'
Class Level: AAA
League: Pacific Coast League
Stadium: Principal Park in Des Moines, Iowa
Manager: Marty Pevey
''
Minor league baseball has been a part of Des Moines, Iowa since 1887. First called the Hawkeyes, the team became known as the Iowa Prohibitionists in 1890 before moving to Lincoln, Neb. A few teams came into town briefly before leaving again, and it wasn't until 1981 that Des Moines had a consistent and established team to cheer for. Initially called the Iowa Oaks, the team renamed itself the Iowa Cubs after just one season, and its players have brought a fan-friendly experience to
Principal Park
ever since. Some of yesteryear's greatest athletes have spent time playing in Iowa. Pros such as Joe Girardi, Rafael Palmeiro, Harold Baines and Greg Maddux all spent time with the Iowa Cubs before launching their historic major league careers. Make plans to catch the Iowa Cubs in person and be part of the action. Order your tickets at StubHub today!
''There have been several successful and notable names who have passed through Des Moines over the years before progressing on to join Major League Baseball. Current Chicago Cubs players such as Anthony Rizzo, Kyle Schwarber, former MVP Kris Bryant, David Bote and Javy Baez all spent time in Des Moines with the Iowa Cubs. Former Chicago Cubs players who also spent a portion of their career in Des Moines include such notables as Carl Edwards Jr, Trevor Cahill and Aaron Brooks. In fact, a total of 16 players out of the 25 men who brought the Chicago Cubs their first World Series title in 108 years spent some portion of their career at Principal Park playing for the Iowa Cubs.'
'
Rivalries are at the heart of sports at any level and AAA Baseball is certainly no different. In the major leagues, two of the chief rivals for the
Chicago Cubs
are the
St. Louis Cardinals
and the
Milwaukee Brewers
. Those rivalries are mirrored in the minor league ranks, as two of the Iowa Cubs’ top rivals are the Cardinals' and Brewers' AAA affiliate teams, the
Memphis Redbirds
and the
Rocky Mountain Vibes
, respectively. The Iowa Cubs are also part of the I-80 rivalry against divisional opponent and
Kansas City Royals
' AAA affiliate, the
Omaha Storm Chasers.
''The 2019 season saw the Iowa Cubs make a return to the playoffs, as they put up a 75-65 record that was good enough to win the Pacific Coast League American Northern Division. While the team did lose in the first round of the playoffs, it's worth noting that the 75-win season was a 25-game improvement over the 2018 season.'
'Marty Pevey has been at the helm of the Iowa Cubs for a team-record eight seasons now. As the longest-tenured manager in the history of the franchise, Pevey is also the winningest and is widely credited with helping to develop current MLB All-Stars such as Kris Bryant, Willson Contreras and Javy Baez. Pevey replaced Dave Bialas going into the 2013 season and in 2014 put up the Iowa Cubs' first winning season since 2010 when Ryne Sandberg served as manager. In 2019, Pevey piloted the Iowa Cubs back to the playoffs for the first time since the 2008 season.'
'Baseball fans can grab tickets for any Iowa Cubs game at StubHub, the world's largest online ticketing marketplace.'