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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 11,000 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.
The first ballpark at this site was built as Pioneer Park in 1947. It was renamed Sec Taylor Stadium in honor of the longtime Des Moines Register sports editor in 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 Association) in 1969.
The original stadium was demolished after the 1991 season and the present facility was dedicated on April 16, 1992. The Triple-A All-Star Game was held here in 1997. On July 4, 1998, a stadium-record 13,660 fans watched an I-Cubs game and the post-game fireworks display. In 2004, Chicago Cubs pitchers Mark Prior and Kerry Wood -- both former I-Cubs players -- pitched rehabilitation starts at Sec Taylor Stadium and attracted sellout crowds in the process.
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 $4.5 million deal is expected to cover the costs of new seats, scoreboards, and other structural changes that are expected to be finished by the start of the 2005 season.
Principal Park will also be home to the Iowa High School Athletic Association's state baseball tournaments in 2005 and 2006.
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