Iowa Cubs
Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox Minor League Baseball
The Iowa Cubs are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. They are located in Des Moines, Iowa, and are named for their Major League Baseball (MLB) affiliate. The Cubs have played their home games at Principal Park since 1992, replacing Sec Taylor Stadium which the Cubs used from 1969 to 1991.
The club was established as the Iowa Oaks of the Triple-A American Association in 1969. Iowa took on the Cubs moniker in 1982. They joined the Triple-A Pacific Coast League in 1998 following the dissolution of the American Association after the 1997 season. In conjunction with MLB's reorganization of Minor League Baseball in 2021, the Cubs were shifted to the Triple-A East, which was renamed the International League in 2022.
The only league title in franchise history is the 1993 American Association championship.
History
American Association (1969–1997)
Triple-A Minor League Baseball came to Iowa's capital city in 1969, as the Iowa Oaks of the American Association (AA) began play as an affiliate of the Oakland Athletics.<ref name=BRcity>Template:Cite web</ref> They played their home games at Sec Taylor Stadium, which opened in 1947 and was located at the confluence of the Des Moines and Raccoon Rivers.<ref name=SecTaylor1>Template:Cite web</ref> Many future Major League Baseball stars such as sluggers Bill McNulty, Hall of Famer Harold Baines, Pat Tabler, and 1971 Cy Young and MVP Award winning left-handed pitcher Vida Blue spent time with the Oaks. Both Bucky Dent and future Hall-of-Famer Goose Gossage played for the Oaks early in their careers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The A's farm club experienced winning seasons in 1970 and 1971, but third and second-place finishes kept them out of the playoffs.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The Oaks became the top affiliate of the Chicago White Sox in 1973. They won the East Division that season with an 83–53 record, earning a spot in the best-of-seven American Association championship playoffs,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> but they were defeated by the Tulsa Oilers, 4–3.<ref name=AAchamps>Template:Cite web</ref> Manager Joe Sparks won the American Association Manager of the Year Award.<ref name=AAawards>Template:Cite web</ref> Oaks pitchers tossed two no-hitters in 1974, both in away games. The first was pitched by Joe Henderson against the Wichita Aeros on July 31.<ref name=no-hitters>Template:Cite web</ref> The second occurred on August 25 when Butch Stinson no-hit the Indianapolis Indians.<ref name=no-hitters/>
After one season as the Houston Astros' Triple-A club in 1975, Iowa returned to the White Sox organization in 1976. Despite a number of winning seasons, they failed to qualify for the postseason during the five years of their second affiliation with Chicago. On September 1, 1977, Chris Knapp and Fred Howard combined to no-hit the Omaha Royals.<ref name=no-hitters/> On May 26, 1978, Jack Kucek tossed a no-hitter at Sec Taylor Stadium against the Oklahoma City 89ers.<ref name=no-hitters/> The franchise was awarded the 1978 John H. Johnson President's Award, recognizing them as the "complete baseball franchise—based on franchise stability, contributions to league stability, contributions to baseball in the community, and promotion of the baseball industry."<ref name=MILBawards>Template:Cite web</ref> Former St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa managed the Iowa Oaks in 1979 prior to becoming manager of the White Sox. Pitcher Dewey Robinson was selected for the 1979 American Association Most Valuable Pitcher Award after achieving a record of 13–7 and 9 saves with a 2.93 earned run average (ERA) and 76 strikeouts.<ref name=AAawards/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 1981, the team affiliated with the Chicago Cubs. After a final season as the Oaks, they adopted the nickname of their parent team in 1982 becoming the Iowa Cubs. The name is often shortened to "I-Cubs" to avoid confusion with the major league team. Iowa teams of the 1980s often finished high in the standings but were unable to qualify for the championship playoffs,<ref name=BRcity/> the only exceptions being in 1983 and 1984 when they earned spots in the semi-finals but were eliminated by Denver both years.<ref name=AAchamps/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Members of the 1982 team garnered several league awards. Jay Howell, who struck out 139 batters on the way to a 13–4 record and a 2.36 ERA,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> won the AA Most Valuable Pitcher Award.<ref name=AAawards/> Skipper Jim Napier was the league's Manager of the Year.<ref name=AAawards/> Outfielder Mel Hall was the Rookie of the Year after accruing a batting average of .329 while hitting 34 doubles and 32 home runs and driving in 125 runs.<ref name=AAawards/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Another Cub outfielder, Joe Carter, won the 1983 Rookie of the Year Award after stealing 40 bases and hitting .307 with 22 homers.<ref name=AAawards/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1984, Reggie Patterson fired a no-hitter against the Omaha Royals on August 21.<ref name=no-hitters/> The club was given the 1986 Larry MacPhail Award in rocognition of their marketing and promotion efforts.<ref name=MILBawards/>
Sec Taylor Stadium was demolished after the 1991 season,<ref name=SecTaylor1/> and a new facility of the same name, later renamed Principal Park, was constructed on the site in time for the Cubs' 1992 season.<ref name=PrincipalPark>Template:Cite web</ref>
Following a dismal 1992 campaign in which the Cubs went 51–92,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> they rebounded to win the 1993 Western Division title at 85–59 under manager Marv Foley.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> They met the Nashville Sounds in the best-of-seven championship series. Leading the series 3–1, the Cubs lost two consecutive games and were forced to a game seven.<ref name=1993title>Template:Cite news</ref> In the final game, Nashville held a 2–1 lead from the third inning to the seventh before the Cubs tied the game necessitating extra innings.<ref name=1993title/> An eleventh-inning walk-off home run by Iowa's Tuffy Rhodes ended the game and gave the Cubs their first league title.<ref name=AAchamps/><ref name=1993title/> Outfielder Eduardo Zambrano garnered the American Association Most Valuable Player Award after collecting 115 RBI and hitting 32 home runs with a .303 average.<ref name=AAawards/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Iowa did not reach the playoffs again until 1997. They captured the Western Division title with a 74–69 record before defeating the New Orleans Zephyrs in the semi-finals.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> They were swept by the Buffalo Bisons, 3–0, in the championship round.<ref name=AAchamps/>
Pacific Coast League (1998–2020)
The American Association, of which the Cubs had been members since their inaugural 1969 campaign, disbanded after the 1997 season. Its teams were absorbed by the two remaining Triple-A leagues—the International League and Pacific Coast League (PCL). The Cubs joined the PCL and won the American Conference Central Division title in 1998 with an 85–59 record.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the American Conference series, they were bested by the New Orleans Zephyrs, 2–1, in a rain-shortened series.<ref name=PCLchamps>Template:Cite web</ref> Manager Terry Kennedy won the PCL Manager of the Year Award.<ref name=PCLawards>Template:Cite web</ref> Former Chicago Cubs manager and Iowa native Bruce Kimm managed the I-Cubs from 2001 to 2002. He led them to the 2001 division title (83–60),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> but they were again eliminated by New Orleans in the conference series.<ref name=PCLchamps/> The Cubs won their second John H. Johnson President's Award in 2002.<ref name=MILBawards/>
Mike Quade, former manager of the Chicago Cubs, managed Iowa from 2003 to 2006. The Cubs ended the 2004 season at 79–64 giving them another division title.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This time, they defeated the Oklahoma RedHawks, 3–2, to win the American Conference championship.<ref name=PCLchamps/> In the best-of-five Pacific Coast League championship series, they lost to the Sacramento River Cats, 3–0.<ref name=PCLchamps/> In 2007, catcher Geovany Soto, with a .353 average, 26 home runs, and 109 RBI, won the PCL Most Valuable Player Award.<ref name=PCLawards/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Led by PCL Manager of the Year Pat Listach,<ref name=PCLawards/> the 2008 Cubs won the American Conference Northern Division (83–59),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> but were beaten in the conference series by Oklahoma, 3–2.<ref name=PCLchamps/>
In 2010, the team was managed by Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Ryne Sandberg who was also selected as the league's Manager of the Year.<ref name=PCLawards/> First baseman Bryan LaHair won the 2010 PCL MVP Award with his .331 average, 38 homers, and 109 RBI.<ref name=PCLawards/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On May 7, 2014, Iowa starter Chris Rusin pitched a no-hitter against the New Orleans Zephyrs.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2015, right-hander Carlos Pimentel won the PCL Pitcher of the Year Award after achieving a 12–6 record with 118 strikeouts and a 2.95 ERA.<ref name=PCLawards/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Cubs returned to the postseason in 2019 having won the division with a 75–65 record,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> but they were eliminated by the Round Rock Express in the American Conference series.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Colin Rea, who paced the league with 14 wins, was recognized as the PCL Pitcher of the Year.<ref name=PCLawards/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The start of the 2020 season was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, before the whole season was cancelled on June 30.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=2020can>Template:Cite news</ref>
Triple-A East / International League (2021–present)
Following the 2020 season, Major League Baseball assumed control of Minor League Baseball in a move to increase player salaries, modernize facility standards, and reduce travel. The Chicago Cubs retained Iowa as their Triple-A affiliate, but the Pacific Coast League disbanded, and the Cubs were placed in the Triple-A East.<ref name=JMayo2-12-2021>Template:Cite web</ref> Iowa began competition in the new league on May 4 with a 3–0 loss to the Indianapolis Indians at Principal Park.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On May 9, the Cubs tossed the league's first no-hitter when Shelby Miller, Tommy Nance, Brad Wieck, and Ryan Meisinger combined to no-hit Indianapolis, 2–0, in Des Moines.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Pitchers Justin Steele, Scott Effross, and Dillon Maples threw the league's second no-hitter in the first game of a seven-inning doubleheader against the St. Paul Saints on July 11, a 1–0 home win.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Iowa ended the season in seventh place in the Midwestern Division with a 50–70 record.<ref name=MILB2021>Template:Cite web</ref> No playoffs were held to determine a league champion; instead, the team with the best regular-season record was declared the winner.<ref name=MiLB7-14-2021>Template:Cite news</ref> However, 10 games that had been postponed from the start of the season were reinserted into the schedule as a postseason tournament called the Triple-A Final Stretch in which all 30 Triple-A clubs competed for the highest winning percentage.<ref name=MiLB7-14-2021/> Iowa finished the tournament in 29th place with a 1–8 record.<ref name=2021FinalStretch>Template:Cite web</ref> In December 2021, owner Michael Gartner announced that the team had been sold to Endeavor.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2022, the Triple-A East became known as the International League, the name historically used by the regional circuit prior to the 2021 reorganization.<ref name=ILrename>Template:Cite web</ref>
Season-by-season records
| League | The team's final position in the league standings |
|---|---|
| Division | The team's final position in the divisional standings |
| GB | Games behind the team that finished in first place in the division that season |
| Template:‡ | Class champions (1970–present) |
| Template:† | League champions (1969–present) |
| § | Conference champions (1998–2020) |
| * | Division champions (1970–2022) |
| ^ | Postseason berth (1981–present) |
Roster
Awards
The franchise has been awarded these honors by Minor League Baseball.
| Award | Season | Template:Abbr |
|---|---|---|
| John H. Johnson President's Award | 1978 | <ref name=MILBawards/> |
| John H. Johnson President's Award | 2002 | <ref name=MILBawards/> |
| Larry MacPhail Award | 1986 | <ref name=MILBawards/> |
Nine players, five managers, and one executive have won league awards in recognition for their performance with Iowa.
| Award | Recipient | Season | Template:Abbr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most Valuable Player | Template:Sortname | 1993 | <ref name=AAawards/> |
| Most Valuable Pitcher | Template:Sortname | 1979 | <ref name=AAawards/> |
| Most Valuable Pitcher | Template:Sortname | 1982 | <ref name=AAawards/> |
| Rookie of the Year | Template:Sortname | 1982 | <ref name=AAawards/> |
| Rookie of the Year | Template:Sortname | 1983 | <ref name=AAawards/> |
| Manager of the Year | Template:Sortname | 1973 | <ref name=AAawards/> |
| Manager of the Year | Template:Sortname | 1982 | <ref name=AAawards/> |
| Award | Recipient | Season | Template:Abbr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most Valuable Player | Template:Sortname | 2007 | <ref name=PCLawards/> |
| Most Valuable Player | Template:Sortname | 2011 | <ref name=PCLawards/> |
| Pitcher of the Year | Template:Sortname | 2015 | <ref name=PCLawards/> |
| Pitcher of the Year | Template:Sortname | 2019 | <ref name=PCLawards/> |
| Manager of the Year | Template:Sortname | 1998 | <ref name=PCLawards/> |
| Manager of the Year | Template:Sortname | 2008 | <ref name=PCLawards/> |
| Manager of the Year | Template:Sortname | 2010 | <ref name=PCLawards/> |
| Executive of the Year | Template:Sortname | 2008 | <ref name=PCLawards/> |
References
External links
Template:Chicago Cubs Template:Diamond Baseball Holdings Template:International League Template:Iowa Cubs managers Template:Iowa Sports
- Iowa Cubs
- 1969 establishments in Iowa
- American Association (1902–1997) teams
- Baseball teams established in 1969
- Chicago Cubs minor league affiliates
- Chicago White Sox minor league affiliates
- Defunct Pacific Coast League teams
- International League teams
- Houston Astros minor league affiliates
- Oakland Athletics minor league affiliates
- Professional baseball teams in Iowa
- Sports in Des Moines, Iowa
- Triple-A East teams