Oakland Ballers Plans for Raimondi Park Move Forward

Jason Burke | Apr 17, 2024

Sep 24, 2023; Oakland, California, USA; A general view of third base at Oakland-Alameda County / Robert Edwards-USA TODAY Sports

The Oakland Ballers of the Pioneer League are set to play their home games at Raimondi Park for their inaugural season, which begins next month. On Tuesday, the Oakland City Council unanimously passed the first reading of an ordinance that will allow the team to implement their $1.6 million dollar plan to reactivate the city’s historic Raimondi Park.

Following formal approval from Oakland’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission (PRAC) in January 2024, the Oakland Ballers secured permission to host their 48 home games at Raimondi Park, commencing with the inaugural home game on June 4, 2024

Following yesterday’s passage of the first reading of the ordinance, the final reading and vote by the City Council will occur on April 30, 2024, providing the team with one month to complete the remaining work required on the field. 

Some have been curious what is in store for the park if the team gets all of their approvals. "If on April 30, City Council votes to accept our $1.6 million plan to reactivate the park we will share our full vision. For now, we've been working to add in a new scoreboard, seats, grass, paint and doing basic electric and irrigation repairs and more" said Ballers cofounder Paul Freedman.

There will be 4,000 seats available each game, and the plan is to assess demand for tickets following the 2024 campaign to determine whether or not more seats will be needed in 2025 and beyond.

Limited tickets are still available for the home opener on June 4. If you're interested in attending, you can purchase those here. Both single game and 12-pack packages are currently available. The season begins on May 21 when the Ballers take on the Glacier Range Riders, followed by a series against the Rocky Mountain Vibes. Both series run from Tuesday through Sunday, like they do in the minor leagues.