Principal Park
Encyclopedia
Principal Park, formerly Sec Taylor Stadium, is a minor league baseball
stadium
located in Des Moines, Iowa
. It is the home field of the Pacific Coast League
's Iowa Cubs
.
Principal Park is located at the confluence of the Des Moines River
and the Raccoon River
in downtown Des Moines. The stadium seats 11,500 fans and has 45 luxury suites, 12 of which are in a building in left field that also houses the Cub Club restaurant. The Iowa State Capitol
building is visible from beyond the center field fence, while some seats also provide views of the Des Moines skyline.
) in 1969.
By the late 1980s the original stadium was becoming run down, and was starting to develop a seedy reputation as the wooden seats and bleachers were splintering and unpainted. After Des Moines voters approved a bond issue to rebuild Sec Taylor Stadium in August 1990, most of the original stadium was demolished after the 1991 season. The present facility, complete with sky boxes, plastic seats, metal bleachers and a family picnic area, was dedicated on April 16, 1992. During part of the 1993 season the stadium was submerged by the Great Flood of 1993
, but the team still went on to win the American Association championship. The Triple-A All-Star Game
was held here in 1997. In 2004, Chicago Cubs
pitchers Mark Prior
and Kerry Wood -- both former I-Cubs players -- pitched rehabilitation starts in Des Moines and attracted sellout crowds in the process. Wood made two additional rehab starts at Principal Park in June 2005 and one start on May 12, 2006.
On August 5, 2004, Sec Taylor Stadium was renamed Principal Park after the Principal Financial Group
purchased the naming rights
to the facility. The playing field is still known as Sec Taylor Field. The $2.5 million deal covered part of a $6.8 million renovation project that took place during the 2005-2006 off-season. The project included the addition of over 1,000 new seats in the right field grandstand, replacement of all other seats, construction of new right field bleachers, installation of a new scoreboard and video board, replacement of the stadium field lighting system, and other structural changes.
Principal Park hosted its first Iowa High School Athletic Association state baseball tournament in 2005 and is scheduled to host the tournament through 2008.
Principal Park's single-game attendance record was set on June 8, 2007, when 15,188 fans watched an I-Cubs game against the New Orleans Zephyrs
. However, the highest attendance for any event at the stadium was set on September 25, 2009, when a Dave Matthews Band
concert brought in a sellout crowd of 17,646.
On June 14, 2008, the Iowa Cubs beat the Nashville Sounds 5-4. The paid attendance was 0 due to flooding concerns in the Downtown Des Moines area.
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
stadium
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
located in Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
. It is the home field of the Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
's Iowa Cubs
Iowa Cubs
The Iowa Cubs are a Triple-A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Chicago Cubs, that plays in the Pacific Coast League. Their home games are played in Des Moines, Iowa, at Principal Park.-Franchise history:...
.
Principal Park is located at the confluence of the Des Moines River
Des Moines River
The Des Moines River is a tributary river of the Mississippi River, approximately long to its farther headwaters, in the upper Midwestern United States...
and the Raccoon River
Raccoon River
The Raccoon River is a tributary of the Des Moines River in central Iowa in the United States. As measured using the longest of its three forks, its length increases to...
in downtown Des Moines. The stadium seats 11,500 fans and has 45 luxury suites, 12 of which are in a building in left field that also houses the Cub Club restaurant. The Iowa State Capitol
Iowa State Capitol
The Iowa State Capitol is located in Iowa's capital city, Des Moines, and houses the Iowa Senate, Iowa House of Representatives, the Office of the Governor, and the Offices of the Attorney General, Auditor, Treasurer, and Secretary of State...
building is visible from beyond the center field fence, while some seats also provide views of the Des Moines skyline.
History
The first ballpark at this site was built as Pioneer Memorial Stadium in 1947. It was renamed Sec Taylor Stadium in honor of the longtime Des Moines Register sports editor on September 2, 1959. The park served as home of the Des Moines Bruins of the Class A Western League (1947-1958) and the Des Moines Demons of the Class B Three-I League (1959-1961). It became the home of the Iowa Cubs (originally the Iowa Oaks of the American AssociationAmerican Association (20th century)
The American Association was a minor league baseball league at the Triple-A level of baseball in the United States from to and to . Together with the International League, it contested the Junior World Series which determined the championship team in minor league baseball, at least for the...
) in 1969.
By the late 1980s the original stadium was becoming run down, and was starting to develop a seedy reputation as the wooden seats and bleachers were splintering and unpainted. After Des Moines voters approved a bond issue to rebuild Sec Taylor Stadium in August 1990, most of the original stadium was demolished after the 1991 season. The present facility, complete with sky boxes, plastic seats, metal bleachers and a family picnic area, was dedicated on April 16, 1992. During part of the 1993 season the stadium was submerged by the Great Flood of 1993
Great Flood of 1993
The Great Mississippi and Missouri Rivers Flood of 1993 occurred in the American Midwest, along the Mississippi and Missouri rivers and their tributaries, from April to October 1993. The flood was among the most costly and devastating to ever occur in the United States, with $15 billion in damages...
, but the team still went on to win the American Association championship. The Triple-A All-Star Game
Triple-A All-Star Game
The Triple-A All-Star Game is a single baseball game held between the two Triple-A leagues in minor league baseball—the International League and the Pacific Coast League...
was held here in 1997. In 2004, Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
pitchers Mark Prior
Mark Prior
Mark William Prior is an American professional baseball pitcher in the New York Yankees organization. He pitched for the Chicago Cubs from 2002-2006. His repertoire of pitches includes a low to mid 90s fastball, a curveball, a slurve, and a changeup.-Amateur career:Prior graduated from the...
and Kerry Wood -- both former I-Cubs players -- pitched rehabilitation starts in Des Moines and attracted sellout crowds in the process. Wood made two additional rehab starts at Principal Park in June 2005 and one start on May 12, 2006.
Principal Financial Group
Principal Financial Group is a publicly traded corporation based in Des Moines, Iowa, USA.The Principal Financial Group is a global financial services provider which offers a wide range of financial products and services, and is a U.S. leader in 401 plans. Headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, the...
purchased the naming rights
Naming rights
In the private sector, naming rights are a financial transaction whereby a corporation or other entity purchases the right to name a facility, typically for a defined period of time. For properties like a multi-purpose arena, performing arts venue or an athletic field, the term ranges from three...
to the facility. The playing field is still known as Sec Taylor Field. The $2.5 million deal covered part of a $6.8 million renovation project that took place during the 2005-2006 off-season. The project included the addition of over 1,000 new seats in the right field grandstand, replacement of all other seats, construction of new right field bleachers, installation of a new scoreboard and video board, replacement of the stadium field lighting system, and other structural changes.
Principal Park hosted its first Iowa High School Athletic Association state baseball tournament in 2005 and is scheduled to host the tournament through 2008.
New Orleans Zephyrs
The New Orleans Zephyrs are a minor league baseball team based in Metairie, Louisiana, a suburb of New Orleans. The Zephyrs play in the Pacific Coast League and are the Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. The Zephyrs play their home games at Zephyr Field....
. However, the highest attendance for any event at the stadium was set on September 25, 2009, when a Dave Matthews Band
Dave Matthews Band
Dave Matthews Band, sometimes shortened to DMB, is a U.S. rock band formed in Charlottesville, Virginia in 1991. The founding members were singer-songwriter and guitarist Dave Matthews, bassist Stefan Lessard, drummer/backing vocalist Carter Beauford and saxophonist LeRoi Moore. Boyd Tinsley was...
concert brought in a sellout crowd of 17,646.
On June 14, 2008, the Iowa Cubs beat the Nashville Sounds 5-4. The paid attendance was 0 due to flooding concerns in the Downtown Des Moines area.