Oakland Ballers Giving Fans a Seat at the Table

Jason Burke | Jul 11, 2024

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Baseball and Oakland just go together. Only, certain people don't see it that way and are in the process of attempting to remove the team that many in the East Bay grew up rooting for in the Oakland A's. Fortunately, with the announcement of the A's proposed departure for Las Vegas, an idea was born. That idea was to keep baseball in Oakland with the Ballers, part of the Pioneer League.

In their first season of existence, the Ballers sit at 25-19 with the end of the first half of the schedule looming on Sunday. The club is two games out of second place, and if they close that gap, they'd earn a postseason berth two months into their existence.

Going to a Ballers game is reminiscent of attending an A's game over of the years. The fans are passionate, the vibes are good, and everyone is there to watch some baseball.

The co-founders of the Ballers also have a vision for this franchise that goes beyond postseason berths and championship trophies. This team was born out of broken hearts with the community losing their beloved A's, so Bryan Carmel and Paul Freedman are doing everything they can to make sure that the fans have a voice with how their team is run.

As of right now, the Ballers are unveiling a community investment round where anyone will be allowed to sign up and express their interest to invest in the team. The ownership structure offered by Ballers will go further than any other sports ownership model in history and repair the social contract between teams and their fans.

The vision is to provide fan owners a bundle of rights that includes items such as checks and balances around moving the team, changing team logos or brand marks, and making some key front office hiring positions. Fans will be given a seat at the table.

The Ballers believe that it's the fans who create value of a sports team, and this is their way to give the fans an opportunity to have their voices be heard in a real way.

"Oakland is just the latest example of a systemic problem with how pro sports teams are run in the United States. Over the past 80 years, more than 30 teams have moved, leaving fans heartbroken and powerless. Team owners often hold fans hostage, demanding public money for new stadiums, and if they don't get it, they move the team to a different city that's willing to pay up. Even if you're not an Oakland sports fan, you get our frustration because we've all seen something we love taken away for someone else's gain. The Ballers believe there’s a better way and that Oakland's the perfect place to make it happen. That’s why we’re excited to unveil a new sports ownership model, one that we hope will signal a positive change in how things are done" said Bryan Carmel, co-founder of the Ballers.

Paul Freedman, also a co-founder, added, "A team’s fans are an instrumental part of the team’s value. That’s why fans should be treated accordingly with a real say in team management, not just hollow words. Aligned with Oakland’s history of activism, we are excited about a team for the people, by the people - a team that accrues value for fans and owners alike, because the fans are the owners."

For those that are interested in becoming a part of this process, or learning more, you can visit invest.oaklandballers.com.

This team is trying stuff that nobody else has in the past, and it's because we've seen too many franchises around the country just pick up and leave, regardless of the loyalty of the fans. The Ballers are trying to make sure that sports fandom is a two-way street from here on out.

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