MILWAUKEE, Wis. – What do frozen pizzas, supper clubs and mammoths all have in common? Each one has been used as an alternative identiy for a professional baseball team this summer.
And if you talk to the leaders of the actually-named Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, Beloit Sky Carp and Erie SeaWolves respectively, they all wonder why they didn’t try it out sooner.
In the past 10 years, minor league baseball teams across the country have experimented with temporary rebrands as a way to pay homage to their local communities, while also generating buzz for clubs who’s regular season record isn’t always as important as the amount of entertainment being generated around the ballpark.
One recent example that gained national attention played out in northwest Pennsylvania this summer, where the aforementioned Erie SeaWolves received a free rebrand courtesy of “Last Week Tonight” host John Oliver into the Erie Moon Mammoths.
“The ​day ​the ​introductory ​show ​ran, ​we ​did ​about ​four ​years ​worth ​of ​online ​merchandise ​sales ​in ​about ​three ​weeks,” President Greg Coleman tells WTMJ. He adds the a permanent rebrand could be considered once the SeaWolves license runs out in 2027. Until then, the Moon Mammoths moniker will be used on a few nights a year.
“There ​are ​requirements ​that ​exist. ​You ​have ​to ​use ​your ​official ​style ​guide ​a ​certain ​percentage ​of ​games. ​But ​if ​you ​have ​something ​that’s ​successful, ​you ​absolutely ​are ​going ​to ​want ​to ​lean ​into ​it ​within ​those ​guidelines,” says Coleman.
In Wisconsin, rebrands are nothing new. For years, both the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers and Beloit Sky Carp (formerly the Snappers) have altered their identity for a few nights a year. The former notably turned heads with their “Wisconsin Udder Tuggers” rebrand which debuted in 2019, and the latter once a week dons the “Beloit Supper Clubbers” name.
In ​terms ​of ​hard ​dollars, we ​are ​well ​over ​six ​figures ​now ​in ​gross ​merchandise sales,” says Sky Carp President Zack Brockman. “​And ​that’s ​not ​including ​​the ​ticket ​sales ​that ​we ​sell ​on ​Friday ​nights for ​people ​that ​want ​to ​come ​out ​and ​experience ​this.”
Even at levels below minor league ball, the temporary rebrand is taking hold across Southeast Wisconsin. The Kenosha Kingfish made a splash in 2024 with their “Kenosha Kickers” homage to the 1990 holiday classic “Home Alone”, and in 2025 celebrated Italian Heritage Night as the “Kenosha Bombers”, referencing meatball bomber sub sandwiches often sold at Italian markets.
“I ​know, ​the ​generations ​coming ​up ​don’t ​watch ​[baseball] ​as ​much ​as ​maybe ​I ​do. ​So ​how ​else ​can ​you ​entertain ​people? ​And ​if ​it’s ​our ​merch ​and ​our ​silly ​promotions, ​that’s ​kind ​of ​our ​theme ​right ​there,” says Kingfish general manager Ryne Goralski. The 32-year-old GM also notes the financial boon the rebrand has been for his club.
“It’s ​way ​more ​than ​our ​normal ​merch. ​This ​is ​a ​great ​influx ​of ​cash,” says Goralski.
The future of the rebrand seems to be on an exponential climb; according to a 2024 report by the Sports Business Journal, over two dozen affiliated minor league teams have either rebranded or adopted names as new teams since 2014.
But what about at the MLB level? Could the Milwaukee Brewers someday roll out new uniforms with a hypothetical “Milwaukee Pocket Pancakes” brand? Brockman notes while not on the docket in the short term, there is plenty of precident for MLB implementing rules changes following a trial period in the minors.
“Minor ​league baseball ​is ​almost ​like ​a ​melting ​pot. ​It’s ​like ​a ​little ​petri ​dish ​for ​you ​to ​test ​things ​out. ​So ​if ​we ​continue ​to ​have ​wild, ​wild ​success ​with ​this, I ​definitely ​can ​see ​a ​future ​where ​Major ​League Baseball ​jumps ​on ​board ​with ​that,” says Brockman.
For now, pizzas, meatball bombers and mammoths will continue to proliferate the minors, generating plenty of cash along the way.
You ​have ​to ​captivate ​that ​audience ​and ​do ​funny ​things. ​And ​if ​throwing ​a ​meatball ​out ​on ​the ​field ​is ​funny ​enough ​for ​them, ​that’s ​what ​we’ll ​do,” says Goralski.
