Erie, PA – The newly rebranded Erie Moon Mammoths are experiencing unprecedented fan engagement following their name change, inspired by a local discovery. The team’s rebranding, spearheaded by comedian John Oliver, has led to a surge in merchandise sales, with the team store seeing the equivalent of four years’ worth of online sales in just three weeks.
The Moon Mammoths’ name originates from a prehistoric mammoth bone discovered by George Moon in 1991 while scuba diving. These significant remains are currently housed at the State Museum of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg. Moon himself has become a local celebrity since the rebranding, attending a recent game and catching the ceremonial first pitch from Oliver.
“It’s fun. I’m enjoying it,” Moon stated, reflecting on the unexpected attention. “From all those years ago to today, I would never have thought anything like this would’ve been possible.” he noted that a newspaper article for the museum’s 30th anniversary in 2021 was the last time he had heard much about the discovery until the team’s rebranding.
The excitement surrounding the Moon Mammoths was palpable at a recent game, with fans like Karyn Drombosky and Sean Mizerski traveling from Pittsburgh, sporting homemade tusks. “It’s just great.We’re big baseball fans,” Drombosky commented. “We watch John Oliver pretty regularly. We were like surprised but excited when we saw he picked the Erie team to take over.”
Oliver’s involvement extended beyond the rebranding, as he also served as a batboy for an inning and led the crowd in singing “take Me Out to the Ball Game” during the seventh-inning stretch. The cap and jersey he wore for the first pitch are slated for inclusion in the Baseball Hall of fame.
The team’s manager, Andrew Graham, praised the event’s success. “The atmosphere was great. everything worked smoothly. It doesn’t happen very frequently enough in minor league baseball to be able to have an event like this. It was a fun night for everyone,” he said.
Oliver himself expressed his affinity for minor league baseball’s unique character. “I love minor league baseball. there is a special eccentricity to it,” he remarked. “It felt like a nice fit with our show because minor league baseball, as you know, is willing to try anything. That was proven by the fact that over half the league was willing to sight unseen, rebrand and put their trust in the hands of a group of people who are objectively untrustworthy. That’s a bad decision, and it’s that kind of bad decision making that I love about minor league baseball.”
The Moon Mammoths are scheduled to play again on august 19, September 12, and September 13. The team has confirmed plans for at least four Moon Mammoths games in the upcoming season.
