Oakland Ballers
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 Field (4,000) | ||||
Owner(s)/ Operator(s) | Oakland 68s (Paul Freedman & Bryan Carmel, founders) | ||||
Manager | Micah Franklin |
The Oakland Ballers, nicknamed the Oakland B's, are an independent baseball team that will play in the Pioneer League in 2024.
History[edit]
The team was created following the approval of the Oakland Athletics' relocation to Las Vegas by MLB team owners. The non-profit Oakland 68's, 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.[3] Don Wakamatsu was appointed as the team's first-ever executive vice president of baseball operations.[4] The first player signed to the team was Dondrei Hubbard, announced on December 10, 2023.[5]
They will be located in Oakland, California, and initially planned to play their home games at Laney College,[6] with an expansion of the park's facilities to hold upwards of 2,500 fans.[7][8] A proposed game at the Oakland Coliseum was blocked by the Oakland Athletics.[9] In February 2024 it was announced that they would instead play their home games at Raimondi Field in West Oakland, with a capacity of 4,000 fans.[10]
Roster[edit]
Active (25-man) roster | Coaches/Other | |||
Pitchers
Utility players
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Catchers
Infielders
Outfielders
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Manager Coaches
Disabled list |
References[edit]
- ^ "Independent Oakland Ballers to start play in 2024". ESPN.com. November 28, 2023. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
- ^ "Oakland's New Baseball Team, the Oakland B's Launch – Determined to Steal Back the Legacy of Baseball for the Town," Oakland Ballers (press release), Tuesday, November 28, 2023. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
- ^ Brennan-Gatica, Catalina (November 28, 2023). "Oakland's New Baseball Team, The Oakland B's Launch – Determined to Steal Back the Legacy of Baseball for the Town" (PDF). Oakland Ballers. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Passan, Jeff (November 28, 2023). "Oakland-area fans start Ballers, an independent baseball team". ESPN. Retrieved November 29, 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.
- ^ "2024 Oakland Ballers Roster".
External links[edit]