Mount up at the plate.
West Coast hip-hop icon Warren G has been named as a co-owner of a minor league baseball team headed to Long Beach.
The DJ, songwriter and producer is the perfect fit for the team, considering he grew up in the LBC.
“This is more than just owning part of a team, it’s about giving back to my city,” he said in a statement. “Long Beach shaped me, and I want to help build something positive for the next generation. Baseball brings people together, and that’s what I’m all about.”
Born Warren Griffin III, he’s known for being one of the pioneers of G-funk and West Coast rap, which was showcased in his 1994 hit “Regulate” featuring Nate Dogg. In 1990, he, Nate Dogg and Snoop Dogg created the group 213. They’re known for the song “Ain’t No Fun (If the Homies Can’t Have None).”
“I’m a fan of baseball, always have been,” the artist told Long Beach Watchdog in an exclusive interview in August. “I played. I didn’t go too far with it, but I loved it and I was just trying to stay out of the streets as a young teen.”
He told the outlet that he swapped out baseball for football when he started attending Jordan High School in North Long Beach. However, he’s a “die-hard Dodgers fan.”
“You gotta roll with LA — Dodgers, Raiders, Lakers,” he said.
The team is in negotiations with the City of Long Beach and Cal State Long Beach to share Blair Field for the upcoming season. If all goes to plan, they hope to take the field in 2026. It is set to be the 13th team in the Pioneer Baseball League.
The team is currently called the Long Beach Baseball Club, as it awaits a name. They are currently asking the public to submit their name ideas until Sept. 12.
Right now, a popular name is the Long Beach Regulators, paying homage to Griffin.
“Long Beach Regulators Mount Up!” he wrote on Instagram.