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5 hours ago
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Minor league baseball just went Hollywood.
The Erie SeaWolves, the Detroit Tigers' Double-A affiliate, has struggled with their identity for years, clinging to a moniker crafted in far different circumstances to the ones they now find themselves in.
Not anymore, however. With one fell swoop — and the help of noted funnyman and television host, John Oliver — the SeaWolves are no more. At least not in the nominal sense.
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Here's what you need to know.
John Oliver minor league baseball team rebrand
Oliver embraced the eccentricities of minor league baseball during a recent episode of "Last Week Tonight," offering to rebrand an MiLB franchise after delving into the wackier side of the minor league game.
Forty-seven sides heeded Oliver's call, contacting his program in the hopes of convincing the famed British comedian to alter their names and likenesses. There was just one small catch:
"You can’t ask us any questions, give us any notes, and you have to do what we come up with," Oliver said, per MLB.com.
On May 18, Oliver revealed a list of six would-be contenders. The crown jewel of the options? The Erie SeaWolves, the Tigers' Double-A affiliate.
They wrote to us with a list of 11 good reasons to pick them, one of which was ‘The SeaWolves play baseball nowhere near the sea,’” Oliver said. “That’s a problem, Erie. We can help you fix that.”
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Who are the Erie SeaWolves?
The SeaWolves are the Double-A affiliate of the Tigers. They've been traipsing around the fringes of the minor league game for some time, debuting as a New York-Penn League member back in 1989. Initially based out of Welland, Ontario, Canada, the franchise — first dubbed the Pirates — moved to the northwest Pennsylvania city in 1995.
The SeaWolves received official minor league billing in 1995, being absorbed into Pittsburgh's farm system. There they remained until 1998 when they swapped the Pirates affiliation with an Angels one. In 2001, Erie made its final switch, becoming Detroit's feeder club. It has retained that status in the years since, although its name and mascot remain tethered to its Pirates' roots.
Notable SeaWolves alum include Devon Travis, Alex Avila, Michael Fulmer, and Justin Verlander.
Is John Oliver a baseball fan?
Surprisingly enough, Oliver is a noted baseball fan. Oliver has been supporting the Mets since 2006. It's been a sordid existence.
"As a real sports fan in England, I knew that it's just not acceptable to come to America and support the Yankees," Oliver said while attending a game back in 2019. "It's just not okay. Hence, by default, I was a Mets fan because I knew being a Yankees fan was the wrong thing to do morally."
Oliver's passing for the sport seems to stem from a few factors. For one, it was nigh on baked into his contract that he had to embrace America's pastime when he signed on to write for "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" back in 2006.
Additionally, the pace of play makes for relaxed viewing, a breath of fresh air compared to other North American competitions like basketball, football, and ice hockey.
"It was the first American sport that I really got into because it has some common characteristics with sports in England," Oliver explained. "I just love the whole occasion."
Where is John Oliver from?
Oliver hails from Birmingham, England, the second-largest city in his home country. In 2019, Oliver was naturalized as a US citizen. He still retains his British citizenship.
English (US)