The I's have it: Iowa Cubs become Caucuses again

A version of this story originally ran on MiLB.com in 2019, at the time of the I-Cubs' inaugural appearance as the Caucuses.

On Sunday, the Iowa Cubs are assuming an identity that checks off all the boxes.

The Cubs, a Des Moines-based Pacific Coast League entity, are celebrating their state's first-in-the-nation voting status by suiting up as the Caucuses. The club first introduced the Caucuses identity in August 2019 to coincide with the 2020 Presidential election.

Randy Wehofer, Iowa Cubs assistant general manager, indicated that the original idea to play a game as the Caucuses came about "not that long ago in the grand scheme of things."

"We've had a long parade of candidates visit over the years and we're in the capital, where it's front and center," he said. "We put together a timeline to pull something off before the season was over. Got on the horn to [logo designer] Dan Simon of Studio Simon, and talked to New Era about the hats. They gave us a deadline, so we looked at what we needed to do in order to promote and play it. We put our foot on the gas and got to work on it."

The Caucuses' primary logo, featured on the team's caps, depicts an anthropomorphic state of Iowa decked out in a red, white and blue cap while wiggling a foam finger emblazoned with "1st."

"[Simon] did the New Hampshire Primaries [logos]," said Wehofer, referring to the original identity of the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. "We talked at length about that and the ways in which ours would be different. As for having the state as the character itself, that started in a different direction, but [Simon] brought that back to us and we loved it. We tweaked a few things. ... The objective was always to be non-partisan and patriotic, tying a non-sports entity into who we are as a baseball team."

The 2019 season marked the first in which the I-Cubs have adopted an alternate identity. Caucuses follows the team's participation in Minor League Baseball's Copa de la Diversión program, which resulted in three games featuring the Demonios (a reference to the Demons, Des Moines' Minor League team from 1925-37 as well as 1959-61).

Prior to the Caucuses, the I-Cubs played three games as the Demonios in 2019.

"Certainly the Cubs brand is a big part of who we are; we present ourselves as the Major League team of Iowa," Wehofer said. "I don't think we were ever opposed to [an alternate identity] -- it was just a matter of finding the right fit. The Copa program is important no matter where you are in terms of bringing in new fans, and both Demonios and Caucuses are local. They're ingrained in the community and creative, but not too far over the ledge, either. They fit our personality."

The Caucuses logos debuted on Aug. 7 2019, a day before the start of the Iowa State Fair. Wehofer said this was good timing, as the fair is "a place that candidates flock to, to be on the ground amidst the people of Iowa." The team's home of Principal Park also served as a popular stop for that year's crop of Democratic Party candidates, albeit prior to the unveiling of the Caucuses identity. Beto O'Rourke and Joe Biden both stopped by on July 4, 2019 and Pete Buttigieg paid a visit on Aug. 21, 2019.

.@DrBiden and I had a great time celebrating the #FourthOfJuly at last night's @IowaCubs game! pic.twitter.com/EU0zCBybCa

— Joe Biden (Text Join to 30330) (@JoeBiden) July 5, 2019

"We're not involved in giving any sort of endorsement, but we acknowledge and welcome being part of the process," Wehofer said. "That's what this whole thing is about."

Meanwhile, outside of the political sphere, the Caucuses received an unexpected endorsement from Pearl Jam singer (and noted Cubs fan) Eddie Vedder.

"Right after our [Caucuses] announcement, there was a gun control symposium at the convention center," Wehofer said. "That was something that Eddie wanted to be involved in, so he flew in and afterwards his plane was delayed. He stopped by the ballpark and bought a few Caucuses hats and a few other things, unannounced."

The inaugural Caucuses ballgame was about more than a temporary new look. Staff from the office of the Iowa Secretary of State was on hand to register voters or, if applicable, update voter information. The team, in conjunction with this, gave out "I Registered" buttons featuring the Caucuses logo.

"They'll also be providing information about how caucuses work, because it's a little different and both parties have a different format. It's not just filling out a ballot," Wehofer said before that game. "Des Moines is growing quickly with people who, like me, are from somewhere else. They haven't grown up with the process, so there's always a reason for more education."

We are thrilled to partner with @IowaCubs to promote the Iowa Caucuses and #VoterRegistration in a bipartisan fashion this Friday. Hope you can join us at the ballpark. https://t.co/hc5l1MLJaa #BeAVoter #IACaucus pic.twitter.com/s2CQJ5rfxT

— Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate (@IowaSOS) August 27, 2019

"We'll add layers to these games every time we do it," Wehofer said. "The challenging part of all this is staying down the middle, because people never want to keep it there. This is just about our pride in Iowa's place in the process, having fun with it and encouraging people to take part. It's a unique opportunity for us."