Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs are the Triple A affiliate of the Major League Baseball (MLB) Chicago Cubs team.   Throughout the summer, you can see the Iowa Cubs play at Principal Park in between the Raccoon River and the Des Moines River in downtown Des Moines.  The stadium seats 12, 000 fans, including 45 luxury suites, and offers a Cub Club Restaurant. 

In addition to being the home of the Iowa Cubs, Principal Park also hosts the Iowa High School Athletic Association’s state baseball tournament each year.

History of the Iowa Cubs

Established in 1887, the Des Moines Hawkeyes finished their first and only season in the Northwestern League in fourth place with a record of 73-47.  

In 1888, the team left to join the Western Association and changed their name to the Prohibitionists for the next two years.  At the end of the 1889 season, the team was moved to Lincoln Nebraska after dwindling attendance. 

Four years later, the Prohibitionists would return to the Western Association, this time fielding a 7th place team. In 1896 the team finally captured their first pennant; however, the 1896 championship was tainted by the fact the season lasted only 75 games, with Des Moines as one of only three active teams when play halted.  After a fourth place showing in 1897, the team dropped out of the league. 

In 1905 the Des Moines Prohibitionists joined the Western League and managed to win the crown.  In 1906 the team would endure another name change, this time becoming the Champions, and would stay true to the name by winning the pennant this time by 23 games. 

On its roster, the 1906 Western League champions featured an interesting pair of players. One, nearing the end of his career, earned a legacy of glory by setting an all-time minor league career record, while the other, a mere youngster, later endured infamy by being swept up in baseball’s biggest scandal.

The Des Moines Champions remained in the Western League through 1937. In that span of time, the team won pennants in 1909, 1925, 1926 and 1931. After the league was reformed in 1947, Des Moines won another flag in 1948 and playoff championships in 1953 and 1954, the former with a fourth place .497 club. Following the demise of the Western League in 1958, the city joined the Class B Three-I League for a three- year stint. Here, the team won a flag in 1959.

In 1969 the team became the Iowa Oaks, and were among the six American Association teams that year.  In 1981, the Iowa Oaks became the Triple A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs, and in 1982 they took on their parent clubs name, becoming the Iowa Cubs. When the Association was phased out after the 1997 season, the team joined the Pacific Coast League, where they play today.