With the Oakland A’s moving to Las Vegas, a new minor league team will take their place: the Oakland B’s.
Aside from taking on the city’s green and gold color scheme, the B’s, short for Ballers, aspire to be nothing like the A’s, and have pledged to stay in town. They are expected to begin playing in the Pioneer League in May 2024.
“Unlike the A’s, the B’s vows to never leave The Town,” the new team wrote in a statement. “The Oakland B’s will be for Oakland, by Oakland, and forever in Oakland. The Oakland B’s believe that sports teams should serve their communities—not the other way around.”
The Oakland A’s were unanimously approved to leave for Vegas by the owners of Major League Baseball on Nov. 16, and will likely make the move after their lease at Oakland Coliseum expires next year. The B’s hope to support their fans through this tough transition.
Co-founders Bryan Carmel and Paul Freedman have brought on former Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu to run the team. Wakamatsu has reportedly already signed nine players, and recruited Micah Franklin as manager and Ray King as pitching coach.
The B’s will be the eleventh active team in the Pioneer League, and the first hailing from the West Coast – with the League’s other teams based in Colorado, Idaho, Montana and Utah. Their home field will be Laney College Baseball Stadium, which is currently slated for a seating upgrade to hold over 3,000 fans.
The team has already raised $2 million in seed money from various investors, and is inviting more people to contribute through crowdfunding.
