Iowa Minor League Baseball Team Sold To California Group
Iowa has been in the baseball spotlight for much of the year. The Field of Dreams had its first-ever televised, major league baseball game held there in August followed by several announcements including another MLB game next summer and the first-ever college game to be held there. Then, attention turned to Principal Park in Des Moines, where the Iowa Cubs play. With news a couple weeks ago that upgrades would be coming there, it's also been announced, according to the Des Moines Register, that the team has been purchased by a California ownership group. Fans flipped out a little at the first knowledge of the news.
The Iowa Cubs have been sold
Endeavor is a global sports marketing group who has purchased the team. When news came early Wednesday morning, some season ticket holders were confused. "“It kind of came out of left field,” said J.J. Nutt. “Pun not intended.”
Michael Gartner has been the team's longtime owner, since 1999. It's been part of Gartner's goal to build and maintain a family-friendly atmosphere at the park that the Chicago Cubs affiliates call home.
The Iowa Cubs are staying in Iowa
Endeavor has purchased the lease at Principal Park through at least 2027, and earlier this year the team re-upped on its affiliation for 10 more years with the Chicago Cubs. The city-required improvements to Principal Park are still a go as well, as some of them are intended to make the park more than just a place to watch baseball. Gartner insists that under the new ownership, everything fans have come to know and love about Iowa Cubs baseball, including the price of individual and season tickets will stay the same.
J.J. Nutt, whose family has been season-ticket holders for 30 years, holds out hope for that to be the case.