With the Oakland A’s imminent move to Las Vegas in 2028, as several news media outlets have reported, a local group has established the Oakland Ballers (B’s), a team that will be playing in the independent Pioneer Baseball League in 2024, today the team announced via X.
The PBL, a MLB Partner League, encompasses 12 teams who play a 96-game season from May to mid-September.
Co-founders and CEOs Paul Freedman and Bryan Carmel are heading up the front office along with EVP of Baseball Operations, Don Wakamatsu, a Japanese-American former professional baseball player, scout, coach and manager.
Both Freedman and Carmel have strong ties to the Oakland community, so launching a team in the area was a no brainer for them both.
“I strongly believe that the real value of a sports team is in its relationship to the community it serves,” Freedman said in a press release. “Baseball is a sport with deep roots in this country and a rich legacy in the East Bay. That could never be owned by one person. That’s why with the Oakland B’s we intend to build a team committed to honoring that legacy and our community. With the Oakland Bs, we are going to bring joy back to the game and give Oaklanders something to be proud of.”
“Like all sports fans, Paul and I love underdog stories, and what could be a better one than bringing pro baseball back to The Town? We refuse to let the departure of one team be the final chapter in Oakland’s baseball legacy,” Carmel said. “That’s why we’re coming together to steal baseball back for Oakland. Together with the people of Oakland and the broader East Bay, we’re building the next Bay Area championship team.”
Micah Franklin, a San Francisco-born and former MLBer, has been named as the team’s first manager, and will be spending his 31st year in professional baseball, which includes 15 years as a player.
The Oakland Ballers will play their home games at Laney College Baseball Field.
— Jerry Del Priore
NY NJ Sports World/Brooklyn Sports World 