The Curious Case of the Oakland Ballers
3,056
Published 2024-05-30
Indy Ball Nation Instagram: www.instagram.com/indyballnation/
What does success look like for The Oakland Ballers and The Pioneer League as these two very different entities come together to attempt to make independent baseball work in Northern California? It’s an interesting question that hasn’t been answered clearly.
We should also not forget the Yolo High Wheelers out in Davis, who has an integral role in all this as well. What happens here? This does kind of have the trappings of a rebound relationship—something where the idea is better than the reality that unfolds.
However, I am no expert on Independent baseball. That is why I enlisted the help of Indy Ball Nation to add some much-needed perspective on what will happen with the Ballers and the Pioneer League. I highly recommend checking out his YouTube channel for all things Independent baseball in America. You can also visit his website alpbroundup.com. Links will also be in the video description, but he’s truly the Independent voice of independent baseball.
We couldn’t make out schedules, but he’s spoken with many in-the-know folks and shared a ton of notes. So, with that in mind, let’s try to figure out how this all plays out between the Ballers and the Pioneer League.
I want the Oakland Ballers and Yolo High Wheelers to succeed. I want the Pioneer League to succeed. There are a lot of good, hard-working people committed to making things work. In the case of the Ballers, you look at the coaching staff, the players, the volunteers, those who have supported the club since first launching and see a lot of people committed to making this a success. And I have a great deal of respect for those folks.
However, the team’s co-founders, Paul Freedman and Bryan Carmel, are perhaps less than forthright about their true intentions. The entire announcement of the team and the timing felt opportunistic, bordering almost on predatory as far as A’s fans' feelings at the time.
To that extent, the truncated timeline to get the franchise up and running is a point of concern. According to Indy Ball Nation, most teams need a year to set up. The Ballers have tried to cram everything into a six-month window. It’s certainly less than ideal.
About The Touchback
#takeitouttothe25
The Touchback is the world’s best sports and culture website…or something like that. You’ll either really like it or really hate it. But it’s worth reading either way.
All Comments (13)
-
I hope the ballers can succeed but due diligence is needed when so called entrepreneurs come to Oakland. No more fishers please
-
I went to the open in Oakland…4100 in attendance! BTW the founders of the Ballers also started the Yolos to get baseball in Oakland. Raimondi Field is historic: Raimondi WW2 hero, Curt Flood HoF, Frank Robinson HoF all played there.
-
Huh. Interesting. You opened up a can so let's see how it goes, but, it had to be said. It's news to me about the documentary.
-
Yeah, this checks out. Opportunistic has always been my feeling about the Ballers.
-
This ballpark literally needs a green monster in LF asap
-
Wow!
-
Thanks for the warning, but I’ll invest emotionally non the less.
-
I don’t understand why doing a documentary means that the owners are shady? Lots of Jabs thrown out here without any evidence.
-
Source: ‘Trust me bro, I know a guy’
-
it they were only doing it for publicity for a show they would probably do something crazy and outside the box like putting a pitcher on the team with a 45.00 ERA just because the pitcher would be the first woman in Pioneer league history...... wait a minute.... I think you are onto something!!
-
Kant doez biness in dat state without kissang da rang a BIG LABOUR
-
This video should have been 1 minute. Sorry to say, but I honestly feel less smart and less informed after watching this. And I think Indy ball bro had his reasons for not joining this in person…other than calendars not syncing up.
