The Oakland B’s -The Ballers are Oakland’s New Minor League Team
Baseball will not end with the Oakland A’s departure. The A’s are set to finish play in the Bay area once their lease is up in 2025. Nevertheless, after that, Oakland will still have a team to root heavily for, for years to come. Put your hands together for The Oakland B’s… an expansion independent club; and Oakland’s new minor league team.
The Ballers have the backing of businessmen as well as co-founders, Bryan Carmel and Paul Freedman. What inspired this power duo to ensure A’s fans would still have baseball in their backyard? Freedman reveals that the passionate idea came way before the MLB owners vote; when Oakland fans were fighting hard for their team to stay put. Paul states,
“That activism, that inspiration, that demonstration of just what a strong fan base was part of the reason.
Bryan and I were already contemplating it, but after that it was like, ‘We cannot let this legacy of baseball end in Oakland. It’s too beautiful, it’s too intertwined with the city of Oakland. And regardless of what the A’s are going to do, we can’t let that legacy end, and we have to do something about it.’”
Well, Carmel and Freedman are definitely doing something about this unfortunate situation in Oakland. The team is shaping up and even has social media pumping. The Ballers social page even announced,
“Introducing a new team for The Town The Oakland Ballers. Our team was ripped away from us. Now we’re stealing baseball for the people of Oakland. Built by Oakland. For Oakland. Forever Oakland.”
The Oakland B’s -The Ballers are Oakland’s New Minor League Team
Former big-league manager Don Wakamatsu is taking the lead in working the reigns of the Oakland B’s. He will serve as the B’s executive vice president of baseball operations. Don is excited to get to work to build a baseball entity that the city will absolutely love.
So far, Wakamatsu has nine players signed and on board. And will continue to fill out the 35 man roster. Regarding his vision for the B’s; Don reveals,
“The idea of actually starting an independent franchise in Oakland really intrigued me. It gives me an opportunity to kind of build something from the ground up. I have a real strong history in the Bay Area with players.
I found it exciting to kind of thinking outside the box of how can we do something in the city of Oakland, how we can build something, especially with the timing of [the A’s] leaving.”
The Ballers will begin playing in the Pioneer League come May 2024. Their first home games are set for next July at Laney College. The team’s logo will incorporate the same gold and green that Oakland fans are accustomed of seeing. Therefore, a little taste of “home,” but will a refreshing start for the future.
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