Cubs Leave Kane County Cougars, Reach Agreement With South Bend

The Silver Hawks have won five Midwest League titles in 26 seasons

The Chicago Cubs have announced that they are leaving the Kane County Cougars and changing their Midwest League affiliation to South Bend, Indiana.

The Kane County Cougars contract with the Chicago Cubs expired after two seasons.

On Thursday, the Cubs announced a new contract with the South Bend Silver Hawk , which will run through the 2018 season.

“We are excited to partner with South Bend and look forward to a productive relationship with the team, as well as the entire South Bend community,” Jason McLeod, the Cubs senior vice president of scouting and player development said in a statement. “Making the decision to switch minor league affiliates is never an easy one, but we are confident that this agreement will further strengthen our farm system.”

The Silver Hawks have won five Midwest League titles in 26 seasons and have captured 12 division titles. The club broke into the league in 1988 as a Chicago White Sox affiliate and became an affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks in 1997.

“Today is a turning point,” South Bend Silver Hawks Owner Andrew Berlin said in a statement. “I made a promise to the thousands of people and local 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 downtown and prove that this is a wonderful place to invest in.”

The South Bend franchise was scheduled to unveil a new name, logo and uniform Thursday.

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