Iowa Cubs Founded in 1969 Des Moines, Iowa |
|||||
|
|||||
Class-level | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Current | Triple-A (1969–present) | ||||
Minor league affiliations | |||||
League | Pacific Coast League (1998–present) | ||||
Conference | American Conference | ||||
Division | Northern Division | ||||
Previous leagues
|
American Association (1969–1997) | ||||
Major league affiliations | |||||
Current | Chicago Cubs (1981–present) | ||||
Previous |
Chicago White Sox (1976–1980) Houston Astros (1975) Chicago White Sox (1973–1974) Oakland Athletics (1969–1973) |
||||
Minor league titles | |||||
League titles (1) | 1993 | ||||
Conference titles (1) | 2004 | ||||
Division titles (7) |
|
||||
Team data | |||||
Nickname | Iowa Cubs (1982–present) | ||||
Previous names
|
Iowa Oaks (1969–1981) | ||||
Colors | Blue, red, and white |
||||
Mascot | Cubbie Bear | ||||
Ballpark | Principal Park (1992–present) | ||||
Previous parks
|
Sec Taylor Stadium (1969–1991) | ||||
Owner(s)/
Operator(s) |
Raccoon Baseball, Inc. | ||||
Manager | Marty Pevey | ||||
General Manager | Sam Bernabe |
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.
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 2016. The Iowa Cubs are one of only four Triple-A (baseball) clubs who bear the name of their parent club. Most minor league teams have moved towards a nickname representative of their local community in order to provide consistent marketing regardless of what major league club their PDC is with.
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.