The Oakland Ballers, nicknamed the Oakland B's, are an independent baseball team that started play in the Pioneer League in 2024.
| Oakland Ballers | |||||
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| Minor league affiliations | |||||
| Class | Independent | ||||
| League | Pioneer League | ||||
| Team data | |||||
| Name | Oakland B's | ||||
| Colors | Green, gold, gray
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| Ballpark | Raimondi Park (4,000) | ||||
Owner(s)/ Operator(s) | Oakland Ballers Baseball Club, Inc. (Paul Freedman & Bryan Carmel, founders) | ||||
| Manager | Aaron Miles | ||||
History
editThe team was created following the approval of the Oakland Athletics' relocation to Las Vegas by MLB team owners. The non-profit Oakland 68s raised more than $2 million to establish the team[1] and was inspired by the success of Oakland Roots SC soccer team.[2] The press release for the team's announcement included a pledge for fan ownership based around a 2024 crowdfunding campaign.[2] Don Wakamatsu was appointed as the team's first-ever executive vice president of baseball operations.[3] The first player signed to the team was Dondrei Hubbard, announced on December 10, 2023.[4]
They are located in Oakland, California, and initially planned to play their home games at Laney College,[5] with an expansion of the park's facilities to hold upwards of 2,500 fans.[1][6] A proposed game at the Oakland Coliseum was blocked by the Oakland Athletics.[7] In February 2024 it was announced that they would instead play their home games at Raimondi Park in West Oakland, with a capacity of 4,000 fans.[8]
On April 10, 2024, Kelsie Whitmore signed with the Oakland Ballers.[9] She became the first woman to play for the Pioneer League when playing for the Ballers later that year. On June 6, 2024, playing for the Ballers, she became the first female player to start a Pioneer League game. In that game she struck out one batter.[10]
On July 21, 2024, the Ballers fired manager Micah Franklin and named Aaron Miles interim manager.[11]
Roster
edit| Active (25-man) roster | Coaches/Other | |||
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Pitchers
Utility players
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Catchers
Infielders
Outfielders
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Manager
Coaches
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References
edit- ^ a b Passan, Jeff (November 28, 2023). "Oakland-area fans start Ballers, an independent baseball team". ESPN. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
- ^ a b "Oakland's New Baseball Team, The Oakland B's Launch". Oakland Ballers. November 28, 2023. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
- ^ McCauley, Janie. "Oakland is getting a new minor league team – the Oakland B’s," The Associated Press (AP), Tuesday, November 28, 2023. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
- ^ Burke, Jason (December 10, 2023). "Oakland B's Announce First Player Signing". Inside The Athletics on FanNation. MSN.com. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
- ^ "Oakland baseball will not die! City announces expansion team in Pioneer Baseball League". USA TODAY. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
- ^ "Oakland is getting a new minor league team — the Oakland B's". CBS.
- ^ "Oakland A's blocked plans for B's to play game at Coliseum". Oakland. NBC. January 4, 2024. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
- ^ "Ballers to play at West Oakland's historic Raimondi Field, make $1.6M in upgrades". SFGate. February 15, 2024. Retrieved February 16, 2024.
- ^ "Oakland Ballers sign team's first female player". April 10, 2024.
- ^ Lockard, Melissa. "Kelsie Whitmore first woman to start Pioneer League game" – via NYTimes.com.
- ^ "Oakland Ballers fire Micah Franklin, first manager in franchise history". mercurynews.com. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
- ^ "2024 Oakland Ballers Roster". Oakland Ballers.
