Latest news with #minorleaguebaseball
CBS News
24-07-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Long Beach moves forward with plans to bring minor league baseball to Blair Field
Long Beach City Council members took another steps towards bringing minor league baseball back to the city on Tuesday, unanimously voting to move forward with a plan that would allow another team to call Blair Field home. Upon approving the plan, city leaders will now work with Cal State Long Beach administration and officials for the new team, which is temporarily being referred to as the Long Beach Baseball Club. The team will play their home games at Blair Field at Recreation Park, home of CSULB's baseball team, during the spring season. "Overall, the general framework for this proposed partnership emphasizes the shared goals of revitalizing Blair Field, enhancing community access, and generating economic benefits for the surrounding neighborhoods," said the recommendation drafted prior to Tuesday's vote. Among those improvements made to the field include locker room renovations, outfield enhancements and making sure that the facility was preserved long-term with constant maintenance. City leaders will also look to improve the fan experience through "branding, sponsorships, and modernized amenities." Blair Field opened in 1956 and last underwent renovation in 2009, when the stadium's lighting was modernized and a new electronic scoreboard was installed, according to the City of Long Beach's website. It would be the first minor league team to call Long Beach home since 2009 when their last professional team, the Long Beach Armada, suspended operations. Prior to that, the Long Beach Breakers also played for the city from 2001 to 2003. Once finalized, the Long Beach Baseball Club would be the Pioneer Baseball League's 13th team. The PBL is one of four MLB Partner Leagues across the United States, operating entirely on the West Coast. CBS News Los Angeles has reached out to city officials for a statement on the decision but has not yet heard back.
Yahoo
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
John Oliver Reacts To ‘The Late Show With Stephen Colbert' Cancelation: 'Terrible News For The World Of Comedy'
John Oliver was in Erie, Pennsylvania over the weekend to rebrand the city's minor league baseball to the Moon Mammoths. The Last Week Tonight host revealed in May that he would help bring a new look to the Detroit Tigers Double-A affiliate team, which was previously known as the Erie SeaWolves. More from Deadline Late-Night TV Is On The Precipice After CBS Axes Stephen Colbert; Insiders Lament 'End Of An Era' Stephen Colbert Riffs On Paramount's 'Big Fat Bribe' To Settle Donald Trump's CBS '60 Minutes' Lawsuit Former 'Late Show' EP Rob Burnett Reflects On Stephen Colbert Cancellation: "Never Threaten A Corporate Merger" While he was in Erie, he paid tribute to his old friend Stephen Colbert, whose Late Show was axed earlier this week by CBS. 'I love Stephen, I love his staff. I love that show. It's incredibly sad. I am partly excited to see what they're going to do for the next 10 months,' he reportedly said, per local news. 'It's terrible, terrible news for the world of comedy. Late-night shows mean a lot to me, not just because I work in them, but because even growing up in England, I would watch [David] Letterman's show, which of course was Stephen's show, and think about what a glamorous world that was. So, to have got to be on Letterman's show and Stephen's show has been always one of the most fun things, so it's very, very, very sad news. I look forward to seeing what he's going to do next because that man will not stop,' he added. Oliver has appeared multiple times on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert as well as the earlier iteration with David Letterman in 2015. He is the latest comedian and television host to offer his support following comments from other late-night peers including Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers and Andy Cohen as well as the likes of Anderson Cooper. Best of Deadline Streamer Subscription Prices And Tiers – Everything To Know As Costs Rise And Ads Abound (Hello, Peacock) - Update 'Stick' Release Guide: When Do New Episodes Come Out? 'Stick' Soundtrack: All The Songs You'll Hear In The Apple TV+ Golf Series
Yahoo
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
John Oliver's Moon Mammoth rebrand of Erie's minor league baseball team draws record-sized crowd
A minor league baseball team in Western Pennsylvania drew big crowds and lots of attention on Saturday night. The Erie SeaWolves, a Double-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers, became the Erie Moon Mammoths for one day only. This quirky rebrand comes after the team was selected by comedian John Oliver and his team at HBO's Last Week Tonight for the surprise transformation. Mayor Joe Schember even issued a proclamation, declaring July 19, 2025, Moon Mammoth Day, to celebrate the occasion, NBC News affiliate WICU reports. "The inherent eccentricity of minor league baseball is something that we felt a real affinity with," Oliver said. "The more we looked into it the more we thought there might be fun to have. And, once we put out the request for 'who would be down for rebranding,' it was not surprising but edifying to see just how many teams went 'yeah we'd be down for that.'" The SeaWolves had no say on their rebrand name or logo. The Last Week Tonight team dug into Erie's history to pick Moon Mammoths, a name inspired by the 1991 discovery of woolly mammoth remains in a local lake. Oliver threw out the first pitch at the game, which drew a record-setting crowd of more than 7,000 fans. The SeaWolves will don the Mammoths' branding three more times throughout the summer. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
Yahoo
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
John Oliver's Erie Moon Mammoths debut in front of a record crowd
ERIE, Pa. (AP) — 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.' ___ AP sports:
Washington Post
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
John Oliver's Erie Moon Mammoths debut in front of a record crowd
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.
