Justin & Eric… And you.

Nine is an important number in baseball. It’s the number of innings in a game. It’s the number of players on the field and in a lineup. It’s also the number of baseball teams who have signed Eric Stangel and Justin Stangel to one-day contracts.

Today the Spearfish Sasquatch, a South Dakota ballclub in the Independence League made it official. 

“We’re proud to join the team. Growing up in the suburbs of New York, it was every kid’s dream to join a South Dakota collegiate baseball team. I am now living that dream,” said Eric Stangel.

“A lot of times when I walk in the woods people confuse me for Sasquatch, so it’s kinda perfect,” said Justin Stangel. 

The Sasquatch added a special perk to the Stangels’ contract. In addition to joining the roster, each Stangel brother will also be allowed to model a piece of merchandise for the team website, SpearfishSasquatch.com.

Game tickets are now available on the site. The home opener is Friday May 27th. 

Video of the signing can be seen below. Eric Schmidt, Sasquatch Owner and General Manager mentioned a special promotion this season, July 3rd’s Baseball Card Night. It’s an attempt to get kids and adults interested in the hobby. Fans have been sending in packs and boxes for the team to give away. If interested, DM the team on their twitter page @sprfshsasquatch.

The Kingsport Axmen have some unexpected relief coming this season. General Manager Logan Davis announced Saturday that the team has signed Eric Stangel and Justin Stangel, two comedy writers and producers with no professional baseball experience, to shore up the back end of the bullpen for the Appalachian League squad. 

This is the 8th team the brothers have signed with since 2020. 

“We are excited to be part of the Axmen. This brings us one step closer to our lifelong dream we’ve had since we started this two years ago,” said lefthander Eric Stangel. 

When asked what he thought about the role he’ll be playing in 2022 this season from the pen, Star Trek fan Justin Stangel said “I have no idea what that means. The uniforms are sweet though.”

The Axmen are so excited about the new season, which opens June 2nd, and their 2 new pitchers, that they’re offering a special 22% discount on all merchandise for all fans who use the code “signingday” at checkout on Saturday April 2nd. The team store can be found at http://kingsportaxmen.milbstore.com

The Axmen have a special connection with their Tennessee community. This season they’re sponsoring a Little League squad they’ve dubbed the “Mini-Axmen” as well as a travel ball tournament called the Axmen Classic.  

Eric and Justin have previously signed with the Portland Pickles, Cleburne Railroaders, Lake Erie Crushers, St. Paul Saints, Akron Rubberducks, Carolina Disco Turkeys, and Hudson Valley Renegades.

The Stangels are currently tied with Bobby Bonilla, among others for Most Baseball Teams with 8. The All time record is Edwin Jackson, who played for 14, but unlike Eric and Justin never won two Emmys. (Yes we realize that’s the major league record, but we couldn’t find the minor league record so we just went with it. Calm down stat nerds.)

Video of the signing can be found below. Trigger warning: You see A LOT of Justin. Like a lot.

Ruth, DiMaggio, Mantle, Jeter, Stangel. What do they all have in common? As of today, they are all members of the New York Yankees organization. 

Eric and Justin Stangel have signed with their 7th baseball team, inking a one-day contract with the Hudson Valley Renegades, the High A squad of the Bronx Bombers. 

“The Renegades have made a terrible error in judgment,” said Eric, a lifelong Yankees fan. “There’s no reason this should have happened.”

But the team is confident with their move. Team Vice President Rick Zolzer and President/General Manager Steve Gliner welcomed the Stangels on a Zoom call (which can be seen below) and included a special bonus in the contract: the chance to throw out the first pitch at a future Renegades home game.

In an odd coincidence, Justin Stangel also said “The Renegades have made a terrible error in judgment. There’s no reason this should have happened.”

Team officials were proud to discuss something special they do annually. D3 Day (Disability, Dream and Do) is a camp where kids with special needs can work with players and coaches to practice the game of baseball. This year’s D3 Day will take place Saturday September 4th. The Renegades have been hosting this annually in Hudson Valley since 2017. More info can be found at https://www.d3day.com/what-we-do. To contribute visit https://www.d3day.com/contribute.

In addition to the Renegades, the Stangels previously signed with the Portland Pickles, Cleburne Railroaders, Lake Erie Crushers, St. Paul Saints, Akron RubberDucks and Carolina Disco Turkeys. They have now signed with A, AA, and AAA teams. 

It was announced on SportsNation, but now it’s official.

Eric and Justin Stangel have signed a one-day contract with the Carolina Disco Turkeys of the All-American Amateur Baseball Association. The Disco Turkeys, who are in their inaugural season, made a smart decision to bring on two people considered by many to be “good clubhouse guys.”

Team President and co-owner Greg Sullivan offered the Stangels a contract with an interesting perk. Show up this season at Truist Stadium in Winston-Salem and Eric and Justin will each get one of their world famous turkey legs. According to a google search, that has never been included in a baseball contract before. 

“When you put in the kind of work we have put in and then the call comes in, you can’t believe it. What an honor to be part of the inaugural roster of this Disco Turkeys squad. It’s humbling,” said first baseman Eric.

“I like turkey,” said Justin. 

The Disco Turkeys are a hit locally and nationally. The team has already connected with their community, scheduling events for locals to meet the players. And their funky jersey logo has gotten a strong reaction online. Fans can purchase items from the Fowl Territory Team Store at www.carolina-disco-turkeys.myshopify.com

This is the 6th team the Stangels have signed with, following the Portland Pickles, Cleburne Railroaders, Lake Erie Crushers, St. Paul Saints, and Akron RubberDucks. Their story was featured on SportsNation on ESPN+. 

Exclusive footage of the signing can be seen below.

Sportsnation, the popular morning sports show on ESPN+ didn’t realize it, but they were about to get an exclusive. The Stangel brothers had just signed with their 5th baseball team, when a producer from the Worldwide Leader In Sports reached out for a booking.

Eric and Justin quickly accepted and went to work to prepare. When they taped the segment with Ashley Brewer, Christine Williamson and Treavor Scales, the Stangels told the tale of where this idea began, and took us through signing one day deals with the Portland Pickles, Cleburne Railroaders, Lake Erie Crushers, St. Paul Saints and Akron RubberDucks.

Then the bombshell. No one realized at the time, but they Stangels were about to reveal team #6. Spoiler below the clip.

That’s right, the Carolina Disco Turkeys. A perfect fit. The actual signing will be in the next few weeks, but it’s a formality at this point. The world now knows.

Eric and Justin Stangel are one step from the major leagues.

The St. Paul Saints have announced the one-day signing of the brothers in a move that has stunned, confused and impressed industry insiders. In December the Saints left independent baseball to become the AAA farm team for MLB’s Minnesota Twins.

This is the fourth team the Stangels have signed with, following the Portland Pickles, Cleburne Railroaders and Lake Erie Crushers.

“In our day with the Saints, we’re hoping to bring many championships to St. Paul,” said first baseman Eric Stangel, who plans to get fake baseball cards made up to impress friends.

Said shortstop Justin Stangel, “People think Eric and I are twins. (We’re not.) But now we might play for the Twins. Crazy times.”

The deal was announced on a Zoom call with Sean Aronson, Vice President, Director Media Relations/Broadcasting, which is a lot of titles.

It’s definitely about more than just baseball.

The Saints are closely connected with the St. Paul community, working with the Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library, “an independent, nonprofit organization that acts as a catalyst for libraries to strengthen and inspire their communities.” As they describe, “Even in a city that loves its libraries, public funding isn’t enough for libraries to provide all the important resources that residents seek. The Library, part of the City of Saint Paul, depends on The Friends to support those resources.” 

They also support Read Brave Saint Paul, “a citywide, intergenerational reading program that uses the power of books and stories to engage people in learning about complex issues.”

Eric and Justin are still arguing over who should be nicknamed “The Hammer.”

Eric Stangel and Justin Stangel haven’t picked up a mitt or a bat in years. That hasn’t stopped them from signing with baseball teams in 2020. For the third time in just a couple of months they have signed a one-day contract, this time with the Lake Erie Crushers of the Frontier League.

Tom Kramig, Owner, President and CEO of the Crushers even offered the Stangels an added opportunity of a lifetime. According to the contract, “should the Stangels show up for a game during the 2021 season, they will be introduced as part of the starting lineup and then immediately replaced before either suffers some for of bodily harm.”

For first baseman Eric Stangel, it was a dream long in the making. “We have now signed with more teams than Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio COMBINED. Take that, losers,” he said.

Shortstop Justin Stangel says he enjoys the Crushers uniforms. “I look damn good in pinstripes. I’m sending pictures to all my exes. Wait, don’t include that. It makes me sound crazy,” he said.

The Crushers are important supporters of their community. Partnering with The LCADA Way, they recently helped raise $51,000 to help treat addiction. And, the team store features Crushers products with their logo who is an angry grape.

For those of you who don’t like to read stuff, or just want to watch history being made, here is exclusive footage of the Zoom signing.

For the second time in a week, Eric and Justin Stangel have signed a one-day contract with a minor league baseball team. The Cleburne Railroaders, who play in the American Association, a partner league to Major League Baseball, offered the Stangels a deal they could not refuse.

According to the terms, “The contract holds no value, but does give the Stangels the right to call themselves ex-Railroaders to impress people at parties.”

Since the Railroaders are based in Texas, the agreement was signed over a Zoom call that took place in 2 different time zones. Fancy.

Denning Gerig, Broadcasting and Media Relations Manager for the team handled the duties and even remained professional as the brothers began to fight on the call.

For first baseman Eric Stangel, it was a dream long in the making. “It’s incredible. I haven’t felt this way since we signed with the Portland Pickles last week,”

Shortstop Justin Stangel, who is pretty sure he knows where on the field shortstop plays said “I love the team. I love the uniform. I’m really happy right now. Does that quote work for you in the article? The dog threw up in the kitchen and I have to clean it up.”

The Railroaders are known for hard play on the field and an connection with the community off the field. They run a bi-weekly food drive for Johnson County, Texas families called the Railroaders Home Plate Project. More information on how you can help can be found here

The dramatic and historic Zoom signing can be seen below.