On his final day as principal owner of the Iowa Cubs, Michael Gartner surprised his staff with an unforgettable goodbye gift.
He shared profits from the sale of the Des Moines-based minor-league baseball team with all 23 of the club’s full-time employees.
Gartner didn’t reveal his intentions until Tuesday evening during a staff-wide gathering inside a ballpark lounge overlooking left field. As some employees scarfed down hot dogs and sipped beer and others watched from afar via Zoom, Gartner punctuated an emotional farewell speech by unveiling a stack of envelopes.
“Here are your new business cards,” Gartner joked.