(KRON) -- Despite the departure of the Oakland A’s to Las Vegas, the City of Oakland will have a new professional baseball team. The Oakland Ballers is launching in the Spring of 2024, the team announced Tuesday.
According to the Ballers, community leaders and a group of A’s fans are joining forces to “steal back Oakland’s baseball legacy.”
“I strongly believe that the real value of a sports team is in its relationship to the community it serves. Baseball is a sport with deep roots in this country and a rich legacy in the East Bay,” said Paul Freedman, co-founder of the Oakland Ballers. “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 B’s, we are going to bring joy back to the game and give Oaklanders something to be proud of.”
The Oakland B’s will join the Pioneer Baseball League (PBL). The Ballers will be the PBL’s first West Coast franchise with teams in Colorado, Montana, Idaho, Utah, and now, California.
The PBL is an independent MLB Partner League with a 12-team league playing a 96-game season from May to mid-September.
“Sports are about community in Oakland. We ride to the ends of the earth for our teams. That’s why I’m excited to celebrate the launch of the Oakland Ballers. Oakland baseball fans proved again and again their love for the game. The Ballers will be ambassadors for the Town and demonstrate our spirit, hustle, and resilience to the world. Let’s play ball, Oakland!” said Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao.
The Oakland Ballers say the organization has worked to secure future championships by hiring a strong coaching and operations staff, including former professional baseball players Don Wakamatsu, Micah Franklin, and Ray King.
According to the Oakland Ballers, the organization has secured $2 million in seed funding from almost 50 investors with ties to Oakland and the broader East Bay. Inspired by the success of the Oakland Roots, fans will have the opportunity to become part owners of the team through a public crowdfunding campaign to be launched in 2024.