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I-Cubs combine civics, baseball at ballpark

What a perfect idea: hold a naturalization ceremony at the ballpark. That's exactly what happened at an Iowa Cubs game last week.

What a perfect idea: hold a naturalization ceremony at the ballpark. That's exactly what happened at an Iowa Cubs (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) game last week.

Sure, it's been done before — the Detroit Tigers once hosted a naturalization ceremony at Comerica Park when Placido Polanco became a citizen — but we're pretty sure it's a rarity in the minor-league world. This article from the Des Moines Register lays out how a local judge and Iowa Cubs owner Michael Gartner set up the ceremony; it would be cool to see more of it next year at other ballparks.

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