The Long Beach City Council is set to consider if city staff should work on an agreement for a new professional baseball team at Blair Field. The ownership group, led by Paul Freedman, aims to establish the team in the Pioneer League next season. Freedman draws parallels between Oakland and Long Beach, believing a community-focused baseball model can succeed in both cities. Long Beach has seen three independent teams fail over thirty years due to league instability rather than local support, suggesting potential for success this time around.
"I got into this industry because of love for baseball and the community, and love for Oakland," Freedman said. "I see a tremendous amount of parallels between the city of Oakland and the city of Long Beach, and I think the kind of community-oriented baseball that is working in Oakland can work in Long Beach as well."
Independent leagues serve as labs for the major leagues: The "swing-off" that decided this week's All-Star Game has been a rule in the Pioneer League since 2021.
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