Iowa Cubs President and General Manager Sam Bernabe does the little things to help his team win on and off the field. For his behind-the-scenes efforts, he received the equivalent of a homerun king’s salute last week when Minor League Baseball awarded him the John H. Johnson President’s Trophy during its winter meetings in Nashville.

“This is a great credit to the staff, the community and the owners,” Bernabe said. “It’s a credit to the consistency of our operation year in and year out.”

The Iowa Cubs are one of Minor League Baseball’s few teams to twice receive the award. Former Iowa Cubs general manager Ray Johnston won it in 1978.

Minor League Baseball recognized Bernabe and the Iowa Cubs for their numerous contributions to the community and the industry, said one baseball executive. The award is presented each year to honor the most complete baseball franchise. Its merits include franchise stability, contributions to league stability, contributions to baseball in the community and promotion of baseball’s industry.

Mike Moore, president and chief executive officer of Minor League Baseball, said Minor League Baseball’s top award speaks volumes about its recipient.

“It’s our most prestigious award given to those who have provided outstanding contributions to the community and held the highest standards for the game,” Moore said. “Sam and the Iowa Cubs have held those standards very high. They operate a good franchise for Minor League Baseball and they have been extremely involved in working with charities in Des Moines for many years.”

Among other contributions, the organization was recognized for its work with children. The team, along with a foundation named after former Cubs’ owner Ken Grandquist, funded construction of baseball fields at Brian Melton and Martin Luther King Jr. parks to promote participation in the game. The groups plan to build a third field on the city’s southeast side in the near future.

“We encourage kids to play sandlot baseball,” Bernabe said, “and I’d like to see more of them utilize the ball diamonds.”

Bernabe’s comments, Moore said, are in step with Minor League Baseballs’ when it comes to recruiting youth.

“We feel the future of the baseball industry, like any industry, is young people,” Moore said. “Sam and the Iowa Cubs understand that, too.”

Making baseball a family-oriented activity is another goal of Bernabe’s. He said he demands his staff of 29 full-time employees and 350 seasonal workers make Sec Taylor Stadium the safest and cleanest place for fans to enjoy.

“We try to do the right things,” Bernabe said. “We don’t try to reinvent the wheel. We don’t always make decisions that are related to the bottom line. We make decisions that benefit the fans, even if that means less money for the operation.”

Bernabe, who was named general manager in 1986, credits fans and the business community for supporting the team and its philosophy to provide family entertainment.

“We’re the smallest market in Triple-A baseball, but we do a whole lot of big-city business in a small town,” he said. “Corporate support of the team has been wonderful. We wouldn’t be where we are if they didn’t buy into our philosophy. The Cubs are as much of a part of the community as the community is of the Cubs.”

In addition to his executive duties with the Iowa Cubs, Bernabe serves on Minor League Baseball’s Board of Trustees and its marketing committee.

“The longevity of the sport is dependent upon us to help the game the best way we can,” Bernabe said. “We’re caretakers of the business.”

Moore said Bernabe’s longtime commitment to the community and the game has gone overlooked for too long.

“This award is long overdue,” Moore said. “He deserves the recognition, as does the team’s former owner, Ken Grandquist, and the current ownership group.”