Latest news with #MinorLeagueBaseball
CTV News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
John Oliver's Erie Moon Mammoths debut in front of a record crowd
John Oliver and Fuss E. Mammoth, the Moon Mammoth mascot, are driven onto the field before a game between the Chesapeake Oyster Catchers and the Erie Moon Mammoths at UMPC Park in Erie, Pa., on Saturday, July 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Joe Reedy) ERIE, Pa. — Besides being a fan, John Oliver has had a certain affinity for minor league baseball. On Saturday night, the comedian and host of HBO's 'Last Week Tonight' saw his latest crazy creation set out into the world as the Erie Moon Mammoths made their debut in front of a record crowd of 7,070 at UPMC Park. 'We're sending our furry child out into the world and you are the custodian of it. Now, please be careful with our child,' Oliver said a couple of hours before the Moon Mammoths took the field against the Chesapeake Oyster Catchers. Oliver spotlighted Minor League Baseball promotions and alternate nicknames during 'Last Week Tonight' on May 4. At the end of the segment, Oliver invited teams to send in proposals on why they should get rebranded by the show's staff. Forty-seven teams sent in pitches, including the Erie SeaWolves, the Double-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. Erie president Greg Coleman sent a list of 11 reasons why they were the perfect candidate, including: 'The SeaWolves play baseball nowhere near the sea.' 'To have so many teams expressing interest was really edifying. I think it kind of validates the fact that we thought there was something special about minor league baseball. We thought this would be a group of people that would respond to the ludicrous idea that we had,' Oliver said. Erie was announced as the winner on May 18. After six weeks of research by Oliver and his staff, the Moon Mammoths were unveiled on June 29. That included the mascot named Fuzz, a purple woolly mammoth wearing a space helmet. 'Erie did stand out to us as being, you know, uniquely eccentric. And I say that as both a compliment and an insult, which is the biggest compliment there is,' Oliver said. 'There was something about the Moon Mammoth that spoke to us for being particularly odd. It felt like it could make a baseball team's theme. You could almost see the logo in your head and it felt like something to be extra surprising.' That this came together in less than three months is a minor miracle. It usually takes 16 months for a team to have an alternate identity approved and then take the field. 'I thought we had a good chance when I sent it in. And then when we were selected it was a little surreal,' Coleman said. 'And since then working with the 'Last Week Tonight' team, they've been wonderful and detail oriented.' The Moon Mammoths name was inspired by George Moon, who found the bone of a prehistoric mammoth while scuba diving in 1991. The remains are housed at the State Museum of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg. Moon has become a regional celebrity since the rebranding was announced. He was at the game and caught the ceremonial first pitch from Oliver. 'It's fun. I'm enjoying it,' Moon said. 'From all those years ago to today, I would never have thought anything like this would've been possible. The newspaper did something on its 30th anniversary (in 2021). Other than that, I haven't heard much.' Coleman said that since the Moon Mammoths were unveiled, the team has done the equivalent of four years' of online sales in three weeks. The line of people waiting to get into the team store, which was located in left field, stretched out to near home plate in the concourse area. Karyn Drombosky and Sean Mizerski drove from Pittsburgh and were wearing homemade tusks as they waited to get into the team store. 'It's just great. We're big baseball fans. We see the Pirates all the time, and minor league games are fun. There's so much silliness,' Drombosky said. 'We watch John Oliver pretty regularly. We were like surprised but excited when we saw he picked the Erie team to take over.' In addition to throwing out the first pitch, Oliver was a batboy during one inning and led the crowd in 'Take Me Out to the Ball Game' during the seventh inning stretch. The cap and jersey that Oliver wore for the first pitch are going to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Erie trailed 6-3 going into the bottom of the ninth but got within one run on Kevin McGonigle's two-run double. Chesapeake's Yaqui Rivera struck out Josue Briceño with the bases loaded to end the game. 'The atmosphere was great. Everything worked smoothly. It doesn't happen very often in minor league baseball to be able to have an event like that. It was a fun night for everyone,' Erie manager Andrew Graham said. The Moon Mammoths will be back on Aug. 19 as well as Sept. 12 and 13. Coleman said there will be at least four Moon Mammoths games next season. 'I love minor league baseball. There is a special eccentricity to it,' Oliver said. 'It felt like a nice fit with our show because minor league baseball, as you know, is willing to try anything. That was proven by the fact that over half the league was willing to sight unseen, rebrand and put their trust in the hands of a group of people who are objectively untrustworthy. That's a bad decision, and it's that kind of bad decision making that I love about minor league baseball.' ___ Joe Reedy, The Associated Press
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Erie Moon Mammoths take the field for special theme night after rebrand by comedian John Oliver
The Moon Mammoths were welcomed to Minor League Baseball on Saturday night with the Erie, Pennsylvania Double-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers rebranding for four games this season. The Erie Seawolves were chosen by comedian John Oliver and the staff of his HBO program "Last Week Tonight" from among 47 teams who submitted pitches after the late-night talk show host praised the goofy spirit of minor league baseball and wanted to contribute in some manner. Oliver threw out the first pitch for Saturday's game versus the Chesapeake Baysox. He was also a celebrity bat boy and PA announcer, sang "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" and sat in with the broadcast team. Additionally, Oliver presented a race between mascots Fuzz E. Mammoth and Louie, the green Baysox mascot, and also worked as a Moon Pie vendor during the game. The Moon Mammoths lost to the Baysox, 6-5, in front of a record crowd of 7,070 at UPMC Park. (By the way, the Baysox have their own alternate brand identity as the Oyster Catchers.) Erie was chosen after an email listing 11 reasons why the team should be chosen, including "The SeaWolves play baseball nowhere near the sea" and "We have the least creatively named mascot in MiLB. His name is C. Wolf. Seriously." Per Oliver's conditions, the Seawolves had to unconditionally accept the rebranding proposal, with no input in the name, mascot or theme night to be created. "Minor league baseball is clearly both incredibly special and inescapably stupid in the very best way," Oliver said on the May 4, 2025 episode of his show. "I love all of this," he added. "The way the world is now, I'd argue that we all badly, badly need this." Why the "Moon Mammoths"? Oliver and his staff wanted to create a brand identity that somehow told some of Erie's history to set it apart from other minor league baseball cities. 'Erie did stand out to us as being, you know, uniquely eccentric. And I say that as both a compliment and an insult, which is the biggest compliment there is," Oliver said, via the Associated Press. The Seawolves have previously held humorous theme nights including "Alternative Facts Night" in 2017, during which the team celebrated the 2016 championship that it never actually won. The Moon Mammoths were inspired by George Moon, who found a bone measuring three feet long while scuba diving in Erie County's Lake Pleasant in 1991. The bone was discovered to be the shoulder blade of a prehistoric mammoth. Subsequent dives after Moon's find recovered 80 percent of the creature's skeleton, including both of its tusks. Moon caught the ceremonial first pitch from Oliver on Saturday. "If you had bet me 34 years ago on something like this, I would have not taken the money, I would have lost," Moon told Pittsburgh's KDKA. "This is great. I love it for Erie. It is great for the community, for the ballpark, for everybody around." The Seawolves will play three more games as the Moon Mammoths on Aug. 19, Sept. 12 and Sept. 13. After that, it's up to the team to decide whether or not to keep the mascot that Oliver referred to as "our furry child."
The Independent
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
John Oliver's Erie Moon Mammoths debut in front of a record crowd
Besides being a fan, John Oliver has had a certain affinity for minor league baseball. On Saturday night, the comedian and host of HBO 's 'Last Week Tonight' saw his latest crazy creation set out into the world as the Erie Moon Mammoths made their debut in front of a record crowd of 7,070 at UPMC Park. 'We're sending our furry child out into the world and you are the custodian of it. Now, please be careful with our child,' Oliver said a couple hours before the Moon Mammoths took the field against the Chesapeake Oyster Catchers. Oliver spotlighted Minor League Baseball promotions and alternate nicknames during 'Last Week Tonight' on May 5. At the end of the segment, Oliver invited teams to send in proposals why they should get rebranded by the show's staff. Forty-seven teams sent in pitches, including the Erie SeaWolves, the Double-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. Erie president Greg Coleman sent a list of 11 reasons why they were the perfect candidate, including: 'The SeaWolves play baseball nowhere near the sea.' 'To have so many teams expressing interest was really edifying. I think it kind of validates the fact that we thought there was something special about minor league baseball. We thought this would be a group of people that would respond to the ludicrous idea that we had,' Oliver said. Erie was announced as the winner on May 19. After six weeks of research by Oliver and his staff, the Moon Mammoths were unveiled on June 29. That included the mascot named Fuzz, a purple woolly mammoth wearing a space helmet. 'Erie did stand out to us as being, you know, uniquely eccentric. And I say that as both a compliment and an insult, which is the biggest compliment there is," Oliver said. 'There was something about the Moon Mammoth that spoke to us for being particularly odd. It felt like it could make a baseball team's theme. You could almost see the logo in your head and it felt like something to be extra surprising.' The fact that this came together in less than three months is a minor miracle. It usually takes 16 months for a team to have an alternate identity approved and then take the field. 'I thought we had a good chance when I sent it in. And then when we were selected it was a little surreal,' Coleman said. 'And since then working with the " Last Week Tonight" team, they've been wonderful and detail oriented.' The Moon Mammoths name was inspired by George Moon, who found the bone of a prehistoric mammoth while scuba diving in 1991. The remains are housed at the State Museum of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg. Moon has become a regional celebrity since the rebranding was announced. He was at the game and caught the ceremonial first pitch from Oliver. 'It's fun. I'm enjoying it,' Moon said. 'From all those years ago to today, I would never have thought anything like this would've been possible. The newspaper did something on its 30th anniversary (in 2021). Other than that, I haven't heard much.' Coleman said since the Moon Mammoths were unveiled, the team has done the equivalent of four years of online sales in three weeks. The line of people waiting to get into the team store, which was located in left field, stretched out to near home plate in the concourse area. Karyn Drombosky and Sean Mizerski drove from Pittsburgh and were wearing homemade tusks as they waited to get into the team store. 'It's just great. We're big baseball fans. We see the Pirates all the time, and minor league games are fun. There's so much silliness,' Drombosky said. 'We watch John Oliver pretty regularly. We were like surprised but excited when we saw he picked the Erie team to take over.' In addition to throwing out the first pitch, Oliver was a batboy during one inning and also led the crowd in 'Take Me Out to the Ballgame' during the seventh inning stretch. The cap and jersey that Oliver wore for the first pitch are going to the Baseball Hall of Fame. The Moon Mammoths will be back on Aug. 19 as well as Sept. 12 and 13. Coleman said there will be at least four Moon Mammoths games next season. 'I love minor league baseball. There is a special eccentricity to it,' Oliver said. 'It felt like a nice fit with our show because minor league baseball, as you know, is willing to try anything. That was proven by the fact that over half the league was willing to sight unseen, rebrand and put their trust in the hands of a group of people who are objectively untrustworthy. That's a bad decision, and it's that kind of bad decision making that I love about minor league baseball.' ___
Forbes
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Here's What's On The Menu At Minor League Ballparks This Summer
Minor League ballparks are stepping up their food game with bold, regional flavors and photo-worthy ... More creations designed to wow fans and tickle their taste buds. Last season, Minor League Baseball (MiLB) drew more than 30 million fans across its 120 teams all over the United States. From Triple-A parks in big cities to Low-A gems tucked into small towns, the growing crowds signal more than just a love for the game. It's a hunger for the experience, and that includes what's being served up in the stands. Of course, when it comes to ballpark eats, everyone has their go-to. For some, it's all about sticking with the classics, like an ice-cold beer in one hand and a perfectly charred hot dog in the other. But plenty of fans show up ready to explore the wilder side of concessions, chasing down deep-fried experiments, regional specialties, or outrageous sweets that practically beg to be photographed before the first bite. And this year, teams aren't holding back. Whether it's a six-foot-long monster dog stacked with pulled pork, mac and cheese, and jalapeños, a towering stack of loaded fried green tomatoes, or ice cream nachos drizzled with caramel and chocolate, MiLB food is going full throttle. Here's what's being served up at concession stands this summer. Augusta GreenJackets, SRP Park—Augusta, Georgia Loaded Fried Green Tomatoes Loaded Fried Green Tomatoes This tower of crispy fried green tomatoes is loaded like your favorite nachos—smoky bacon, melted cheese, and a tangy drizzle. St. Paul Saints, CHS Field—St. Paul, Minnesota The Land of 10,000 Calories Land-of-10000-Calories This six-foot-long monster dog is an edible spectacle, stacked with smoked pulled pork, creamy mac and cheese, crispy bacon, BBQ sauce, and spicy jalapeños, plus a mountain of signature fries, a side of jalapeño poppers, and four 20-ounce drinks to wash it all down. Designed to feed a squad (or one ambitious fan with no fear), it's part tailgate, part food dare, all legend in the making. Hub City Spartanburgers, Fifth Third Park—Spartanburg, South Carolina Deep Fried Pizza Deep Fried Pizza Oozy mozzarella and pepperoni are sealed inside golden, crispy dough and topped with a spoonful of marinara and a parmesan confetti. The Spartanburger The Spartanburger This stacked tribute to South Carolina is loaded with local beef, homemade pimento cheese, crispy fried green tomatoes, and onion crunch between the buns. It's a totally over-the-top treat. Midland RockHounds, Momentum Bank Ballpark—Midland, Texas Buffalo Chicken Fries Buffalo Chicken Fries Hot sauce lovers, this one's got your name on it. Spicy, crunchy chicken strips sit on a mountain of fries, cooled only slightly by a generous blue cheese drizzle. And in true Texas fashion, it's all served in a souvenir helmet. Baseball Blues Cocktail If summer had a flavor, it might taste like this: Malibu, blue curaçao, pineapple juice, and a splash of Sprite topped off with a cherry or orange slice for a tropical touch. It's bubbly, beachy, and dangerously sippable. Albuquerque Isotopes, Rio Grande Credit Union Field—Albuquerque, New Mexico The Ballpark Sandwich The Ballpark Sandwich A pretzel bun is the base for smoked brisket dressed in mustard sauce, hot dog "bacon" (yes, that's a thing), and a smattering of pickles, onions, and beer nuts. It's a mix of sweet, tangy, crunchy chaos. Ice Cream Nachos Ice Cream Nachos This is a fun twist on your traditional melted cheese-drenched nachos: cinnamon-sugar dusted wafers as "chips," scoops of soft-serve, chocolate and caramel sauces, sprinkles, and whipped cream. Birmingham Barons, Regions Field—Birmingham, Alabama The Dugout This cheesesteak is blanketed with cheese and served on a bed of crushed Doritos. Iowa Cubs, Principal Park—Des Moines, Iowa Chicago Dog (Windy City Night Only) This Windy City homage features mustard, relish, tomatoes, sport peppers, onions, celery salt, and a pickle spear on a poppy seed bun. It's everything you want in a classic, without booking a flight to O'Hare. Hickory Crawdads, LP Frans Stadium—Hickory, North Carolina Carolina Slaw Dog Carolina Slaw Dog Creamy coleslaw is the star here, adding cool crunch to a snappy sausage and taking a hot dog from simple to sublime. Memphis Redbirds, AutoZone Park—Memphis, Tennessee Memphis Dog Memphis Dog This supercharged hotdog is swaddled in bacon, slathered in Memphis-style barbecue sauce, and finished with a sprinkle of sharp cheddar and chopped onions. Columbus Clingstones, Synovus Park—Columbus, Georgia Peach Cobbler Custard Creamy vanilla custard meets warm, spiced peaches in a dessert that feels both nostalgic and decadent. Bonus: it's a collab with local favorite Whit's Custard. Lansing Lugnuts, Jackson Field—Lansing, Michigan Tater Tot Flight Tator Tot Flight Three styles of tots in one tray. Go classic, bacon-and-cheese-loaded, or smothered in a mystery sauce that changes by the night. It's like a choose-your-own-adventure for potatoes. Harrisburg Senators, FNB Field—Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Dutch Chicken and Waffles Crispy chicken tenders, fluffy waffles, and a choice of pepper gravy or hot honey. It's your brunch fave—ballpark-style—with just enough heat to wake you up after the seventh-inning stretch.
Associated Press
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
Erie Seawolves will be renamed the Moon Mammoths after being picked for rebranding by John Oliver
NEW YORK (AP) — The Detroit Tigers' Double-A Erie Seawolves will be renamed the Erie Moon Mammoths after being picked by John Oliver of HBO's 'Last Week Tonight.' Oliver devoted a May 4 segment to names and promotions of minor league baseball teams, announcing: 'We are willing to use all of our resources and stupidity to give one Minor League Baseball team a total rebrand. We will give you a new team name, a new mascot. We will even throw you a theme night. It will be personalized and it will be bespoke.' Two weeks later, Oliver selected Erie from among 47 team submissions. Oliver said the northwestern Pennsylvania team had given 11 reasons it should be picked, including the team had pioneered cotton candy hot dogs and pointed out 'The SeaWolves play baseball nowhere near the sea.' Oliver announced Sunday he had chosen Moon Mammoths, using Bob Costas' voice as narrator of a promotional video introducing the moniker. The name was inspired by the 1991 discovery of woolly mammoth remains by George Moon, a Summit Township resident who found a bone while scuba diving in Lake Pleasant, about 8 miles south of Erie. The mammoth remains are housed in the State Museum of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg. Erie, which has won the past two Eastern League championships, will be renamed the Moon Mammoths for games on July 19, Aug. 19, Sept. 12 and Sept. 13. Major League Baseball said Monday the team will wear jerseys with a rising moon with the team's name across the chest, a moon on sleeves and a patch with a woolly mammoth wearing a space helmet. Oliver is expected to attend the July 19 game against Chesapeake, called a 'Mammoth Fun' night. The first 1,000 ticketed fans will receive a Moon Mammoths squishy toy and there will be postgame fireworks. George Moon was also invited to attend. ___ AP MLB:
