Lake Country DockHounds will temporarily change their name in June to celebrate 'The Wizard of Oz'

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The Lake Country DockHounds will use an alternate team name, the Lake Country Flying Monkeys the weekend of June 14, 2024, to celebrate the 85th anniversary of "The Wizard of Oz."

So, it wasn't just an April Fool's joke. The Lake Country DockHounds will be temporarily changing their team name to the Flying Monkeys in June to celebrate the 85th anniversary of "The Wizard of Oz," the team announced Tuesday.

The temporary name change for the Oconomowoc-based baseball team will happen on the weekend of June 14-16, when the team takes on the Cleburne RailRoaders.

With the anniversary, the team wanted to create a new name that's different from its normal brand, which tends to be very friendly and family oriented, said spokesperson Bryan Giese.

"The most frightening piece of 'The Wizard of Oz' is always the flying monkeys," he said.

During that weekend, the team will offer specials related to the Wizard of Oz theme by handing out 2,000 Tin Man Louie bobbleheads, presented by Lake Louie Brewing. There will also be Wizard of Oz-themed merchandise, jerseys, on-field games, food and drink specials.

Oconomowoc was one of the Midwest communities to initially screen "The Wizard of Oz" in 1939. The film was shown at The Strand Theater, which was downtown in the area where Oconomowoc's City Hall is today.

For more information and to purchase tickets, you can visit their website at www.dockhounds.com.