| Iowa Cubs | |||||
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| Minor league affiliations | |||||
| Class | Triple-A (1969–present) | ||||
| League | International League (2021–present) | ||||
| Division | West Division | ||||
Previous leagues |
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| Major league affiliations | |||||
| Team | Chicago Cubs (1981–present) | ||||
| Previous teams |
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| Minor league titles | |||||
| League titles(1) | 1993 | ||||
| Conference titles(1) | 2004 | ||||
| Division titles(8) |
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| Team data | |||||
| Name | Iowa Cubs (1982–present) | ||||
Previous names | Iowa Oaks (1969–1981) | ||||
| Colors | Blue, red, white | ||||
| Mascot | CubbieBear | ||||
| Ballpark | Principal Park (1992–present) | ||||
Previous parks | Sec Taylor Stadium (1969–1991) | ||||
Owner(s)/ Operator(s) | Diamond Baseball Holdings[1] | ||||
| General manager | Sam Bernabe[1] | ||||
| Manager | Marty Pevey | ||||
| Website | milb.com/iowa | ||||
TheIowa Cubs are aMinor League Baseball team of theInternational League and theTriple-A affiliate of theChicago Cubs. They are located inDes Moines, Iowa, and are named for theirMajor League Baseball (MLB) affiliate. The Cubs have played their home games atPrincipal Park since 1992, replacing Sec Taylor Stadium which the Cubs used from 1969 to 1991.
The club was established as theIowa Oaks of the Triple-AAmerican Association in 1969. Iowa took on the Cubs moniker in 1982. They joined the Triple-APacific 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 1993American Association championship.
Triple-AMinor League Baseball came toIowa's capital city in 1969, as the Iowa Oaks of theAmerican Association (AA) began play as an affiliate of theOakland Athletics.[2] They played their home games atSec Taylor Stadium, which opened in 1947 and was located at the confluence of theDes Moines andRaccoon Rivers.[3] Many future Major League Baseball stars such as sluggersBill McNulty, Hall of FamerHarold Baines,Pat Tabler, and 1971Cy Young andMVP Award winning left-handed pitcherVida Blue spent time with the Oaks. BothBucky Dent and future Hall-of-FamerGoose Gossage played for the Oaks early in their careers.[4] The A's farm club experienced winning seasons in 1970 and 1971, but third and second-place finishes kept them out of the playoffs.[5][6]
The Oaks became the top affiliate of theChicago White Sox in 1973. They won the East Division that season with an 83–53 record, earning a spot in the best-of-sevenAmerican Association championship playoffs,[7] but they were defeated by theTulsa Oilers, 4–3.[8]ManagerJoe Sparks won theAmerican Association Manager of the Year Award.[9] Oakspitchers tossed twono-hitters in 1974, both in away games. The first was pitched byJoe Henderson against theWichita Aeros on July 31.[10] The second occurred on August 25 when Butch Stinson no-hit theIndianapolis Indians.[10]
After one season as theHouston 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 andFred Howard combined to no-hit theOmaha Royals.[10] On May 26, 1978,Jack Kucek tossed a no-hitter at Sec Taylor Stadium against theOklahoma City 89ers.[10] The franchise was awarded the 1978John 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."[11] FormerSt. Louis Cardinals managerTony La Russa managed the Iowa Oaks in 1979 prior to becoming manager of the White Sox. PitcherDewey Robinson was selected for the 1979American 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.[9][12]
In 1981, the team affiliated with theChicago 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,[2] the only exceptions being in 1983 and 1984 when they earned spots in the semi-finals but were eliminated byDenver both years.[8][13][14]
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,[15] won the AA Most Valuable Pitcher Award.[9] SkipperJim Napier was the league's Manager of the Year.[9]OutfielderMel Hall was theRookie of the Year after accruing abatting average of .329 while hitting 34 doubles and 32 home runs and driving in 125 runs.[9][16] Another Cub outfielder,Joe Carter, won the 1983 Rookie of the Year Award afterstealing 40 bases and hitting .307 with 22 homers.[9][17] In 1984,Reggie Patterson fired a no-hitter against the Omaha Royals on August 21.[10] The club was given the 1986Larry MacPhail Award in rocognition of their marketing and promotion efforts.[11]
Sec Taylor Stadium was demolished after the 1991 season,[3] and a new facility of the same name, later renamedPrincipal Park, was constructed on the site in time for the Cubs' 1992 season.[18]
Following a dismal 1992 campaign in which the Cubs went 51–92,[19] they rebounded to win the 1993 Western Division title at 85–59 under managerMarv Foley.[20] They met theNashville 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.[21] 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.[21] An eleventh-inning walk-off home run by Iowa'sTuffy Rhodes ended the game and gave the Cubs their first league title.[8][21] OutfielderEduardo Zambrano garnered theAmerican Association Most Valuable Player Award after collecting 115 RBI and hitting 32 home runs with a .303 average.[9][22] Iowa did not reach the playoffs again until 1997. They captured the Western Division title with a 74–69 record before defeating theNew Orleans Zephyrs in the semi-finals.[23] They were swept by theBuffalo Bisons, 3–0, in the championship round.[8]
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—theInternational League andPacific Coast League (PCL). The Cubs joined the PCL and won the American Conference Central Division title in 1998 with an 85–59 record.[24] In the American Conference series, they were bested by the New Orleans Zephyrs, 2–1, in a rain-shortened series.[25] ManagerTerry Kennedy won thePCL Manager of the Year Award.[26] Former Chicago Cubs manager and Iowa nativeBruce Kimm managed the I-Cubs from 2001 to 2002. He led them to the 2001 division title (83–60),[27] but they were again eliminated by New Orleans in the conference series.[25] The Cubs won their second John H. Johnson President's Award in 2002.[11]
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.[28] This time, they defeated theOklahoma RedHawks, 3–2, to win the American Conference championship.[25] In the best-of-fivePacific Coast League championship series, they lost to theSacramento River Cats, 3–0.[25] In 2007,catcherGeovany Soto, with a .353 average, 26 home runs, and 109 RBI, won thePCL Most Valuable Player Award.[26][29] Led by PCL Manager of the YearPat Listach,[26] the 2008 Cubs won the American Conference Northern Division (83–59),[30] but were beaten in the conference series by Oklahoma, 3–2.[25]
In 2010, the team was managed byBaseball Hall of Fame inducteeRyne Sandberg who was also selected as the league's Manager of the Year.[26]First basemanBryan LaHair won the 2010 PCL MVP Award with his .331 average, 38 homers, and 109 RBI.[26][31] On May 7, 2014, IowastarterChris Rusin pitched ano-hitter against the New Orleans Zephyrs.[32] In 2015, right-hander Carlos Pimentel won thePCL Pitcher of the Year Award after achieving a 12–6 record with 118 strikeouts and a 2.95 ERA.[26][33] The Cubs returned to the postseason in 2019 having won the division with a 75–65 record,[34] but they were eliminated by theRound Rock Express in the American Conference series.[35]Colin Rea, who paced the league with 14 wins, was recognized as the PCL Pitcher of the Year.[26][36]
The start of the 2020 season was postponed due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, before the whole season was cancelled on June 30.[37][38]
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 theTriple-A East.[39] Iowa began competition in the new league on May 4 with a 3–0 loss to theIndianapolis Indians at Principal Park.[40] On May 9, the Cubs tossed the league's first no-hitter whenShelby Miller,Tommy Nance,Brad Wieck, andRyan Meisinger combined to no-hit Indianapolis, 2–0, in Des Moines.[41] PitchersJustin Steele, Scott Effross, andDillon Maples threw the league's second no-hitter in the first game of a seven-inning doubleheader against theSt. Paul Saints on July 11, a 1–0 home win.[42] Iowa ended the season in seventh place in the Midwestern Division with a 50–70 record.[43] No playoffs were held to determine a league champion; instead, the team with the best regular-season record was declared the winner.[44] 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.[44] Iowa finished the tournament in 29th place with a 1–8 record.[45] In December 2021, ownerMichael Gartner announced that the team had been sold toEndeavor.[46] In 2022, the Triple-A East became known as theInternational League, the name historically used by the regional circuit prior to the 2021 reorganization.[47]
| 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 |
| ‡ | Class champions (1970–present) |
| † | League champions (1969–present) |
| § | Conference champions (1998–2020) |
| * | Division champions (1970–present) |
| ^ | Postseason berth (1981–1997) |
| Season | League | Regular-season | Postseason | MLB affiliate | Ref. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Record | Win % | League | Division | GB | Record | Win % | Result | ||||
| 1969 | AA | 62–78 | .443 | 4th (tie) | — | 23 | — | — | — | Oakland Athletics | [48] |
| 1970 | AA | 70–68 | .507 | 2nd (tie) | 2nd (tie) | 3 | — | — | — | Oakland Athletics | [49] |
| 1971 | AA | 71–69 | .507 | 3rd (tie) | 2nd | 13+1⁄2 | — | — | — | Oakland Athletics | [50] |
| 1972 | AA | 62–78 | .443 | 5th | 3rd | 21 | — | — | — | Oakland Athletics | [51] |
| 1973 * | AA | 83–53 | .610 | 1st | 1st | — | 3–4 | .429 | Won Eastern Division title LostAA championship vs.Tulsa Oilers, 4–3[52] | Chicago White Sox | [53] |
| 1974 | AA | 74–62 | .544 | 3rd | 2nd | 4+1⁄2 | — | — | — | Chicago White Sox | [54] |
| 1975 | AA | 56–79 | .415 | 7th | 4th | 20+1⁄2 | — | — | — | Houston Astros | [55] |
| 1976 | AA | 68–68 | .500 | 4th | 2nd | 10 | — | — | — | Chicago White Sox | [56] |
| 1977 | AA | 61–75 | .449 | 7th | 4th | 15+1⁄2 | — | — | — | Chicago White Sox | [57] |
| 1978 | AA | 66–70 | .485 | 5th | 4th | 12+1⁄2 | — | — | — | Chicago White Sox | [58] |
| 1979 | AA | 69–67 | .507 | 4th | 2nd | 9 | — | — | — | Chicago White Sox | [59] |
| 1980 | AA | 59–77 | .434 | 7th | 3rd | 16 | — | — | — | Chicago White Sox | [60] |
| 1981 | AA | 53–82 | .393 | 8th | 4th | 19+1⁄2 | — | — | — | Chicago Cubs | [61] |
| 1982 | AA | 73–62 | .541 | 2nd (tie) | 2nd (tie) | 1+1⁄2 | — | — | — | Chicago Cubs | [62] |
| 1983 ^ | AA | 71–65 | .522 | 3rd | 2nd | 7+1⁄2 | 1–3 | .250 | Lost semifinals vs.Denver Bears, 3–1[63] | Chicago Cubs | [64] |
| 1984 ^ | AA | 80–74 | .519 | 2nd | — | 11 | 1–4 | .200 | Lost semifinals vs.Denver Zephyrs, 4–1[65] | Chicago Cubs | [66] |
| 1985 | AA | 66–75 | .468 | 6th | 4th | 12+1⁄2 | — | — | — | Chicago Cubs | [67] |
| 1986 | AA | 74–68 | .521 | 3rd | 2nd | 2 | — | — | — | Chicago Cubs | [68] |
| 1987 | AA | 64–74 | .464 | 6th | — | 14 | — | — | — | Chicago Cubs | [69] |
| 1988 | AA | 78–64 | .549 | 3rd | 2nd | 3 | — | — | — | Chicago Cubs | [70] |
| 1989 | AA | 62–82 | .431 | 7th | 3rd | 11 | — | — | — | Chicago Cubs | [71] |
| 1990 | AA | 72–74 | .493 | 5th | 2nd | 14 | — | — | — | Chicago Cubs | [72] |
| 1991 | AA | 78–66 | .542 | 3rd | 2nd | 1 | — | — | — | Chicago Cubs | [73] |
| 1992 | AA | 51–92 | .357 | 8th | 4th | 22+1⁄2 | — | — | — | Chicago Cubs | [74] |
| 1993 * † | AA | 85–59 | .590 | 1st | 1st | — | 4–3 | .571 | Won Western Division title WonAA championship vs.Nashville Sounds, 4–3[75] | Chicago Cubs | [76] |
| 1994 | AA | 69–74 | .483 | 5th | — | 17 | — | — | — | Chicago Cubs | [77] |
| 1995 | AA | 69–74 | .483 | 5th | — | 18+1⁄2 | — | — | — | Chicago Cubs | [78] |
| 1996 | AA | 64–78 | .451 | 6th | 3rd | 14 | — | — | — | Chicago Cubs | [79] |
| 1997 * | AA | 74–69 | .517 | 3rd (tie) | 1st | — | 3–3 | .500 | Won Western Division title Won semifinals vs.New Orleans Zephyrs, 3–0 LostAA championship vs.Buffalo Bisons, 3–0[80] | Chicago Cubs | [81] |
| 1998 * | PCL | 85–59 | .590 | 1st | 1st | — | 1–2 | .333 | Won American Conference Central Division title Lost American Conference title vs.New Orleans Zephyrs, 2–1[82] | Chicago Cubs | [83] |
| 1999 | PCL | 65–76 | .461 | 14th | 4th | 16 | — | — | — | Chicago Cubs | [84] |
| 2000 | PCL | 57–87 | .396 | 16th | 4th | 29 | — | — | — | Chicago Cubs | [85] |
| 2001 * | PCL | 83–60 | .580 | 3rd | 1st | — | 0–3 | .000 | Won American Conference Central Division title Lost American Conference title vs.New Orleans Zephyrs, 3–0[86] | Chicago Cubs | [87] |
| 2002 | PCL | 71–73 | .493 | 11th | 3rd | 7 | — | — | — | Chicago Cubs | [88] |
| 2003 | PCL | 70–72 | .493 | 8th (tie) | 3rd | 3 | — | — | — | Chicago Cubs | [89] |
| 2004 * § | PCL | 79–64 | .552 | 4th | 1st | — | 3–5 | .375 | Won American Conference Central Division title Won American Conference title vs.Oklahoma RedHawks, 3–2 LostPCL championship vs.Sacramento River Cats, 3–0[90] | Chicago Cubs | [91] |
| 2005 | PCL | 64–75 | .460 | 13th | 4th | 8+1⁄2 | — | — | — | Chicago Cubs | [92] |
| 2006 | PCL | 76–68 | .528 | 5th (tie) | 1st (tie) | — | — | — | — | Chicago Cubs | [93] |
| 2007 | PCL | 79–65 | .549 | 3rd | 2nd | 10 | — | — | — | Chicago Cubs | [94] |
| 2008 * | PCL | 83–59 | .585 | 1st | 1st | — | 2–3 | .400 | Won American Conference Northern Division title Lost American Conference title vs.Oklahoma RedHawks, 3–2 | Chicago Cubs | [95] |
| 2009 | PCL | 72–72 | .500 | 9th | 3rd | 5 | — | — | — | Chicago Cubs | [96] |
| 2010 | PCL | 82–62 | .569 | 1st (tie) | 1st (tie) | — | — | — | — | Chicago Cubs | [97] |
| 2011 | PCL | 66–77 | .462 | 12th | 4th | 13+1⁄2 | — | — | — | Chicago Cubs | [98] |
| 2012 | PCL | 53–87 | .379 | 16th | 4th | 28 | — | — | — | Chicago Cubs | [99] |
| 2013 | PCL | 66–78 | .458 | 14th | 3rd | 4 | — | — | — | Chicago Cubs | [100] |
| 2014 | PCL | 74–70 | .514 | 7th (tie) | 2nd (tie) | 2+1⁄2 | — | — | — | Chicago Cubs | [101] |
| 2015 | PCL | 80–64 | .556 | 3rd (tie) | 2nd (tie) | 6 | — | — | — | Chicago Cubs | [102] |
| 2016 | PCL | 67–76 | .469 | 13th | 3rd | 15 | — | — | — | Chicago Cubs | [103] |
| 2017 | PCL | 67–72 | .482 | 10th (tie) | 4th | 14 | — | — | — | Chicago Cubs | [104] |
| 2018 | PCL | 50–88 | .362 | 16th | 4th | 24 | — | — | — | Chicago Cubs | [105] |
| 2019 * | PCL | 75–65 | .536 | 5th | 1st | — | 2–3 | .400 | Won American Conference Northern Division title Lost American Conference title vs.Round Rock Express, 3–2 | Chicago Cubs | [106] |
| 2020 | PCL | Season cancelled (COVID-19 pandemic)[38] | Chicago Cubs | [107] | |||||||
| 2021 | AAAE | 50–70 | .417 | 16th | 7th | 19 | 1–8 | .111 | Lost series vs.St. Paul Saints, 4–1 Lost series vs.Omaha Storm Chasers, 4–0 Placed 29th in the Triple-A Final Stretch[45] | Chicago Cubs | [43] |
| 2022 | IL | 68–81 | .456 | 16th | 9th | 23 | — | — | — | Chicago Cubs | [108] |
| 2023 | IL | 82–65 | .558 | 5th | 3rd | 1+1⁄2 | — | — | — | Chicago Cubs | [109] |
| 2024 | IL | 68–82 | .453 | 19th | 9th | 22 | — | — | — | Chicago Cubs | [110] |
| Totals | — | 3,816–3,943 | .492 | — | — | — | 21–41 | .339 | — | — | — |
| Players | Coaches/Other | |||
Pitchers
| Catchers
Infielders
Outfielders | Manager Coaches
60-day injured list
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The franchise has been awarded these honors by Minor League Baseball.
| Award | Season | Ref. |
|---|---|---|
| John H. Johnson President's Award | 1978 | [11] |
| John H. Johnson President's Award | 2002 | [11] |
| Larry MacPhail Award | 1986 | [11] |
Nine players, five managers, and one executive have won league awards in recognition for their performance with Iowa.
| Award | Recipient | Season | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most Valuable Player | Eduardo Zambrano | 1993 | [9] |
| Most Valuable Pitcher | Dewey Robinson | 1979 | [9] |
| Most Valuable Pitcher | Jay Howell | 1982 | [9] |
| Rookie of the Year | Mel Hall | 1982 | [9] |
| Rookie of the Year | Joe Carter | 1983 | [9] |
| Manager of the Year | Joe Sparks | 1973 | [9] |
| Manager of the Year | Jim Napier | 1982 | [9] |
| Award | Recipient | Season | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most Valuable Player | Geovany Soto | 2007 | [26] |
| Most Valuable Player | Bryan LaHair | 2011 | [26] |
| Pitcher of the Year | Carlos Pimentel | 2015 | [26] |
| Pitcher of the Year | Colin Rea | 2019 | [26] |
| Manager of the Year | Terry Kennedy | 1998 | [26] |
| Manager of the Year | Pat Listach | 2008 | [26] |
| Manager of the Year | Ryne Sandberg | 2010 | [26] |
| Executive of the Year | Sam Bernabe | 2008 | [26] |
Sports teams based inIowa | |||||
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| Football | |||||
| Hockey | |||||
| Roller derby | |||||
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| College athletics |
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