John Oliver wants to leave his mark on Erie, Pennsylvania, by way of its local baseball team.
The comedian ended a new episode of Last Week Tonight Sunday with the announcement that he has chosen a minor league baseball team to rebrand.
Oliver took to his HBO show two weeks ago to pitch the idea of completely overhauling one lucky minor league team’s name, mascot, and theme nights. The offer came after a segment dove into the often absurd and quirky creative choices that MiLB teams make to drum interest, citing team names like the Binghamton Rumble Ponies, Modesto Nuts, and Rocket City Trash Pandas.
But it wasn’t any of the more absurd teams that caught Oliver’s eye. In fact, Oliver noted that some teams who applied, including the Eugene Exploding Whales and Amarillo SodPoodles, had already done more than he could do. “I’m not sure what you really need us to do for you. I think we’d just be holding you back,” he told the Lake County Captains—a team that already boasts nine different mascots and a row of toilets in its stands.
All in all, Oliver reported that 47 minor league teams reached out to be considered—a whopping 40% of all MiLB teams. In the end, Oliver settled on Pennsylvania’s Erie SeaWolves.
The SeaWolves, Oliver explained, sent along a list of eleven reasons why they should be picked, including that “The SeaWolves play baseball nowhere near the sea.”
The SeaWolves are yet to sign a contract for the arrangement, so Oliver’s offer is unaccepted for the moment. Should they agree, Last Week Tonight will bring the baseball team back to the drawing board, devising an entirely new identity for them.
“Congratulations to the Erie Seawolves. You’re about to be called something else,” Oliver declared. “We are going to research your area and come up with a new name, mascot, and theme night for you that no one else in the league has, and that could only come from Erie. As per our original offer, you will get no input into this.”
The SeaWolves, a Double-A affiliate for the Detroit Tigers, have played in Erie since 1995. Having originally been affiliated with the Pittsburgh Pirates, the term “sea wolves” references pirates.
It appears the team doesn’t need much help on the field. The Erie SeaWolves are the reigning champions of the Eastern League Championship Series, managing back-to-back titles over the last two years.
