Who are the Oakland Ballers? Exploring identity of team set to provide new lease of life to locals after A's Vegas relocation

The Oakland Athletics may be officially leaving the city, but the Oakland Ballers are set to arrive and give the local fans something to cheer for. MLB owners voted to approve the A's pending move to Las Vegas, which means they're as good as gone. It can be tough to lose a sports team, and Oakland has now lost three of them. Fortunately, a new team has arisen to give them something to watch.

The Oakland Ballers are an independent baseball team that was started by fans in the area. A consortium of several local fans, led by a pair of high school friends, came together to kickstart the Ballers.

They are also known as the B's, a reference to the fact that the Athletics were commonly referred to as the A's. The team plans to play in the independent Pioneer League beginning this summer. Furthermore, they will wear the same green and gold color scheme that the Athletics rocked.

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Oakland Ballers set to join independent league this summer

Paul Freedman and Bryan Carmel, the team's co-founders, said via ESPN that they've hired former Seattle Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu to be the executive VP of the Oakland Ballers. Former outfielder Micah Franklin, who has been working in the minor leagues, will be the manager.

Freedman said:

"We just felt like our hearts had been ripped from our chests, like all East Bay sports fans. Oakland is a city that has seen the Raiders leave town, the Warriors move across town. There was a lot of chatter that maybe Oakland isn't a pro sports town. We reject that completely."

While the Pioneer League is not a minor league and the teams do not have official affiliation with major league teams, the league is one of four MLB partner leagues. These independent leagues work with the league and often serve as testing grounds for new ideas.

The Oakland fans get the Oakland Ballers now

Ultimately, this is about the Oakland fans who have now seen their beloved Athletics ripped away from them. The goal here is to provide fans with something to support and watch, and anything else that comes with it is a bonus.