Copyright CBS News
The Long Beach Baseball Club has revealed the three finalists as their search for a new identity nears an end. The months-long contest, which began in September, has narrowed down the three names from more than 1,300 community submissions. A group of six semifinalist names were selected in early-October and were narrowed down on Wednesday. The final three names in contention are: Long Beach Coast Long Beach Parrots Long Beach Regulators Each name pays a certain homage to Long Beach's culture, and were decided upon after more than 4,000 votes were cast during the two weeks people could vote on the names. Team officials said that votes were cast online from more than 30 different states. Related: Rapper Warren G joins ownership group for Long Beach Baseball Club Once the winning name is crowned, the team will commission the design of a logo and branding, which will be unveiled in January 2026. "Long Beach showed up in a big way, from neighborhood ballot boxes to votes pouring in from 34 states," said Long Beach Baseball Club President Ena Patel. "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." People are once again encouraged to vote online or in person. Polling centers are open at the Long Beach Airport, d'Arnaud Athletics, the Michelle Obama Library, Watch Me! Sports Bar, Precise Barber Shop, Annex Training Center and SteelCraft in Long Beach and Bellflower. Team officials shared brief synopses for why the finalists were selected and how Long Beach impacted their selection. "Long Beach Coast - The LBC. Long Beach is a city defined by its edges, 11 miles of coastline that connect neighborhoods, cultures, and generations from the west side to the east," said the team's statement, in part. "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," the statement said. "Long Beach Regulators - The 90s. A golden era where long Beach became a global music powerhouse, thanks to 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," the release said. Long Beach City Council members unanimously approved an agreement between team officials, the city and Cal State Long Beach in July as they sought to bring professional baseball back to the area. Games are slated to start taking place in spring 2026 at the home of CSULB's baseball team, Blair Field at Recreation Park. Lease negotiations are still underway, officials said on Wednesday. "This is exactly what community baseball should feel like, fun, inclusive, and unmistakably Long Beach," said Mayor Rex Richardson in a statement. "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."
