Oakland A’s Fans Find Hope in the Oakland Ballers
The relocation of sports teams can have a profound impact on the psyche of a town. For Oakland sports fans, this collective grief is all too familiar. Over the last five years, the Golden State Warriors and the NFL’s Raiders have already left the city, and now the beloved Oakland A’s are following suit. However, in the face of this heartbreak, a startup founder named Paul Freedman has found a way to bring hope back to the community.
Freedman, a serial entrepreneur with a passion for baseball, has taken a unique approach to address the void left by the departure of the A’s. Alongside his business partner, television producer Bryan Carmel, he founded an independent baseball team called the Oakland Ballers. While they may not have the resources to buy the A’s, they realized they could start their own team.
The Oakland Ballers made their debut in the Pioneer League, a professional baseball organization partnered with Major League Baseball. Unlike the minor leagues, the Ballers are not tied to any existing MLB teams. Freedman and Carmel have approached building the team much like they would a startup. They raised a $2 million seed round and built their ballpark from the ground up. By applying startup principles such as iteration and A/B testing, they aim to create a competitive advantage and provide a unique experience for fans.
However, the challenge lies in getting thousands of lifelong A’s fans to care about a minor league team that plays in a renovated Little League park. Freedman’s solution is to align his approach with his mission. Just as he advises startups to align their business incentives with their mission, he is focusing on centering the fans and ensuring their experience is at the forefront. By doing so, he believes they can create a team that fans will be proud to support.
The Oakland Ballers have already demonstrated their willingness to experiment and innovate. In the Pioneer League, when games end in a tie, instead of extra innings, there’s an impromptu Home Run Derby to decide the winner. This fan-friendly approach has garnered excitement and engagement from spectators. The Ballers have also partnered with Fan Controlled Sports, an app that allows fans to make real-time decisions about the game. This level of fan involvement would not be possible in the MLB but works well in the Pioneer League setting.
To further involve the fans, the Ballers opened up partial ownership of the franchise. In a fan-driven funding round, they raised over $1.235 million from about 2,200 people. This aligns the interests of the owners and the fans, as they all share the goal of bringing joy to fans and creating a great experience.
While the Ballers’ first season is not yet complete, they offer hope to forlorn A’s fans. By challenging the status quo and showing fans that they don’t have to rely solely on billionaire team owners, Freedman is making a statement. His focus on mission and community comes from spending most of his life in Oakland. He believes that the magic of sports lies in the way it brings diverse communities together.
In conclusion, the Oakland Ballers represent a glimmer of hope for Oakland A’s fans. By applying startup principles and a focus on community, Paul Freedman and Bryan Carmel have created a team that aims to provide a unique and engaging experience for fans. Their willingness to experiment, involve fans in decision-making, and align their mission with the interests of the community sets them apart from traditional sports teams. While they may not be able to replace the A’s, they are offering a new outlet for fans to rally behind and find joy in.
