Oliver with George Moon and Fuzz E Mammoth (Photo: X/@MiLB)
This weekend in Erie, Pennsylvania, John Oliver brought a mammoth to life—and somehow still found time to serve hot dogs, toss Moon Pies, sing the seventh-inning stretch, and officiate a mascot race.
It was all part of a months-long stunt for HBO’s Last Week Tonight, born out of Oliver’s personal love for minor league baseball and its often eccentric team names and theme nights.
Earlier this season, Oliver invited every minor league club in America to apply for a no-input, no-takebacks makeover—and 40% of them did. Ultimately, the Erie SeaWolves won out, and on Saturday night Oliver and his crew were on hand to help christen the team’s temporary new identity: the Erie Moon Mammoths, led by a new mascot, Fuzz E. Mammoth—a “pileous purple pachyderm” (as Oliver put it) inspired by prehistoric bones pulled from Lake Pleasant in 1991 by diver George Moon.
The night turned out to be one of the most elaborately themed promotions in minor league history.
Oliver kicked off the festivities by introducing Fuzz E. while riding around the ballpark in a utility cart. He threw out the ceremonial first pitch to special guest catcher George Moon, then bellowed “Play ball!” to a roaring crowd. He later served hot dogs at the concession stand. “It was hilarious to see him back there,” one fan told the Erie Times-News. “I can go home and say John Oliver gave me a hot dog.”
His night continued with a stint as bat boy, a guest appearance in the radio booth, a turn as public address announcer, and a spirited rendition of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” atop the dugout with Fuzz E. Mammoth. He capped it all off by slinging a basket of Moon Pies around his neck and launching them into the stands.
The Moon Mammoths fell 6–5 to the Chesapeake Baysox—rebranded for the evening as the Oyster Catchers—but the final score barely mattered.
And while it wasn’t initially clear whether the rebrand would extend behind one night, Erie fans haven’t seen the last of the Moon Mammoths. The SeaWolves will retain their primary identity, but the team has announced three more Mammoth games this season—August 19 against Harrisburg and a two-game stretch September 12–13 against Altoona—with more dates planned for next year.
At a press conference before the game, Oliver made it clear that the Moon Mammoths now belong to the city. “We are sending our furry child out into the world,” he said. “And you are the custodian of it now. Please be careful.” Asked what he’d say to fans who prefer the Mammoths over the SeaWolves, he replied: “It’s up to them. If they want to keep the Moon Mammoths forever, have at it.”
Oliver praised minor league baseball’s embrace of creativity and chaos, calling it “a really entertaining, exciting experience” and “one of the great things that America has.” His pitch to new fans was simple: “You should go. Not just to a Moon Mammoths game. They’re all weird in their own way.”
HBO cameras were on hand for the whole night, and with Last Week Tonight returning July 27, expect Erie’s Moon Mammoths to figure prominently next Sunday night’s episode.
Until then, here’s how local news station Erie News Now covered Oliver’s visit—its top story Saturday night:
