Long Beach's new minor league baseball team has narrowed its field of possible names to three, team officials said Wednesday.
After tallying 3,888 online votes from 34 states (in addition to California) and 974 in-person votes cast at ballot boxes across Long Beach, the final three contenders are Long Beach Coast, Long Beach Parrots and Long Beach Regulators.
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Final-round voting opened at 9 a.m. Wednesday and will close at 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 29. Fans can vote online at longbeachbaseballclub.com, or at ballot boxes located at Long Beach Airport, the Michelle Obama Library, d'Arnaud Athletics, SteelCraft Long Beach, SteelCraft Bellflower, Watch Me! Sports Bar, Annex Training Center and Precise Barber Shop.
Once that process is complete, the team will commission the design of a new logo and branding, with the official team name scheduled to be announced in January 2026.
"Long Beach showed up in a big way, from neighborhood ballot boxes to votes pouring in from 34 states," club President Ena Patel said. "It's been wonderful to see how invested the Long Beach community is in this team and wanting us to be playing at Blair Field in 2026. We promised we would be building this team with the people of Long Beach and this naming contest has shown how much they want to build it with us."
Team officials said each of the three names captures different aspects of the city's character:
-- Long Beach Coast. Long Beach is a city defined by its 11 miles of coastline that connect neighborhoods, cultures and generations from the west side to the east, a place where "land and water, grit and glam, tradition and innovation all meet. Our beaches are as diverse as the city itself, from quiet baysides to buzzing boardwalks, each stretch offering its own rhythm and identity. The Coast unites them all."
-- Long Beach Parrots. "In the heart of Long Beach, a unique symbol takes flight: the wild parrots. A diverse collective, these birds, from distant lands, have chosen our city as their sanctuary. Known as a `pandemonium,' they are a force of nature: loud, unapologetic, and undeniably present. Whether you admire their spirit or are challenged by their audacity, one thing is certain: the wild parrots of Long Beach are here to stay, embodying the city's own dynamic and resilient character.
-- Long Beach Regulators. "The 90s. A golden era when Long Beach became a global music powerhouse, thanks to the pioneering sounds of West Coast rap. Regulators is a tribute to that legacy, echoing the spirit of Warren G's "Regulate," an anthem that defined a city and a sound. We honor the rhythm, the flow, and the undeniable swagger that put Long Beach on the map.
Mayor Rex Richardson said the naming contest is "exactly what community baseball should feel like, fun, inclusive, and unmistakably Long Beach. From Joe Jost's to the Michelle Obama Library, the team met families, students, and lifelong baseball diehards. The communities' votes got us here: The next vote will help make history."
Earlier this year, the Long Beach City Council voted unanimously to pursue an agreement between the city, Cal State Long Beach and club officials to bring the team online as early as next year, with spring games to be played at Blair Field at Recreation Park. That field is also the home of Cal State Long Beach's baseball team.
Club officials said Wednesday that they continue to work closely with CSULB and the city on lease negotiations.
The Long Beach franchise would be the 13th team in the independent Pioneer Baseball League, which was founded in 1939.
The city's last professional baseball team, the Long Beach Armada, folded in 2009.
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