Mapping the path

EASTERN MIDWEST BASEBALL

South Bend Cubs

Dad and I travel to South Bend, Indiana, stopping at the campus of Notre Dame before lunch at The Lauber. We learn a bit of local lore at the Studebaker and History museums, then gear up for Game 7 with the South Bend Cubs, the High-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs.

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Our tour of the Eastern Midwest turned north. Dad and I enjoyed a pleasant drive from Indianapolis, through farmland and riverside forests in central Indiana. In about two and a half hours, we were in South Bend, just below the border of Michigan, at the heart of a region known as “Michiana.”

The St. Joseph River that runs through South Bend has shaped the city. The Miami and Potawatomi tribes hunted and fished from its banks. It brought fur traders in the early 18th century — the first European explorers — looking to expand their business. And it was the source of South Bend’s manufacturing success in the 19th century with companies like Studebaker, the Singer Sewing Company, and the Oliver Chilled Plow Company.

We would get a look at that history later, but the first stop on our itinerary was something more familiar: the University of Notre Dame. We planned to swing by the famed football power for a few photos before doubling back into town. But with school out of session, the streets were torn up in a large-scale construction project. We couldn’t get close to much of anything, only managing a peak of The Golden Dome in the distance.

We did get near Notre Dame Stadium from the outside but again, construction prevented us from seeing the Knute Rockne statue, or the World of Life Mural across from it, fondly known as “Touchdown Jesus.”

We drove back south to Four Winds Park — the site of that night’s game with the High-A South Bend Cubs — for an interview with a reporter from ABC57 in South Bend. Giselle Valentin was a one-person crew, setting up the camera and interviewing the two of us about our 23-ballpark road trip. Dad was as comfortable in front of the camera as always. (See the story!)

I had the prime melt: thinly sliced prime rib and mozzarella on a soft roll, with giardia peppers and au jus for dipping. Excellent.

The Stutenbecker family arrived in Philadelphia from Sollinger, Germany, in 1736, and were assigned an Anglicized name by an English-speaking agent. They were trained blacksmiths and soon found their way in America making early Conestoga wagons. In 1852, five Studebaker brothers founded the Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Company, building horse-drawn carriages, buggies, and a variety of specialty wagons.

Studebaker built its first electric vehicle in 1902 and its first gasoline-powered automobile in 1904. By 1913, the company had become the third-largest automobile manufacturer in the United States behind Ford and Overland, with a reputation for quality, durability, and reliability. In the 1920s, Studebaker moved all of its production facilities to South Bend, where it remained until the plant closed in 1963. The largest employer in South Bend had been unable to keep up with the scale and efficiencies of bigger manufacturers like General Motors and Ford during the post-war boom. The last Studebaker rolled off a production line in Hamilton, Ontario, in 1966.

That same year, the Studebaker Corporation donated a 33-vehicle collection to the City of South Bend — including presidential carriages and the Studebaker family’s Conestoga Wagon — which would become the nucleus of the current museum.

Colfax’s family moved to South Bend in 1841, and he became the editor of the pro-Whig South Bend Free Press the following year. Colfax ran for Congress as a Whig in 1851 and lost narrowly. He tried again as a member of the short-lived Indiana People’s Party in 1854 and won, beginning the first of his six consecutive terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. Looking for the most effective party to reflect his anti-slavery views, Colfax shifted to the fledgling Republican Party in 1856.

Colfax was elected Speaker of the House three times and served in that role from 1863 to 1869. He then joined Grant on the youngest winning presidential ticket in American history before Bill Clinton and Al Gore took the White House in 1992.

One of the other prominent sections in The History Museum celebrates the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, founded in 1943 by Philip K. Wrigley. During its 12-year run, the league fielded 14 different teams — including the South Bend Blue Sox — clustered around Lake Michigan. At the league’s height in 1948, more than 900,000 fans came out to see the women play ball, a phenomenon memorialized in the 1992 film A League of Their Own.

As we left the museum, we stopped for a look at the Oliver Mansion, built in 1895-96 for the family of Joseph D. Oliver, founder of the Oliver Chilled Plow Works. Oliver opened his original iron works in South Bend in 1876, and by 1878 it was producing 63,000 plows a year. The Romanesque Queen Anne house has 38 rooms and is nicknamed Copshaholm in honor of the Scottish patriarch’s hometown.

In the late afternoon, we returned to Four Winds Field, whose full name is Four Winds Field at Stanley Covelski Regional Stadium, a tribute to the Hall-of-Fame pitcher who relocated to South Bend after his playing career ended in 1929. The ballpark opened in 1987 for the South Bend White Sox, who became the Silver Hawks (after the Studebaker Silver Hawk of the late 1950s) before affiliating with the Chicago Cubs in 2015 and adopting the parent club’s name.

The skyline view from home plate is dominated by four-story apartments in left and center field with rooftop seating, recalling the views across Waveland Ave. at Chicago’s Wrigley Field. The apartments, dubbed The Ivy at Berlin Place, are named for South Bend Cubs chairman and owner Andrew T. Berlin, a businessman based in Chicago who is also a partner and shareholder with the Chicago Cubs.

The South Bend franchise has won five Midwest League championships since 1988, the last in 2022. The team averaged 4,697 fans per game in 2024, fourth in the 12-team league. Well-known alumni include Carlton Fisk, George Bell, Mike Cameron, Joey Cora, Carlos Hernandez, Miguel Montero, Gleyber Torres, Justin Upton, Brandon Webb, and manager Terry Francona.

I walked Dad to his seat and made a solo trip down the left-field line to the Cubs Den team store, located in the restored 1901 building of the Sons of Israel Synagogue.

While most of the Cubs merch was a straightforward collection of bear-based reds, whites, and blues, the store did feature the team’s Copa de la Diversión alternate identity, Los Cabritos Maldichos (“the Cursed Goats”). The monicker refers to the "Curse of the Billy Goat," when William “Billy” Dianis, owner of the Billy Goat Tavern in Chicago, was ejected from Game 4 of the 1945 World Series for bringing his pet goat, Murphy, to the game. Dianis claimed the Cubs were cursed to never win another World Series — a hex that was finally lifted in 2016.

For my one hat per ballpark, I selected a classy pinstripe cap that stood out from the norm and picked up a ball for Dad.

I walked down the busy main concourse toward right field, making note of our food options for the evening.

In the right-field corner, kids shrieked as they jogged through a splash pad bounded by giant baseballs.

The Cubs have a generous selection of top-notch concessions: Italian beef sandwiches, premium burgers, cheesesteak, sausages, and pulled pork to name just a few. We went with the “Opponent Dog,” (aka homestand hot dog), a weekly special that tips its cap to the visiting team. This time, in honor of the opposing Lake County Captains, it was a Corned Beef Dog with caramelized onions that we both thought was very good.

The always outstanding Ben’s Pretzels are also in the food mix at Four Winds Field. We had tried one several days earlier during our game with the Schaumburg Boomers, and I could not resist having another.

The Cubs had just finished the first half of the season in fifth place in the West division of the Midwest League. They would not fare any better in the upcoming second half, ending with the second-worst combined record in the league.

Meanwhile, the Captains were in the midst of a historic run. The Cleveland Guardians affiliate had rocketed through the first half with a 41-25 record, seven full games ahead of the second-place Dayton Dragons and Great Lakes Loons.

The ballpark entertainment team — mascot Stu. D. Baker, a group of cheerleaders, and on-field host Mark McGill — was introduced like the starting five at an NBA game. We did not get a chance to see the Cubs other mascot, Swoop, who was retiring at the end of the season after 28 years of service.

Cubs starter Drew Gray — a third-round pick in the 2021 draft — kicked things off with an easy top of the first. In the bottom half, Cubs center fielder Rafael Morel led off with a single against Captains starter Trevor Denholm. Morel then stole second base and scored on the second of two groundouts to give the home team the lead.

Between innings, Cubs Assistant General Manager and Captain of Fun Chris Hagstrom stopped by. He had seen us before the game in our matching shirts and knew about the trip. We talked a bit about the ballpark and plans for expansion that will increase seating from 5,000 to 10,000 in 2026 with the addition of a second deck.

Then he asked us to smile and wave to the camera for what felt like six minutes. “Yes, keep smiling, keep waving,” he said, acknowledging the awkwardness. The clip would be used later on the scoreboard video screen to announce us as Fans of the Game.

In the top of the second, Gray struggled mightily, giving up four walks that led to two runs. But the Cubs added two of their own in the bottom half to retake the lead 3-2.

A big night got even bigger when owner Andrew Berlin stopped by. He had been sitting in the first row in the section next to us, intermittently handing out baseballs to young fans. We felt the full spirit of Minor League Baseball in that moment: a team owner interacting with kids, then taking the time to chat with a couple of guys about their crazy baseball road trip.

Both starting pitchers regained control in the third, and the score remained 3-2 Cubs through five.

In the top of the sixth, Cubs reliever Nick Dean gave up a double and a two-out single, then tossed a wild pitch to bring the tying run home.

With the setting sun easing off, I went out toward the left-field bleachers and checked out the Fun Zone with its healthy collection of giant, branded inflatables for the kids.

We had glimpsed Notre Dame, talked to a local reporter, learned local history, met the owner and assistant GM of the Cubs, had great ballpark food, acquired strong merch, and were named Fans of the Game. Amazing. All we needed to finish our day in South Bend before closing with fireworks was a win for the home team.

The Cubs obliged. A simple single, a botched pickoff attempt that sent the runner to third, and a sacrifice fly to center brought home the go-ahead run in the eighth. It would be the winning run as well, as the Captains went quietly in the ninth.

When the fireworks display had finished, kids ran the bases. Dad and I walked up the stairs to leave. I asked him to stop for a minute to take it all in for a few moments to appreciate this experience just a bit more. How lucky we were to be there together.

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