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| Your Ballpark Guide |
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Principal Park / Iowa Cubs
| Year Opened | 1992 |
| Capacity | 11,000 |
| Dimensions | 335L, 400C, 335R |
| Last Visit | August 2002 |
| Web Site | www.iowacubs.com |
| Online Broadcasts | Yes |
| Online Ticket Sales | Yes |
| Phone | 515/243-6111 |
| League | Pacific Coast League |
| Affiliation | Chicago Cubs |
| Level | Class AAA |
| Ticket Prices | Deluxe Seats, $20; Club Box, $10; Field Box, $8; Reserved Grandstand, $8; General Admission, $6 |
| Parking | Three adjoining lots offer paid parking; you can park for free closer to downtown |
| Address/Directions | 350 S. 1st St., Des Moines. The stadium is on the south side of downtown Des Moines. I-235 cuts through the north side of downtown Des Moines. From I-235, take the Third Street exit and take Third Street all the way through downtown and hang a left on Tuttle Avenue. |
| Rating |  |
Principal Park / Iowa Cubs news ----->
| Description |
Situated
on the shores of the mighty Raccoon River, Principal Park is a very
pretty, functional ballpark. When it was built in 1992, it was acclaimed
by many baseball aficionados as being one of the most attractive parks in
the minors. And while there are many nice things about Principal Park,
it's not the nicest stadium in the minors, nor it even the nicest stadium
in Iowa -- I'd much prefer attending a game at John
O'Donnell Stadium. Part of it is due to Principal Park's layout: the good
seats are very, very good, but the poorer seats (the two general-admission
bleacher sections down each line) are situated toward center field,
forcing you to crane your neck toward home plate.
The grandstand features 34 skyboxes, a large seating area, and a mezzanine picnic area for groups and casual fans. (There were three groups up in the concourse area when I visited, with hamburgers and hot dogs on the grills.) There's another picnic area in the left-field corner, while the Cub Club (a restaurant and club open to the public on non-game-days) and 12 skyboxes occupy a building overlooking left field.
So
while there are a host of interesting features here, there is nothing really unique,
architectural or otherwise, about Principal Park. The theory behind the
Principal Park design, according to stadium
architect HOK Sport, is to be reminiscent of local bridge designs and
downtown building materials. True, this is Iowa we're talking about here, and with a view of
the state capitol in right field (as show to the left) and a view of downtown Des Moines in
right field, Principal Park is certainly well-situated in its surroundings.
The support from the local community is truly impressive: Des Moines is
the smallest market in the Pacific Coast League, but annually one of the
top teams in attendance. That support translates into support for 46
skyboxes, comprising the second level of the grandstand and a large
structure overlooking left field. (The left-field skyboxes were added in
1995 after the original skyboxes sold out and demand rose to the point
where the team added more.)
But you get the feeling that most of the folks attending games wished they were in Chicago and not in Iowa. There's the issue of the nickname: using the Cubs as a moniker and wearing uniforms patterned after the Chicago Cubs is incredibly lame: there's only one Wrigley Field and only one Cubbie Bear, and they ain't in the middle of Iowa. For many years the team was known as the Iowa Oaks, which is a heckuva lot more distinctive than the Iowa Cubs. Let's hope the Iowa Cubs management comes to its senses and renames the team sometime in the near future.
But give them their props: the Cubs management does put work into keeping Principal Park in tip-top shape. It's one of the cleanest parks I've ever visited, and the team is embarking on another huge project, as the city and the team are pouring a million dollars into a complete rebuilding of the playing field.
| History |
There's been a balpark at the joining of the Des Moines and Racoon rivers since 1947, when Pioneer Park opened as the home of the Des Moines Bruins of the old Western League. It was renamed Sec Taylor Stadium in 1959, named after former Des Moines Register and Tribune sports editor Garner W. (Sec) Taylor, and was the home of the Des Moines Demons of the old Three-I League through 1961.
By 1988 it was apparent that Pioneer Park needed replacing, so the team and the city worked on funding for a new $12 million stadium. The reborn Sec Taylor Stadium hosted its first game on April 16, 1992, and it was expanded in 1995 with 12 new left-field skyboxes and a clubhouse expansion. In August 2004 the city and the Cubs sold naming rights, leading to a renamed Principal Park.
Over the years Des Moines pro baseball teams have had the oddest nicknames: Boosters, Undertakers, Underwriters, and Prohibitionists.
| Concession Highlights |
Following the team's slavish imitation of all things Cubbie, one of the concession stands offers Old Style on tap. As there are probably few ballparks in the United States that offer Old Style on tap, you should jump on the chance to drink what was once the most popular beer in Chicago. Old Style was a cornerstone of G. Heileman Brewing, which was sadly folded into a bunch of other regional beers and moved from its LaCrosse (Wis.) brewery. The 16-ounce Old Style cost me $5.25, more than it used to cost for a pitcher of Old Style in many of the fine drinking establishments along Rush Street.
As you're attending a sporting event in Iowa, there's an excellent assortment of sandwiches of all sorts -- pork tenderloin, brisket, chicken, sausage, and more. There's also a wide selection of hot dogs, brats, cheddar brats (a marriage of cheese and bratwurst -- the ultimate Wisconsin treat!), Sheboygan brats, and Chicago dogs.
Most of the concession areas are located on the concourse level, and there are additional concession stands (including a beer stand serving Newcastle Brown Ale) on the mezzanine level. Concourse-level concession stands feature Goose Island beer (yet another Chicago link!) and Heineken.
Otherwise, the food offerings at
Principal Park are standard ballpark fare: pizza, candy, nachos, popcorn, and Dippin'
Dots.
| Smoking |
| Parking |
| Before/After the Game |
And we're talking about a city where the Iowa Cubs are already the biggest evening event in the summer.
So while Des Moines is actually a very pretty city and looks like a wonderful place to live, it's not the most exciting place to visit. (And remember -- I'm from Minneapolis, so my expectations are low.) The Court Avenue District is roughly six blocks north of the stadium, and it's fairly funky by Des Moines standards. Down the block is Java Joes (214 Fourth Street), where they brew a mighty fine cup of coffee from beans roasted on the premises. Around the corner is the Court Avenue Brewing Company, a popular local brewpub. And no self-respecting baseball fan would leave the district without a brew at Johnny's Hall of Fame Lounge (302 Court Avenue).
Worth a visit is Raccoon River Brewing, a brewpub located at 10th Street and Mulberry on the west side of downtown. It has a selection of your standard brewpub beers (red, IPA, ale, stout). If your tastes run toward the non-alcoholic, venture down to Bauder's Pharmacy (3802 Ingersoll Avenue), where they serve the best ice cream in Des Moines. The place is noted for its turtle sundaes and its peach ice cream, but I really enjoyed my strawberry ice-cream cone.
Another slice of Iowa is the Machine Shed restaurant (11151 Hickman Rd., Urbandale). The angle here is that Machine Shed honors the American farmer by serving traditional farm-style fare. We're talking burnt ends (barbequed beef tips), fried chicken, pork chops, country-fried steak, roast-beef sandwiches, steaks of every size and cut, and more. Definitely not the sort of thing you can chow down for every meal, but mighty tasty.
|
Where to Stay |
There are several downtown hotels
within easy walking distance of Principal Park: Embassy
Suites on the River (101 E. Locust St.; 800/EMBASSY), Marriott
Des Moines (700 Grand Av.; 800/228-9290), the gorgeous Hotel
Fort Des Moines (1000 Walnut Street; 800/532-1466), the Holiday
Inn Downtown (1050 6th Av.; 800/465-4329), and the aforementioned
Hotel Kirkwood (400 Walnut St., 800-798-9191; known more properly as the
Kirkwood Civic Center Hotel). The Kirkwood advertised a $65 nightly rate
for Iowa Cubs fans; can't hurt to ask if it applies in 2004.
There are also many chain hotels near the Des Moines Airport, including
Radisson and Hampton Inn.