Japanese player with 430 home runs.
[5]
Current Iowa pitcher
Neal Cotts was the only
relief pitcher to earn a
win in the
2005 World Series when he pitched with the
Chicago White Sox. Cotts pitched in all four games of the World Series and was the winning pitcher Game 2. That year, he was named "Setup Man of the Year Award" by Major League Baseball.
[6]
In addition to these players,
Mike Quade, later third base coach for the Chicago Cubs, managed the Iowa Cubs from 2003 to 2006. Former Chicago Cubs manager
Bruce Kimm is an Iowa native who managed the Iowa Cubs from 2001 to 2002.
St. Louis Cardinals manager
Tony La Russa managed the Iowa Oaks in 1979 prior to becoming manager for the Chicago White Sox.
Season-by-season record
| Season
| W
| L
| Win %
| Finish
| Playoffs
|
| 1969
| 62
| 78
| .443
| t-4th in AA
| Out of Playoffs
|
| 1970
| 70
| 68
| .507
| 2nd in East
| Out of Playoffs
|
| 1971
| 71
| 61
| .538
| 2nd in East
| Out of Playoffs
|
| 1972
| 62
| 78
| .443
| 3rd in East
| Out of Playoffs
|
| 1973
| 83
| 53
| .610
| 1st in East
| Lost in Finals
|
| 1974
| 74
| 62
| .544
| 2nd in East
| Out of Playoffs
|
| 1975
| 56
| 79
| .415
| 4th in East
| Out of Playoffs
|
| 1976
| 68
| 68
| .500
| 2nd in East
| Out of Playoffs
|
| 1977
| 61
| 75
| .449
| 4th in East
| Out of Playoffs
|
| 1978
| 66
| 70
| .485
| 4th in East
| Out of Playoffs
|
| 1979
| 69
| 67
| .507
| 3rd in East
| Out of Playoffs
|
| 1980
| 59
| 77
| .434
| 3rd in East
| Out of Playoffs
|
| 1981
| 53
| 82
| .392
| 4th in East
| Out of Playoffs
|
| Season
| W
| L
| Win %
| Finish
| Playoffs
|
| 1982
| 73
| 62
| .541
| t-2nd in East
| Out of Playoffs
|
| 1983
| 71
| 65
| .522
| 2nd in East
| Lost in Semis
|
| 1984
| 80
| 74
| .520
| 2nd in AA
| Lost in Semis
|
| 1985
| 66
| 75
| .468
| 4th in West
| Out of Playoffs
|
| 1986
| 74
| 68
| .521
| 2nd in West
| Out of Playoffs
|
| 1987
| 64
| 74
| .464
| 6th in AA
| Out of Playoffs
|
| 1988
| 78
| 64
| .549
| 2nd in West
| Out of Playoffs
|
| 1989
| 62
| 82
| .431
| 3rd in West
| Out of Playoffs
|
| 1990
| 72
| 74
| .493
| 2nd in West
| Out of Playoffs
|
| 1991
| 78
| 66
| .542
| 2nd in West
| Out of Playoffs
|
| 1992
| 51
| 92
| .357
| 4th in West
| Out of Playoffs
|
| 1993
| 85
| 59
| .590
| 1st in West
| American Association Champions
|
| 1994
| 68
| 76
| .472
| 5th in AA
| Out of Playoffs
|
| 1995
| 69
| 74
| .483
| 5th in AA
| Out of Playoffs
|
| 1996
| 64
| 78
| .451
| 3rd in Western
| Out of Playoffs
|
| 1997
| 74
| 69
| .517
| 1st in Western
| Lost in Finals
|
| 1998 1
| 85
| 59
| .590
| 1st in Midwest
| Lost in Semis
|
| 1999
| 65
| 76
| .461
| 4th in Central
| Out of Playoffs
|
| 2000
| 56
| 86
| .394
| 4th in Central
| Out of Playoffs
|
| 2001
| 83
| 60
| .580
| 1st in Central
| Lost in Semis
|
| 2002
| 71
| 73
| .493
| 3rd in Central
| Out of Playoffs
|
| 2003
| 70
| 72
| .493
| 3rd in Central
| Out of Playoffs
|
| 2004
| 79
| 64
| .552
| 1st in Central
| Lost in Finals
|
| 2005
| 64
| 75
| .460
| 4th in American North
| Out of Playoffs
|
| 2006
| 76
| 68
| .528
| 2nd in American North
| Out of Playoffs
|
| 2007
| 79
| 65
| .549
| 2nd in American North
| Out of Playoffs
|
| 2008
| 83
| 57
| .593
| 1st in American North
| Lost in Semis
|
1 Joined PCL in 1998
Roster
|
|
| Players
| Coaches/Other
|
Starting rotation
Bullpen
|
| Catchers
Infielders
Outfielders
|
| Manager
Coaches
† Disabled list
‡ Reserve list
§ Suspended list
|
References
- "Chicago Extends Contract with Iowa." Minor League Baseball. 11 December 2007. Retrieved on 26 September 2008.
- http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/fans/page.jsp?ymd=20070912&content_id=302481&vkey=fans_t451&fext=
- ''Des Moines Register''.
- Drehs, Wayne. "The place to go where no one knows your name." ESPN. 16 May 2003. Retrieved on 7 March 2009.
- http://www.japanesebaseball.com/players/player.jsp?PlayerID=905
- http://www.hickoksports.com/history/tyibawrards.shtml