Erie SeaWolves

The Erie SeaWolves are an American professional baseball team based in Erie, Pennsylvania. They compete in Minor League Baseball (MiLB) as a member of the Eastern League's Southwest Division, serving as the Double-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. The team was founded in 1989 and began playing in Erie for the 1995 season. The SeaWolves currently play their home games at UPMC Park in downtown Erie, next door to Erie Insurance Arena and the Warner Theatre.

The "SeaWolves" name refers to the city's location along Lake Erie as well as their original affiliation with the Pittsburgh Pirates. "Sea wolf" is a historical epithet for sailors who engaged in piracy.

History

The team was established in 1989 in Welland, Ontario as a New York–Penn League member, known initially as the Welland Pirates, playing their home games at Welland Stadium. After six challenging seasons, the team relocated to Erie following the exit of the previous baseball team, the Erie Sailors. This move eventually led the Frontier League-affiliated club to settle in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, where they became the Johnstown Steal (currently known as the Florence Y'alls in Florence, Kentucky). Before this, the Sailors had played in the New York–Penn League but relocated to Wappingers Falls, New York, becoming the Hudson Valley Renegades, due to the team's owner, Marvin Goldklang not upgrading Ainsworth Field to meet Major League Baseball standards.

After the civic government obtained an $8 million grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to construct UPMC Park (previously known as Jerry Uht Park), the Welland Pirates relocated to Erie. Although Erie did not have an affiliated baseball team in 1994, the city hosted an independent franchise in the Frontier League that revived the "Sailors" name. The SeaWolves eventually became the successor to several Erie-based baseball teams, including all iterations of the Sailors, with the New York–Penn League franchise now known as the State College Spikes.

Early years (1995–2001)

On June 20, 1995, the SeaWolves triumphed over the Jamestown Jammers in their inaugural game in Erie. José Guillén, a Major League Baseball alumnus from the Dominican Republic, hit the game-winning home run for the team.

The SeaWolves were affiliated with the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1995 to 1998. In 1999, the Double-A Eastern League expanded by adding two new franchises, with Erie being granted one of them. As a result, the team transitioned from the Short-Season A level to the Double-A level, and the current SeaWolves organization is considered a continuation of the previous franchise despite this change in classification. Minor League Baseball permitted Erie to retain its New York–Penn League records and history while joining the Eastern League. Subsequently, the Mahoning Valley Scrappers entered the New York–Penn League as an expansion franchise rather than a continuation of the SeaWolves. After moving to the Double-A level, the team affiliated with the Anaheim Angels. In 2001, the SeaWolves switched their affiliation to the Detroit Tigers, with whom they still have a partnership.

Realignment (2021)

In conjunction with Major League Baseball's restructuring of Minor League Baseball in 2021, the SeaWolves were organized into the Double-A Northeast. In 2022, the Double-A Northeast became known as the Eastern League, the name historically used by the regional circuit before the 2021 reorganization.

Championships (2023–2024)

On September 26, 2023, the SeaWolves completed a full sweep of the playoffs, capped off by a 10–0 win over the Binghamton Rumble Ponies in Game 2 of the Eastern League Championship Series, leading to their first championship title in franchise history.

On September 24, 2024, the SeaWolves completed their playoff run by defeating the Somerset Patriots 3-2 in Bridgewater, New Jersey. They won the Eastern League championship for a second straight year. In addition, they became the 11th team in Eastern League history and the first since the Trenton Thunder in 2007 and 2008 to repeat as champions.

Ownership

Palisades Baseball was the original owner of the SeaWolves when the team began play in 1995. In 2003, Palisades sold the team to Mandalay Sports Entertainment, which had previously owned and operated several Minor League Baseball clubs. On March 27, 2015, Fernando Aguirre was announced as the new owner of the SeaWolves. A seasoned executive from Procter & Gamble (P&G) and Chiquita Brands International, Aguirre purchased the team from Mandalay for an undisclosed amount and expressed his commitment to keeping the team in Erie. Aguirre also holds a minority share in the Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball and possesses a one-third stake in the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, the Single-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs in the Carolina League.

Logos and uniforms

The SeaWolves' primary colors are black, red, and white, complemented by minor accents of gold and gray. Their primary logo features a stylized "pirate wolf" positioned over two intersecting baseball bats with sword hilts. The wordmark arches in alignment with the wolf's tricorne, using a color scheme of white, black, and gold. Additionally, the SeaWolves have a secondary logo that depicts a weathered Jolly Roger on a "bat sword," highlighted by a red letter E. This emblem pays homage to Erie's nickname, "Flagship City," which references the Flagship ''Niagara'', commanded by Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry during his 1813 victory over the British Royal Navy in the Battle of Lake Erie.

The home uniforms consist of a black cap adorned with the "bandanna wolf" logo and white jerseys with black piping. The "SeaWolves" wordmark arches across the front in black letters outlined in red, while the crossed "bat swords" logo appears on the left sleeve. The away uniforms feature a gray jersey with black piping, showcasing the "Erie" wordmark in red with a black outline and the crossed "bat swords" logo on the left sleeve. Additionally, the alternate jersey is red with black piping and includes the "Erie" wordmark in white outlined in black, with the "tricorne wolf" logo featured on the left sleeve.

File:SeaWolves 1995.PNG, 1995–1998
File:SeaWolves 1998.PNG, 1999–2000
File:SeaWolves 2001.PNG, 2001–2012
File:Erie SeaWolves logo.svg, 2013–pres

In 2025, comedian John Oliver announced on the HBO series ''Last Week Tonight with John Oliver'' that the Seawolves were selected by the show to undergo a full rebranding, including a new name, mascot, and theme night.

Culture

''Last Week Tonight with John Oliver''

The Erie SeaWolves were chosen by John Oliver for a complete rebrand, selected from a list of 47 minor league baseball teams across the nation.

John Oliver, the host of ''Last Week Tonight with John Oliver'', chose the SeaWolves to receive a complete rebrand. From the name to the mascot, and even a theme night, Oliver promised that they would research the area, using “all of our resources and stupidity,” to come up with something that no one else in the league has, and that can only come from Erie.

Oliver said that there were a number of good reasons the SeaWolves were picked, but the main reason was that the Erie SeaWolves play baseball nowhere near the sea. “Which, yeah, that’s a problem, Erie. We can help you fix that,” he said.

Mascots

The Erie SeaWolves' official mascot is an anthropomorphic, gray Canidae named C. Wolf. He wears the team's official red alternate jersey with a pirate hat, a red and white bandana, and an eye patch. His friends include Paws (the Detroit Tigers' official mascot) as well as three anthropomorphic sausages sponsored by the Erie-based Smith's Provision Company: Kenny Kielbasa, Herbie Hot Dog, and Santino the Italian Sausage.

Promotions

Alternative Facts Night

On March 10, 2017, the Erie SeaWolves made national headlines for their "Alternative Facts Night" promotion on Friday, August 25, 2017. Their opponent was the Akron RubberDucks, whose alternative name was the "Akron Yellow Bath Toys" for the game. The promotion was a reference to a news story in which Kellyanne Conway, counselor to U.S. president, Donald Trump, coined the phrase "alternative facts" to bolster a disputed claim that more people attended Trump's presidential inauguration on January 20, 2017 than the first inauguration of Barack Obama on January 20, 2009. The SeaWolves hosted Alternative Facts Night to "celebrate facts that the team knows to be true—even if some media outlets may dispute them." As part of the promotion, the first 1,000 fans received a 2016 SeaWolves Eastern League Championship ring, although the RubberDucks earned the title. The club notionally expected to have 1.2 million fans attend the game between Erie and Akron, even though UPMC Park only has a seating capacity of 6,000. The proceeds for Alternative Facts Night went to the Erie City School District.

In anticipation of "Alternative Facts Night," Fernando Aguirre published a message on Twitter that read, "This is huge! #AlternativeFactsNight. We will build a ight fieldwall, and Akron will pay for it. I promise." This was a parody of Donald Trump's political campaign, in which he stated, "I would build a great wall, and nobody builds walls better than me, believe me, and I'll build them very inexpensively—I will build a great, great wall on our southern border. And I will have Mexico pay for that wall. Mark my words."

Community service

The SeaWolves engage in many philanthropic efforts throughout Erie and its surrounding communities. Key team initiatives include UPMC Health Plan Paint the Park Pink Weekend to benefit local cancer charities, Northwest Bank Gloves for Kids equipment drive, and Sensory-Friendly Day at the Ballpark in partnership with the Autism Society of Northwest Pennsylvania. The team also sponsors youth sports and education programs through the SeaWolves Community Fund. On September 16, 2015, the SeaWolves earned the '' Erie Times-News'' Commitment to Erie Award for community service by a business with 50 or fewer employees.

Broadcasting

In February 2017, the SeaWolves extended their broadcasting contract with Fox Sports Radio AM 1330: The Fan, a local affiliate of Connoisseur Media, to air every game during the 2017 and 2018 seasons. Greg Gania has served as the Voice of the SeaWolves since 2006 and is the longest-tenured play-by-play broadcaster in team history.

Season-by-season results

Season results in New York–Penn League

Regular season

Season results in Eastern League

Regular season

Playoffs

Roster

Notable alumni

* A. J. Achter
* Alex Avila
* José Azocar
* Sandy Báez
* Matt Beech
* Randor Bierd
* Beau Burrows
* Ramón Cabrera
* Anthony Castro
* Brent Clevlen
* Román Colón
* Brian Cooper
* Nate Cornejo
* Deivi Cruz
* Lance Davis
* Casey Fien
* Michael Fulmer
* Devon Travis
* Justin Verlander

Retired numbers

References

External links

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Baseball teams established in 1995
Professional baseball teams in Pennsylvania
Los Angeles Angels minor league affiliates
Detroit Tigers minor league affiliates
Pittsburgh Pirates minor league affiliates
1995 establishments in Pennsylvania
Eastern League (1938–present) teams
Double-A Northeast teams