By Tommy Birch, Des Moines Register
Iowa Cubs general manager Randy Wehofer goes to the corner of his first-floor office at Principal Park and grabs a large, framed item that was tucked away. It includes the scoreboard, press pass and game-notes blurb from the first Major League Baseball game Wehofer, then a broadcaster in the minor leagues, called between the Kansas City Royals and Chicago White Sox.
“All my wall hangings are in the cabinets until my interior-design-major daughter has a chance to give her input into what walls should have pictures and what things,” Wehofer said with a smile.
Wehofer is still getting settled into his office and still getting used to his new role running the Chicago Cubs’ Triple-A franchise. Both the job and the office were previously occupied by Sam Bernabe, a fixture in the community and around the park for more than four decades. Bernabe still helps as the team president, but the day-to-day operations are now handled by the 50-year-old Wehofer.
“One of my jokes is that once Sam announced that he was making a change and I was going to be put in this position, nobody quit except our CFO … who was already going to retire,” Wehofer said.
With Bernabe now stepping down, it’s Wehofer’s turn to run the club. He has big shoes to fill as Bernabe is one of the most recognizable faces around the park and has overseen some of the biggest changes and most memorable moments with the team.
As Wehofer gears up for his first season leading the Iowa Cubs, he’s intent on continuing the success of the club but also making his own mark.
“Huge, huge shoes to fill for Sam but if anybody can do it, Randy can,” said Iowa manager Marty Pevey. “He’s going to do a great job.”
“Definitely could have been in the big leagues”
Wehofer’s dream was to make the big leagues as a broadcaster. That’s what brought the Illinois native to Iowa in the first place. Wehofer, who graduated from Miami with a degree in broadcast journalism, got a job working at One-One Sports, a nationally syndicated sports radio network based in Illinois. Baseball was the dream for Wehofer, a die-hard Cubs fan growing up.
His first opportunity came working with the Burlington Bees. The job started with Wehofer doing media relations, sales and working as the No. 2 radio person for the team. The role grew when the team parted ways with its general manager, marketing director and groundskeeper. The assistant general manager at the time was in the Army Reserves, leaving Wehofer as the only on-site employee in Burlington for two weeks. Wehofer handled things so well he was promoted to assistant general manager.
“I liked what I was doing and it’s hard to get a job, let alone another job,” Wehofer said.
The experience played a crucial role in his life. Wehofer did so well on the radio that he was invited to a call a few innings on multiple Royals broadcasts. The first came during that 2001 season. His success in the booth helped him land a role in the movie “Sugar” playing a broadcaster. Wehofer, who met his wife Joanie following a Bees game, eventually proposed to her during an in-game promotion. The couple’s two daughters, Hannah and Emma, were born in Burlington.
Wehofer went on to call more than 1,200 games with the Bees. Then, before the 2008 season, he got an email from Scott Sailor of the Iowa Cubs. Sailor told him the team might be looking for some help in sales and in the broadcast booth. Wehofer had experience in both. Sailor was wondering if he’d be interested.
The job intrigued Wehofer, who came to Des Moines and met with Bernabe and several others with the team. During a sit-down with Bernabe, Wehofer was offered the job working along longtime team broadcaster Deene Ehlis. Wehofer told Bernabe he needed to talk to his wife, first. So he walked out to the stadium parking lot and made a call.
“I said, ‘They made me an offer,’” he recalled. “And she said, ‘You told them yes, right?’”
“It was bittersweet,” Joanie Wehofer said. “We were moving away from friends and family but I also knew this was a great opportunity for him.”
It was a life-changing decision for the Wehofer family, but it set up even more opportunities for Randy. A few weeks into the job, Jeff Lantz, the team’s media relations director, took a job with the Baltimore Orioles. Wehofer helped fill that gap as well. Wehofer became a go-to person for Bernabe, who often talked to the broadcaster before making decisions about delaying games or postponing them because of the weather.
Wehofer’s best-known contributions were on the radio. His signature call “Get out of my yard!” became popular among fans and players. Wehofer did so well that the Chicago Cubs had him fill in on some spring training broadcasts. He also made appearances on Chicago’s pregame show, giving updates on the Iowa Cubs. Ehlis was impressed working alongside Wehofer.
“Definitely could have been in the big leagues,” Ehlis said.
That’s what made a decision following the 2018 season so difficult. Wehofer, who was still rising up the broadcast ranks, had a tough choice to make when Bernabe and team owner Michael Gartner approached him about making a change. The club had an opening for an assistant general manager, and Wehofer was a candidate. But it meant he’d have to give up his job as the team’s broadcaster.
Wehofer was intrigued by the idea. Hannah was starting high school. Moving to the front office would allow him to be home more often as he wouldn’t have to travel to call road games. He’d also accomplished a lot in the radio booth, having worked about a dozen big-league games with the Royals and in spring training with Chicago. In many ways, the Iowa Cubs had been grooming Wehofer for the position, leaning on him for decisions and guidance. So he jumped at the job.
“It was the right time,” Wehofer said.
Wehofer gets ready for his first season at the helm
Bernabe and now-former owner Michael Gartner didn’t just envision Wehofer working as the team’s assistant general manager. They saw him as the future general manager for whenever Bernabe decided to step aside. By promoting Wehofer, he was able to work alongside Bernabe to learn the ins and outs of the job and one day take over.
“It was clear he could do everything,” Gartner said.
Wehofer dealt with corporate sponsorships, hired employees and contributed to budget decisions. Wehofer compiled reports and data for Bernabe. When Pevey and opposing managers and umpires gathered on the field to talk about a game possibly being delayed or postponed, Wehofer was by their side, calling himself the team “bench coach.”
Bernabe had so much faith in Wehofer that following the final game of the 2025 season, he met with the club’s staff on the field and informed them that he was stepping down as the team’s general manager. Bernabe stayed on as president but was no longer running the day-to-day operations of the club. That was Wehofer’s job now.
“It was easy to see that Randy was capable and ready to go take over for me,” Bernabe said.
His first day in his new position was Oct. 1, 2025. Wehofer knows that he’s following in the footsteps of a legend in Bernabe, who is as synonymous with Iowa Cubs baseball as Principal Park itself. Wehofer said he isn’t trying to replace Bernabe or fix anything. His goal is to continue the success of the team that has become one of the most respected franchises in all of minor-league sports. That means fine-tuning a few things.
“There’s no sticks of dynamite to me taking over as the GM,” Wehofer said “It’s screwdrivers and wrenches and how can we tighten up things.”
Wehofer does have some big plans of his own, though. He wants to modernize the park and make sure it caters to all sorts of people coming to a game. Wehofer knows the die-hard fans who care about the prized prospects will always show up, but he also knows that many fans attend games as part of group outings or are simply looking to spend some family time outdoors.
The team has already created a mass-distribution tool for group tickets. The Cubs also can create individualized profiles for fans to help the club understand what each person is looking for in their Principal Park experience. The stadium itself has recently undergone some significant changes with a new videoboard, sound system and sensory-friendly room.
Both bullpens also were moved off the playing field. The team also plans to be more creative with its food and beverage options at the park, creating hot dog and pizza varieties that are themed after the team they’re playing.
“What can we do with technology, not just to update things but to get ahead now?” Wehofer said.
It’s no easy task with the game always changing. Bernabe believes Wehofer is off to a great start.
“I think it’s proven to be the right decision when we made him the AGM and it’s certainly proven to be pretty good so far,” Bernabe said.
Stay in the know with stories that matter — visit HolaAmericaNews.com for the latest news, culture, and community updates!
Facebook Comments