Long Beach directs staff to explore bringing a new independent pro baseball team to Blair Field

The Long Beach City Council voted to direct the city manager to work with California State University Long Beach, the Long Beach Baseball Club Inc. and other stakeholders to explore a collaborative partnership agreement for use of Blair Field as a home venue for a new independent professional baseball team.

The item, introduced by the mayor and presented to the council as a city-led effort to expand local sports offerings and stimulate economic activity, asked staff to report back after exploring scheduling, public access protections and other operational concerns. Council members who spoke in support framed the plan as a way to generate attendance, family outings and local economic activity while protecting university needs and public access days.

Supporters who addressed the council included members of the proposed ownership group and local baseball figures. Brian Carmel, co-founder of the Oakland Ballers and a member of the ownership group bringing the new team, described community-focused organizing behind his previous club and said his group planned a similar approach in Long Beach. “The magic of sports is bringing diverse communities together for shared joy,” Carmel told the council. Long Beach native and former professional player Chase Starno, who trains local youth, said bringing summer professional baseball back to Blair Field would provide role models and year-round activity for local players.

Council members emphasized the need to coordinate with Cal State Long Beach, which uses Blair Field for its baseball program, and to preserve community access. The motion directs staff and relevant departments — including Economic Development and Parks, Recreation and Marine — to collaborate with the university and the Long Beach Baseball Club on the terms of a potential agreement, identify community concerns and preserve designated public access days at Blair Field.

The council vote carried on the motion; council members commented that Blair Field needs reinvestment and that a local team could complement the university program if schedules and protections for community use were preserved. Speakers at the meeting urged city staff to ensure neighborhood concerns and university schedules would be incorporated into any agreement.

Next steps: city staff were directed to enter formal discussions with CSULB and the ownership group and report back to council with options and recommended terms for a partnership agreement.

Votes at a glance: - Motion to direct the city manager to work with CSULB and the Long Beach Baseball Club on a partnership agreement for Blair Field — outcome: approved (motion carried).

Why it matters: for a stadium that is city-owned and has historic ties to Long Beach, a permanent summer tenant could drive local spending, require capital and operational planning, and require explicit protections for university athletics and community use.