Long Beach’s new professional baseball franchise will take the field this summer under two names: the Long Beach Coast and the Long Beach Regulators.
At a Glance
- The team will use both names throughout its inaugural season
- Rapper Warren G, part-owner, championed the Regulators name
- Fan voting showed Regulators as the clear favorite
- Team president says Coast better reflects the city’s shoreline identity
- Why it matters: Fans must decide whether to rally behind one name or embrace both
The dual-branding announcement, made Wednesday by Mayor Rex Richardson, ends months of speculation over what the minor-league club would be called when play begins at Blair Field. The reveal came with a cinematic twist: the organization is treating the names as alter egos-the Coast as Bruce Wayne, the Regulators as Batman, according to team president Ena Patel.
Fan Vote vs. Focus Groups
Voter participation heavily favored Regulators, a nod to Warren G’s 1994 hit that helped put Long Beach on the hip-hop map. After the public ballot closed, team officials said the name received the highest number of votes.
Despite the landslide, Patel said the front office leaned on focus groups and community outreach that highlighted the city’s 11 miles of coastline. The data convinced executives that Long Beach Coast better captures a shared civic identity.
“We tried to make it clear it was one factor in the broader branding decision,” Patel said.
Warren G Backs Both Names
Warren G, who holds a partial stake in the franchise, recorded a video endorsing the split identity. He reiterated that select home games will be branded as Regulators nights, keeping the voter-favorite name in play.
News Of Los Angeles reached out to the rapper’s representatives but did not receive an immediate response.
Marketing Risks
While the team hailed the move as a bold branding experiment, marketing veteran Ravi Sawhney warned that alter egos work only after a brand is firmly established.
“It’s branding 101. When your brand is established, then you can extend it,” Sawhney said.
Social media reaction has been mixed. Some fans call the two-name approach confusing and worry it could dilute the team’s identity before Opening Day.
What Happens Next?
Patel declined to predict which name might prevail long term.
“Who knows what happens in the future?” she said.
With the inaugural season approaching, the organization must now sell merchandise, sell tickets, and sell a story-two stories, actually-to a city that has waited years for professional baseball to return.
