South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. They are located in South Bend, Indiana, and play their home games at Four Winds Field at Coveleski Stadium.

South Bend Cubs
Minor league affiliations
ClassHigh-A (2021–present)
Previous classesClass A (1988–2020)
LeagueMidwest League (2022–present)
DivisionWest Division
Previous leagues
Major league affiliations
TeamChicago Cubs (2015–present)
Previous teamsArizona Diamondbacks (1998–2014)
Chicago White Sox (1988–1997)
Minor league titles
League titles (5)
  • 1989
  • 1993
  • 2005
  • 2019
  • 2022
Division titles (8)
  • 1989
  • 1990
  • 1993
  • 2001
  • 2005
  • 2008
  • 2019
  • 2022
Second-half titles (1)
  • 2022
Team data
NameSouth Bend Cubs (2015–present)
Previous names
South Bend Silver Hawks (1994–2014)
South Bend White Sox (1988–1993)
ColorsRoyal blue, red, white[1][2]
     
MascotsStu the Cub and Swoop the Silverhawk
BallparkFour Winds Field at Coveleski Stadium (1988–present)
Owner(s)/
Operator(s)
Andrew T. Berlin
General managerNick Brown
ManagerLance Rymel

The team was originally known as the South Bend White Sox from 1988 to 1993 during their affiliation with the Chicago White Sox, a partnership that lasted until 1997. They were called the South Bend Silver Hawks from 1994 to 2014. From 1998 to 2014, they were affiliates of the Arizona Diamondbacks. They then became an affiliate of the Chicago Cubs and became the South Bend Cubs in 2015.[3][4]

History
Four Winds Field in South Bend

South Bend, Indiana, was awarded a Midwest League franchise in 1988.[5] Originally affiliated with the Chicago White Sox and bearing the name of the parent club, the team was renamed in 1994. The name "Silver Hawks" was chosen as an homage to the once popular Studebaker Silver Hawk automobile, which was manufactured in South Bend.

Reid Mahon with the Silver Hawks in 2007

Notable former players include Brandon Webb, and Justin Upton, the number 1 overall draft pick in 2005.

The team's home park is Four Winds Field at Coveleski Stadium. The stadium was built in 1987 and named for Stanley Coveleski, the Hall of Fame pitcher who retired to South Bend after a career in major league baseball that included pitching three complete games to help the Cleveland Indians win the 1920 World Series. On September 5, 2013, the South Bend Silver Hawks announced an agreement with the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, owners of Four Winds Casinos, for naming rights to the field. The field is now known as Four Winds Field. As part of the agreement, a permanent bronze memorial bearing the name and likeness of Stanley Coveleski is located at the main entrance in his honor.

Despite playing through rumors of sale and relocation in the near future to Marion, Illinois, the Silver Hawks managed a championship season in 2005, beating the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers and winning the 2005 Midwest League Championship. The team also won league titles in 1989 and 1993.

Former Indiana Governor (and former South Bend Mayor) Joe Kernan formed an investment group to purchase the Silver Hawks in 2005. At the time, Kernan made it clear that a principal objective of the group was to keep the team from leaving South Bend.

New ownership

In November 2011, Andrew T. Berlin of Chicago, a limited partner of the Chicago Cubs and Chairman/CEO of Chicago-based Berlin Packaging and the new owner of the team, ensured his commitment to the city of South Bend by signing a 20-year cumulative lease agreement for the use of Coveleski Stadium. He then added a public commitment to the citizens of the region that he would invest $2.5 million of his own money to make upgrades to the city-owned stadium.[6][7] This investment resulted in the construction of The Ivy at Berlin Place, a $22 million apartment complex consisting of 121 apartments overlooking the stadium's left field, which opened in 2019.

Chicago Cubs

On September 18, 2014, the Silver Hawks and Chicago Cubs signed a four-year player-development contract through 2018. Team Owner Andrew Berlin said in a statement, "Today is a turning point. I made a promise to the local community and government officials who welcomed me with open arms three years ago. I promised that I would return the team to its former glory days. And I promised that I'd do everything I could to bring people back to South Bend and prove that this is a wonderful place to invest in."[3] As a result of the name change and new affiliation with the Cubs, team merchandise sales increased by upwards of 700% of their previous totals.[8]

With the launch of the Marquee Sports Network, Marquee indicated that a package of the team's games would be carried on the channel while seeking carriage in the South Bend area.[9]

In conjunction with Major League Baseball's restructuring of Minor League Baseball in 2021, the Cubs were organized into the High-A Central and remained a Chicago affiliate.[10] In 2022, the High-A Central became known as the Midwest League, the name historically used by the regional circuit prior to the 2021 reorganization.[11] The Cubs won their second Midwest League championship in three seasons (the 2020 season was not played due to the COVID-19 pandemic) over the Lake County Captains by winning back-to-back road games after losing the first game of the best-of-three series at home.[12]

Awards

After setting attendance records during the 2015 season, the South Bend Cubs won the 42nd John H. Johnson President's Award as the minor league's "most complete franchise". The president of the team, Joe Hart, said, "To be selected for this prestigious award over some of the best franchises across the nation is extremely humbling."[13]

Mascot

The team has two mascots. One is Stu the Cub, who was selected following an online fan vote prior to Opening Day. The other is Swoop the Silverhawk, who was the mascot when the team was known as the Silverhawks, and was kept after the name change.[14]

Roster
South Bend Cubs roster
Players Coaches/Other

Pitchers

  • 36 Brandon Birdsell
  • -- Jesus Camargo ‡
  • 33 Luis Devers
  • 34 Manuel Espinoza
  • 16 Richard Gallardo
  • 11 Cade Horton
  • 41 Adam Laskey
  • 24 Joe Nahas
  • 38 Connor Noland
  • 29 Eduarniel Nunez
  • 16 Sheldon Reed
  • 17 Tyler Santana
  • 18 Frankie Scalzo Jr.
  • 39 Sam Thoresen
  • 13 Didier Vargas
  • 30 Chase Watkins
  • 19 Jarod Wright

Catchers

  • 50 David Avitia
  •  3 Ethan Hearn
  • 21 Casey Opitz

Infielders

Outfielders

Manager

  • 28 Lance Rymel

Coaches

60-day injured list

  • -- Derek Casey
  • -- Yovanny Cruz
  • -- Tyler Schlaffer

7-day injured list
* On Chicago Cubs 40-man roster
~ Development list
# Rehab assignment
∞ Reserve list
‡ Restricted list
§ Suspended list
† Temporarily inactive list
Roster updated June 17, 2023
 Transactions
→ More rosters: MiLB • Midwest League
 → Chicago Cubs minor league players

Playoffs
SeasonQuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinals
1989-W, 2-0, RockfordW, 3-0, Springfield
1990-W, 2-0, MadisonL, 3-1, Quad City
1993-W, 2-0, RockfordW, 3-1, Clinton
2001W, 2-0, MichiganW, 2-0, DaytonL, 1-0, Kane County
2003L, 2-0, Lansing--
2004W, 2-0, Fort WayneL, 2-0, West Michigan-
2005W, 2-0, Southwest MichiganW, 2-0, West MichiganW, 3-2, Wisconsin
2006L, 2-0, Lansing--
2007W, 2-1, DaytonL, 2-0, West Michigan-
2008W, 2-1, West MichiganW, 2-0, DaytonL, 2-0, Burlington
2009L, 2-1, Fort Wayne--
2013W, 2-0, Great LakesW, 2-1, Fort WayneL, 3-0, Quad Cities
2016L, 2-1, West Michigan--
2019W, 2-0, Bowling GreenW, 2-0, Great LakesW, 3-0, Clinton
2022-W, 2-1, Cedar RapidsW, 2-1, Lake County

Notable alumni

Hall of Fame alumni

Notable alumni

B-Roll footage of a game between the West Michigan Whitecaps and the then South Bend Silver Hawks at Fifth Third Ballpark, was aired in Champ's Whammy! home runs scene in Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues. Officials with the West Michigan Whitecaps were unaware they would be featured in the movie and only found out after the movie was released in December 2013.[15]

References
  1. "South Bend Cubs unveil official new logo, colors and home jersey". MLB Advanced Media. December 4, 2014. Retrieved August 21, 2018.
  2. "South Bend Cubs Style Guide". Major League Baseball Properties, Inc. Retrieved August 21, 2018.
  3. Leventhal, Josh. "Tracking the Affiliation Shuffle". baseballamerica.com. Baseball America. Archived from the original on September 24, 2014. Retrieved September 19, 2014.
  4. "South Bend Silver Hawks renamed South Bend Cubs". WSBT/Channel 22. Archived from the original on September 25, 2014. Retrieved September 25, 2014.
  5. "Baseball in South Bend, Indiana". MWLGuide.com.
  6. "South Bend Cubs News". MiLB.com.
  7. Peterson, Mark. "South Bend Silver Hawks sold, but staying in town". www.wndu.com.
  8. Parrott, Jeff (November 12, 2021). "South Bend Cubs owner Andrew Berlin plans to add upper deck at Four Winds Field". South Bend Tribune. Gannett. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
  9. Lafayette, Jon (February 24, 2020). "Marquee Sports Network Steps Up to the Plate". Multichannel. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  10. Mayo, Jonathan (February 12, 2021). "MLB Announces New Minors Teams, Leagues". Major League Baseball. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  11. "Historical League Names to Return in 2022". Minor League Baseball. March 16, 2022. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
  12. Terranova, Rob (September 22, 2022). "South Bend Claims Second Crown in Three Years". Minor League Baseball. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
  13. Andracki, Tony. "South Bend Cubs win minor league baseball's top honor". csnchicago.com. Comcast Sportsnet. Archived from the original on December 8, 2015. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
  14. Johnson, David. "South Bend Cubs help New Buffalo pupils "Swoop" into reading". harborcountry-news.com. Harbor Country News. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
  15. "Whammy! 'Anchorman 2' features unexpected footage of West Michigan Whitecaps". M Live. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
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