Minor league baseball is making its fourth attempt to establish itself in Long Beach. On Tuesday, the Long Beach City Council will decide on whether to collaborate with the ownership group of a “new professional baseball team” that plans to play at Blair Field, the city’s renowned ballpark.
The ownership group features Paul Friedman, a co-founder of the Oakland Ballers, an independent league team that successfully launched last year following the exit of the Auckland track and field team. This new team is set to begin playing next season as an expansion team in the Pioneer League, which also includes teams from California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Utah, and Wyoming.
Friedman expressed his passion for baseball and community, noting the similarities between Auckland and Long Beach. He believes that the community-focused baseball model that worked in Auckland can also thrive in Long Beach. Unlike minor leagues affiliated with major league organizations, where players are signed, paid, and assigned by those organizations, independent leagues sign and pay players directly, giving players a chance to impress and earn major league contracts.
Independent leagues also function as experimental labs for Major League Baseball. This week, the Pioneer League introduced a new rule, the first change since 2021. Over the last 30 years, Long Beach has seen three independent minor league teams: the Barracuda (later renamed Liptido) in 1995-96, the Breakers from 2001-02, and the Fleet from 2005-09.
Friedman believes the previous teams’ struggles were due more to league instability than a lack of local support. He views Long Beach as a city with a rich baseball history and a diverse community, now better positioned to support a fresh kind of baseball. The Long Beach State Baseball team, known as the Dirtbags, drew more fans last season than nine other California Big West conference teams and is a major user of Blair Field. The city council has previously instructed city staff to establish a co-partnership with Long Beach State.
While a city spokesperson declined to comment, this initiative marks a significant step for baseball in Long Beach.
Fan Take: This potential revival of professional baseball in Long Beach is exciting for fans because it brings opportunities to experience community-rooted, independent league baseball in a city with a passionate sports following. It could also signal a growing trend of innovative, local-focused baseball that helps develop talent while engaging diverse fanbases.
