1978 Iowa Oaks baseball program from the American Association

Iowa Oaks

American Association (1969-1981)

Tombstone

Born: 1969
Re-Branded: February 1, 1982 (Iowa Cubs)

First Game: April 19, 1969 (L 4-3 @ Indianapolis Indians)
Last Game: August 27, 1981 (W 5-3 @ Indianapolis Indians)

American Association Championships: None

Stadium

Sec Taylor Stadium (5,000)11981 Iowa Oaks Program

Dimensions (1981): Left: 330′, Center: 400′, Right: 330′21981 Iowa Oaks Program

Ownership & Affiliation

Owner: Ray Johnston

Major League Affiliations:

  • 1969-1972: Oakland A’s
  • 1973-1974: Chicago White Sox
  • 1975: Houston Astros
  • 1976-1980: Chicago White Sox
  • 1981: Chicago Cubs

Attendance

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Source: The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (3rd ed.), Lloyd Johnson & Miles Wolff, 2007

 

Our Favorite Stuff

Iowa Oaks White Sox Era
Logo T-Shirt

This Iowa Oaks shirt hails from the club’s 1976-1980 run as the top farm club of the American League’s Chicago White Sox. The Oaks logo from this era neatly mimicked the distinctive wordmark design used by Chicago from 1976 until 1990.
This design is available from American Retro Apparel in several colors and in sizes small through XXXL today!
 
When you make a purchase through an affiliate link like this one, Fun While It Lasted earns a commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support!

 

Background

The Iowa Oaks baseball team was a triple-A minor league club that played from 1969 to 1981 at Sec Taylor Stadium in Des Moines.  The franchise continues to exist today under the Iowa Cubs name.

During the Oaks era, the club was never especially competitive.  The Oaks only made the American Association playoffs once in thirteen seasons, advancing to the championship series in 1973, which they lost to the Tulsa Oilers.

Denny McLain Comeback Attempt

In April 1973, the Oaks signed 1968 American League Cy Young Award Winner and Most Valuable Player Denny McLain to a free agent contract.  The signing of the controversial McLain was made by the Oaks’ local management, and not by their parent club at the time, the Chicago White Sox.  McLain was the last man to to win 30 games in the Major Leagues, which he did at age 24 with the World Champion Detroit Tigers in 1968.  He would share the Cy Young Award again in 1969.  But he was suspended for much of the 1970 season for participating in a book making operation. When he did finally return, his game suffered due to a sore arm.  He made his final Major League appearance in 1972 and after his brief comeback attempt in Iowa, McLain was out of pro baseball before age 30.

1977 Iowa Oaks baseball program from the American Association

1980’s: Oaks To Cubs

Before the start of the 1981 season, the Oaks’ Major League affiliation passed from the Chicago White Sox to the Chicago Cubs.  After one final season under the Oaks name in 1981, the team was re-branded as the Iowa Cubs on February 1st, 1982.  The Iowa Cubs continue to serve as the top farm club of the Chicago Cubs to this day.

The re-branding of the team in the winter of 1981-82 coincided with the departure of longtime owner Ray Johnston, who founded the Oaks in 1969.  A Springfield, Illinois group offered Johnston a reported $600,000 to sell and relocate the Oaks to that city.  But the team was saved by Ken Grandquist, a member of the Oaks’ community steering committee since 1969. Grandquist spearheaded a local group to buy out Johnston for and save triple-A baseball for Des Moines.

Grandquist would own the Iowa Cubs for nearly two decades.  He died from complications of a stroke that he suffered in his skybox at Sec Taylor Stadium on opening day of the 1999 season.  He was 75 years old.

 

Iowa Oaks Shop

Iowa Oaks Baseball 1981 Logo T-Shirt

Iowa Oaks Circa 1981 Logo T-Shirt
Available Today at American Retro Apparel

 

 

 

In Memoriam

Second Baseman Joe “Moose” Gates (Oaks ’79-’80), died on March 28, 2010 at age 55.

 

Links

 

American Association Media Guides

American Association Programs

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Comments

One Response

  1. I remember a hot summer day when I was 10 or so my dad” took me out to the old ballgame ” and we were fortunate to get seats behind home plate in the shade but lucky we were not. Pitching that day was a young unknown hard throwing Vida Blue. Everytime he brought the heat we would have to scramble from our seats as the catcher would undoubtedly miss the pitch and the ball would soar right through the chicken wire that was meant to protect us. Wooden benches and chicken wire on a hot summer day at Sec Taylor stadium in Des Moines Iowa……HEAVEN.

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