The South Bend Cubs are back in town. What to know about the 2022 minor league season

SOUTH BEND — “How can you not be romantic about baseball?”

That line by Brad Pitt portraying Oakland A’s General Manager Billy Beane in the movie Moneyball, certainly rings true for Andrew Berlin.

There’s no doubt the owner of the South Bend Cubs minor league franchise since 2011 is in love with the game.

"What is wonderful about coming into this stadium is when you’re sitting here it’s more like a sanctuary, a place where you can just let it go and enjoy your time here,” Berlin said Wednesday at Four Winds Field leading up to Friday’s Opening Night ceremonies. “There is no other game in the summertime, at night with no time clock. It’s a game that plays out on its own. It’s a ballet on the field. Amazing athletes. Amazing young people trying to get to The Show.”

► Noie: Minor-league veteran Lance Rymel brings passion to Four Winds Field

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And with that, South Bend enters its 34th season as a minor league baseball town, a tradition that dates back to 1988. Since 2015 South Bend has been a player development affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. A new group of Major League Baseball prospects arrived this week and will call South Bend home for the next five months (142 games), or until they move up the system or are reassigned.

The South Bend Cubs, led by new manager Lance Rymel, open the season Friday by hosting their Midwest League rival Quad Cities River Bandits. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

Since buying the team from the Joe Kernan-led ownership group in 2011, Berlin has invested millions into redevelopment, development and stadium improvements in and around Four Winds Field on the southwest edge of downtown.

He said during that time more than 3 million fans have attended games at the park also known over the years as Coveleski Stadium.

Ed Howard, a top infield prospect of the Chicago Cubs arrived in South Bend for his High-A minor league assignment this week. He liked what he saw.

“It’s really nice,” he said of Four Winds Field. “The field, the facility, it’s all perfect.”

The Chicago-area native spent last season at Class A Myrtle Beach where he batted .225 with four home runs and 31 RBIs. He also stole seven bases.

Improving those offensive numbers has been a focus of Howard’s, who had a productive Spring Training in Arizona.

“I’ve been working all off season,” Howard said. “This year I’m ready to get going and go out there and have fun. … I can’t wait until Opening Day and get to see the fans and how electric it is out there.”

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Friday’s weather could zap a little of that electricity with temperatures forecasted to dip below freezing and a rain/snow mix possible.

Still, Howard is expected to light up the defensive highlight reel in South Bend as he’s considered one of the premier middle-infielders in all the minors. He is rated as the No. 14 overall prospect in the Chicago Cubs organization.

While the Chicago Cubs had not released finalized rosters as of Thursday, one pitching prospect heading back to South Bend is Chris Clarke.

The 6-foot-7, 215-pound righthander, is part of a pitching staff expected to be the heart of the club in 2022.

“A lot of people on this team have worked really hard during the off season and Spring training to get up here,” Clarke said. “I feel like we’re going to have a successful season this year.”

The Westlake Village, Calif native was made nine starts for South Bend in 2021 after moving up from rookie ball. He went 0-6 with a 4.65 ERA in 50.1 innings. He struck out 46 and walked 13.

“I was here last year and knew that South Bend was a special place,” he said. "All the people around here actually care about baseball.”

Midwest League remains the same

With 2020's expiration of Major League Baseball's previous agreement with Minor League baseball, MLB lobbied for and got a contraction of the minor leagues.

With each of the 30 MLB teams now limited to a Low-A, High-A and Triple-A affiliates, the minor leagues were reduced from 162 to 120 teams in 2020.

The Midwest League, which South Bend has been a member of since the team's inception in 1988, was moved from Low-A ball to High-A. That configuration continues in 2022.

Midwest teams and their MLB parent clubs are as follows:

East Division — Dayton Dragons (Cincinnati Reds), Fort Wayne Tin Caps (San Diego Padres), Great Lakes Loons (Los Angeles Dodgers), Lake County Captains (Cleveland Guardians), Lansing Lugnuts (Oakland Athletics) and West Michigan Whitecaps (Detroit Tigers).

West Division — Beloit Sky Carp (Miami Marlins), Cedar Rapids Kernels (Minnesota Twins), Peoria Chiefs (St. Louis Cardinals), Quad Cities River Bandits (Kansas City Royals), South Bend Cubs (Chicago Cubs) and Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Milwaukee Brewers).

What's your name?

Wait, what? The Beloit Sky Carp? Huh?

That's right, the Midwest League team formally known as the Beloit Snappers, has rebranded for this season and now calls itself the Sky Carp. The name change comes a year after moving into a new stadium and switching affiliation from the Oakland A's to the Miami Marlins.

South Bend baseball fans will get their first look at the Sky Carp. early in the season as Beloit comes to town for a six-game series starting April 19.

Six shooters

With the exception of opening weekend’s three-game homestand vs. Quad Cities, the Midwest League schedule will again alternate between six-game home and road series between teams. It’s a scheduling change made last season to reduce travel logistics during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Previewing the 2022 South Bend Cubs Midwest League baseball season