DES MOINES, Iowa — The Iowa Cubs are being sold after spending more than two decades under the same ownership.
The I-Cubs announced Wednesday that Diamond Baseball Holdings, a subsidiary of global sports and entertainment company Endeavor, will be purchasing the team.
The Des Moines-based team will continue to be an affiliate of the Chicago Cubs, and longtime general manager/president Sam Bernabe will remain in his current role.
“My partners and I wish the new owners well, and we’re particularly pleased that Sam Bernabe will remain as president and general manager of the team,” said Michael Gartner, who has been chairman and principal owner of the Iowa Cubs for the past 22 seasons. “We hope Sam and his new colleagues have as much fun running the team as we have had."
Later on Wednesday, Bernabe told Local 5 he believes the new owners have the deep bench needed to take the Iowa Cubs into its next chapter.
"I think they bring a lot of resources, they have a very large public company that is in the entertainment and sports business already," Bernabe said. "Whether it's a promotional activity on game day or if it's a non-game day, concert event or something of that nature. So that just the overall amount of new resources that they bring to the table."
The Iowa Cubs have been Chicago's Triple-A affiliate since 1981, and they have played at Principal Park since 1992. The ballpark is slated for major renovations in the near future.
"I think they think it's very excited to see what could be done in and around the area," said Bernabe. "So they'll be very active in trying to make all that come to fruition."
Diamond Baseball Holdings will be just the fourth owner of the team since it returned to Triple-A in 1969.
As part of DHB's announcement, the group will also operate other Minor League Baseball teams including the Memphis Redbirds, Scranton/Wilkes Barre RailRiders, Hudson Valley Renegades and San Jose Giants.
"Opportunities to move into an ownership position of a sport so steeped in history are increasingly rare, and we are confident this will drive meaningful growth in the Owned Sports Properties segment of our company," Endeavor President Mark Shapiro said in a statement.
But what does this sale mean for Des Moines?
"It's always a little scary when you have an outsider buying a local business if you will," said Catch Des Moines CEO Greg Edwards. "But it can be exciting, too, because they can add a lot of new ideas and brings a freshness to it as well."
Catch Des Moines also says the Iowa Cubs play a vital role in the city's identity. They're hopeful the new owners will embrace the team's history and traditions while sparking new ideas.
"We're always into trying to fill more seats at the Cubs stadium and especially bring in new visitors to see the Cubs. So I think there's some opportunity there," Edwards said.
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