Oakland A’s Block Pioneer League Baseball Game at Coliseum
After months of planning and negotiations, the Oakland Ballers, a new Pioneer League baseball team, have been met with disappointment as their plans to host a game at the Oakland Coliseum were blocked by the Oakland A’s.
The game, which was scheduled for June 29, 2024, was intended to be a celebration of baseball in Oakland and a way to showcase the city as a vibrant baseball market. The Ballers had been working closely with A’s fan groups to build support for the game and had even planned to give tickets to local youth baseball organizations.
However, just days before the announcement of the game was set to go public, the Oakland A’s invoked their right as the current tenant of the Coliseum to block the game from taking place.
A’s team vice president of stadium operations, David Rinetti, cited their exclusive right to play professional baseball at the Coliseum as the reason for not consenting to the game. The A’s are currently in their final year of their lease agreement at the Coliseum and are expected to move to Las Vegas in the near future.
The Ballers’ founders, Paul Freedman and Bryan Carmel, expressed their surprise and disappointment at the A’s decision, stating that the game was meant to be a celebration of the fact that baseball is staying in Oakland. They had hoped that the community would be excited about the event and the opportunity for local kids to experience a professional baseball game.
Despite the setback, the Ballers are still assessing their options and are hoping to put on another community baseball celebration during their inaugural season. They will kick off their season on May 21 on the road and will play their first home game on June 4 at Laney College in Oakland.
In the meantime, the Ballers will have an opportunity to engage with the Oakland community at Fan’s Fest on Feb. 24. The event, organized by A’s fan-supporter groups the Oakland 68s and the Last Dive Bar, will feature appearances from former A’s players and serve as a celebration of Oakland baseball.
Overall, the Ballers remain committed to bringing baseball to Oakland and are determined to find alternative ways to engage and celebrate with the community.