The Iowa Cubs are a Minor League Baseball team of the

International League The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Baseball ...

and the Triple-A affiliate of the

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...

. They are located in

Des Moines, Iowa Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines, ...

, and are named for their

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

(MLB) affiliate. The Cubs play their home games at Principal Park, which opened in 1992. They previously played at

Sec Taylor Stadium Principal Park, formerly Sec Taylor Stadium, is a minor league baseball stadium in Des Moines, Iowa. It is the home field of the International League's Iowa Cubs. Features Principal Park is at the confluence of the Des Moines River and the Rac ...

from 1969 to 1991. The club was established as the Iowa Oaks of the Triple-A

American Association American Association may refer to: Baseball * American Association (1882–1891), a major league active from 1882 to 1891 * American Association (1902–1997), a minor league active from 1902 to 1962 and 1969 to 1997 * American Association of Profe ...

in 1969. Iowa took on the Cubs moniker in 1982. They joined the Triple-A

Pacific Coast League The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...

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 Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...

's capital city in 1969, as the Iowa Oaks of the

(AA) began play as an affiliate of the

Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The te ...

. They played their home games at

, which opened in 1947 and was located at the confluence of the

Des Moines Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines, ...

and

Raccoon River The Raccoon River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed May 26, 2011 tributary of the Des Moines River in central Iowa in the United States. As measured using the longes ...

s. Many future Major League Baseball stars such as sluggers

Bill McNulty William Francis McNulty (born August 29, 1946) is a retired Major League Baseball player. He played two seasons in the majors, in and for the Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional ...

, Hall of Famer

Harold Baines Harold Douglas Baines (born March 15, 1959) is an American former right fielder and designated hitter (DH) in Major League Baseball who played for five American League (AL) teams from 1980 to 2001, and is best known for his three stints with th ...

Pat Tabler Patrick Sean Tabler (born February 2, 1958) is an American former Major League Baseball player. After retiring professional baseball, he became a color analyst for the Toronto Blue Jays on the Canadian sports television networks TSN and Sportsn ...

, and 1971

Cy Young Denton True "Cy" Young (March 29, 1867 – November 4, 1955) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher. Born in Gilmore, Ohio, he worked on his family's farm as a youth before starting his professional baseball career. Young entered th ...

and MVP Award winning left-handed pitcher

Vida Blue Vida Rochelle Blue Jr. (born July 28, 1949) is a former American professional baseball player. He was a left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball between and , most notably as an integral member of the Oakland Athletics dynasty that won thr ...

spent time with the Oaks. Both

Bucky Dent Russell Earl "Bucky" Dent (born Russell Earl O'Dey; November 25, 1951) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) player and manager. He earned two World Series rings as the starting shortstop for the New York Yankees in 1977 and 1978 and ...

and future Hall-of-Famer

Goose Gossage Richard Michael "Goose" Gossage (born July 5, 1951) is an American former baseball pitcher who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) between 1972 and 1994. He pitched for nine different teams, spending his best years with the New Yo ...

played for the Oaks early in their careers. The A's farm club experienced winning seasons in 1970 and 1971, but third and second-place finishes kept them out of the playoffs. The Oaks became the top affiliate of the

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...

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, but they were defeated by the

Tulsa Oilers The Tulsa Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and play in the ECHL. The Oilers played their home games at the Tulsa Convention Center until 2008 when they moved into the new BOK Center. For many years, the Tuls ...

, 4–3.

Manager Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activities o ...

Joe Sparks won the American Association Manager of the Year Award. Oaks

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...

s tossed two

no-hitters In baseball, a no-hitter is a game in which a team was not able to record a hit. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in at least nine innings recorded no hits. A pitcher wh ...

in 1974, both in away games. The first was pitched by

Joe Henderson Joe Henderson (April 24, 1937 – June 30, 2001) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. In a career spanning more than four decades, Henderson played with many of the leading American players of his day and recorded for several prominent l ...

against the

Wichita Aeros The Wichita Aeros were an American minor league baseball franchise based in Wichita, Kansas, that played in the Triple-A American Association from 1970 through 1984. The Aeros were established as an expansion franchise when the Association grew ...

on July 31. The second occurred on August 25 when Butch Stinson no-hit the

Indianapolis Indians The Indianapolis Indians are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. They are located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and play their home games at Victory Field, which open ...

. After one season as the

Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...

' 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 Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County, Nebraska, Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. List of ...

. On May 26, 1978, Jack Kucek tossed a no-hitter at Sec Taylor Stadium against the

Oklahoma City 89ers Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...

. 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." Former

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...

manager

Tony La Russa Anthony La Russa Jr. (; born October 4, 1944) is an American former professional baseball player, coach, and manager. His MLB career has spanned from 1963 to 2022, in several roles. He is the former manager of the St. Louis Cardinals, Oakland At ...

managed the Iowa Oaks in 1979 prior to becoming manager of the White Sox. Pitcher

Dewey Robinson Dewey Robinson (August 17, 1898 – December 11, 1950) was an American film character actor who appeared in more than 250 films made between 1931 and 1952. Career Dewey Robinson was born in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1898, and made his B ...

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 In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...

(ERA) and 76

strikeout In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It usually means that the batter is out. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters, and is deno ...

s. In 1981, the team affiliated with the

. 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. The only exceptions being in 1983 and 1984 when they earned spots in the semi-finals but were eliminated by

Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

both years. Members of the 1982 team garnered several league awards.

Jay Howell Jay Canfield Howell (born November 26, 1955) is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds (1980), Chicago Cubs (1981), New York Yankees (1982–1984), Oakland Athletics (1985–1987), Los Angeles Dodgers (1988–1992), ...

, who struck out 139 batters on the way to a 13–4 record and a 2.36 ERA, won the AA Most Valuable Pitcher Award. Skipper Jim Napier was the league's Manager of the Year.

Outfielder An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to cat ...

Mel Hall Mel, Mels or MEL may refer to: Biology * Mouse erythroleukemia cell line (MEL) * National Herbarium of Victoria, a herbarium with the Index Herbariorum code MEL People * Mel (given name), the abbreviated version of several given names (including ...

was the Rookie of the Year after accruing a

batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...

of .329 while hitting 34 doubles and 32

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...

s and driving in 125 runs. Another Cub outfielder,

Joe Carter Joseph Chris Carter (born March 7, 1960) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as an outfielder and first baseman for the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians, San Diego Padres, Toronto Blue Jays, ...

won the 1983 Rookie of the Year Award after stealing 40 bases and hitting .307 with 22 homers. In 1984,

Reggie Patterson Reginald Allen Patterson (born November 7, 1958) is an American retired professional baseball player who was a pitcher in the Major Leagues. Career Patterson was signed by the Chicago White Sox as an amateur free agent in June 1979. He made his ...

fired a no-hitter against the Omaha Royals on August 21. The club was given the 1986

Larry MacPhail Award The Larry MacPhail Award was presented annually from 1966 to 2019 by Minor League Baseball to recognize "a club that demonstrates outstanding and creative marketing and promotional efforts within its community, its ballpark (including non-game da ...

in rocognition of their marketing and promotion efforts. 2014 Principal Park

Sec Taylor Stadium was demolished after the 1991 season, and a new facility of the same name, later renamed Principal Park, was constructed on the site in time for the Cubs' 1992 season. Following a dismal 1992 campaign in which the Cubs went 51–92, they rebounded to win the 1993 Western Division title at 85–59 under manager

Marv Foley Marvis Edwin Foley (born August 29, 1953) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) catcher and coach, and minor league manager. He played for the Chicago White Sox and Texas Rangers in all or part of five seasons between 1978 and 1984, w ...

. They met the

Nashville Sounds The Nashville Sounds are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville, Tennessee, and are named for the ci ...

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. 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. An eleventh-inning walk-off home run by Iowa's

Tuffy Rhodes Karl Derrick "Tuffy" Rhodes (born August 21, 1968) is a retired American professional baseball player. He played six years in Major League Baseball in the US, and thirteen years in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) in Japan. Rhodes is the all-ti ...

ended the game and gave the Cubs their first league title. Outfielder

Eduardo Zambrano Eduardo "Eddie" José Zambrano (born February 1, 1966) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball player. He played parts of two Major League Baseball (MLB) seasons for the Chicago Cubs (1993–94), playing four different positions. He batted ...

garnered the American Association Most Valuable Player Award after collecting 115 RBI and hitting 32 home runs with a .303 average. 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 New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...

in the semi-finals. They were swept by the

Buffalo Bisons The Buffalo Bisons (known colloquially as the Herd) are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Located in Buffalo, New York, the team plays their home games at Sahlen Fiel ...

, 3–0, in the championship round.

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

and

(PCL). The Cubs joined the PCL and won the American Conference Central Division title in 1998 with an 85–59 record. In the American Conference series, they were bested by the New Orleans Zephyrs, 2–1, in a rain-shortened series. Manager Terry Kennedy won the PCL Manager of the Year Award. Former Chicago Cubs manager and Iowa native

Bruce Kimm Bruce Edward Kimm (born June 29, 1951) is an American former professional baseball catcher, manager and coach. He played all or part of four seasons in Major League Baseball for the Detroit Tigers, Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox between 1976 u ...

managed the I-Cubs from 2001 to 2002. He led them to the 2001 division title (83–60), but they were again eliminated by New Orleans in the conference series. The Cubs won their second John H. Johnson President's Award in 2002. Geovany Soto 2010

Mike Quade Gregory Michael Quade (pronounced: KWAH-dee) (born March 12, 1957) is an American professional baseball coach and manager. The manager of the Rochester Red Wings, Triple-A farm system affiliate of the Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball fro ...

, 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. This time, they defeated the

Oklahoma RedHawks Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New M ...

, 3–2, to win the American Conference championship. In the best-of-five

Pacific Coast League championship The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Baseball. A champion has been determined at the end of each season since the league ...

series, they lost to the

Sacramento River Cats The Sacramento River Cats are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and are the Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. Prior to 2015, the River Cats were the Triple-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics for 15 yea ...

, 3–0. In 2007,

catcher Catcher is a Baseball positions, position in baseball and softball. When a Batter (baseball), batter takes their at bat, turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home plate, home) Umpire (baseball), umpire, and recei ...

Geovany Soto Geovany Soto (born January 20, 1983) is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a catcher from 2005 to 2017, most prominently as a member of the Chicago Cubs where he appeared in the MLB ...

, with a .353 average, 26 home runs, and 109 RBI, won the PCL Most Valuable Player Award. Led by PCL Manager of the Year

Pat Listach Patrick Alan Listach (born September 12, 1967) is the former Manager of the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers of the Pacific Coast League and a former Major League Baseball shortstop, minor league manager, and major league third base coach. Amateur career ...

, the 2008 Cubs won the American Conference Northern Division (83–59), but were beaten in the conference series by Oklahoma, 3–2. In 2010, the team was managed by

Baseball Hall of Fame The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests. It serves as the central point of the history of baseball in the United States and displays baseball-r ...

inductee

Ryne Sandberg Ryne Dee Sandberg (born September 18, 1959), nicknamed "Ryno", is an American former professional baseball player, coach, and manager. He played sixteen seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a second baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies (19 ...

who was also selected as the league's Manager of the Year.

First baseman A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...

Bryan LaHair Bryan Allan LaHair (born November 5, 1982) is an American former professional baseball first baseman. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners and Chicago Cubs and in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Fukuoka ...

won the 2010 PCL MVP Award with his .331 average, 38 homers, and 109 RBI. On May 7, 2014, Iowa starter Chris Rusin pitched a

no-hitter In baseball, a no-hitter is a game in which a team was not able to record a hit. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in at least nine innings recorded no hits. A pitcher wh ...

against the New Orleans Zephyrs. 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. The Cubs returned to the postseason in 2019 having won the division 75–65, but they were eliminated by the

Round Rock Express The Round Rock Express are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers. They are located in Round Rock, Texas, and play their home games at the Dell Diamond. The team is named ...

in the American Conference series.

Colin Rea Colin D. Rea (born July 1, 1990) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Milwaukee Brewers organization. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres, Miami Marlins, and Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brew ...

, who paced the league with 14 wins, was recognized as the PCL Pitcher of the Year. The start of the 2020 season was postponed due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

before being cancelled on June 30.

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 The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Baseball ...

. Iowa began competition in the new league on May 4 with a 3–0 loss to the

at Principal Park. On May 9, the Cubs tossed the league's first no-hitter when

Shelby Miller Shelby Charles Miller (born October 10, 1990) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the St. Louis Cardinals, Atlanta Braves, Arizona Diamondb ...

Tommy Nance Thomas Andrew Nance (born March 19, 1991) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Miami Marlins of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Chicago Cubs. Early life and amateur career Nance attended Wood ...

Brad Wieck Bradley Michael Wieck (; born October 14, 1991) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Chicago Cubs organization. He previously played for the San Diego Padres and Cubs. Career New York Mets Wieck attended San Jacinto Christian Acade ...

, and

Ryan Meisinger Ryan Thomas Meisinger (born May 4, 1994) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles, St. Louis Cardinals, and Chicago Cubs. Amateur career Meisinger a ...

combined to no-hit Indianapolis, 2–0, in Des Moines. 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 The St. Paul Saints are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. They are located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and have played their home games at CHS Field since 2015. They prev ...

on July 11, a 1–0 home win. Iowa ended the season in seventh place in the Midwestern Division with a 50–70 record. No playoffs were held to determine a league champion; instead, the team with the best regular-season record was declared the winner. 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. Iowa finished the tournament in 29th place with a 1–8 record. In December 2021, owner

Michael Gartner Michael Gartner (born October 25, 1938, in Des Moines, Iowa) is an American journalist, attorney and businessman. He was president of the Iowa Board of Regents. Biography A graduate of Carleton College and the New York University School of Law, ...

announced that the team was sold to Endeavor. In 2022, the Triple-A East became known as the

, the name historically used by the regional circuit prior to the 2021 reorganization.

Season-by-season records

Roster

Awards

The franchise has been awarded these honors by Minor League Baseball. Nine players, five managers, and one executive have won league awards in recognition for their performance with Iowa.

References

External links

Official website

Statistics from ''Baseball-Reference''
{{Iowa Sports 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