Long Beach is getting a new minor league baseball team in 2026, and hip-hop star Warren G not only wants fans to help pick its name in a contest but he has a favorite of his own: the Long Beach Regulators.
The Long Beach native, best known for his 1994 hit “Regulate,” is part owner of the new club, which will play at Blair Field. He said the team is a chance to give back to the city that shaped him.
“Baseball has always been in my life and in the neighborhood,” Warren G said. “We played baseball, whether it was with a rock and stick or whatever we could play with.
For him, the name “Regulators” just makes sense.
“I’ve got a record, a smash hit, classic, one of the biggest hip-hop singles of all time called Regulate,” he said. “I’m a regulator from Long Beach, and it all works together.”
Since the start of September, the team has been running a naming contest that has already drawn more than 1,000 submissions. Some fans back Warren G’s idea, while others have pitched their own: the Gamers, the Juniors, and even the Pounders.
Ena Patel, president of the Long Beach Baseball Club, said some of the suggestions have been more unusual, like the Turkey Basters, Pickle Eggs, and Potholes.
“We want it to be something that is going to be timeless,” Patel said.
The team has also received suggestions to revive old minor league names from the city’s past, like the Armada, Riptides, and Breakers.
And with Long Beach’s deep hip-hop roots, some fans have floated another big name: Snoop Dogg. Patel said “Long Beach Doggs, D-o-double-g” has ben submitted.
Warren G laughed at the idea, saying if Snoop joined the ownership group, he would consider coming up with another name.
“The Regulating Doggs or something,” Warren G said.
Team leaders planned to narrow the field down to three names later this year before asking the community to vote. The final choice is expected by early 2026.
Until then, Warren G said he’ll keep pushing for his pick.
“The Long Beach Regulators — it fits right in,” he said.