In a bold move to fill the void left by departing major league franchises, entrepreneur Paul Freedman has launched the Oakland Ballers. After the Oakland A’s announced their relocation to Las Vegas—marking the third professional team to exit the city in five years—Freedman and business partner Bryan Carmel decided to fight back by launching their own independent baseball team in the Pioneer League.
From Startup Founder to Team Owner
Freedman, a veteran of several successful startup exits, is applying the principles of venture building to sports management. Rather than relying on traditional sports models, the Ballers operate with the agility of a lean startup. The team secured a $2 million seed round and utilized iterative development to build their ballpark from the ground up.
“We’ve approached this very much like a startup,” Freedman explained. “We are doing things like iteration and A/B testing. It’s a competitive advantage because we’re taking a very different approach to how you would build this thing typically in sports.”
Community as the Core Product
The Ballers are not attempting to replace the A’s, but rather to reclaim the community experience that professional sports provide. For Oakland fans, the loss of the Warriors, Raiders, and now the A’s has been described as a collective trauma. The “reverse boycott” protests, where thousands of fans filled the stadium to chant “sell the team,” highlighted the desperate need for a franchise that remains rooted in the city.
Freedman believes that sports are a vital “community layer.” By centering the fan experience, the Ballers aim to foster the same social cohesion that made Oakland a home for him over the last 30 years.
Radical Innovation in the Pioneer League
Because the Pioneer League is not tethered to rigid MLB structures, the Ballers are free to experiment with fan-centric innovations:
- Home Run Derby: Ties are settled with an impromptu Home Run Derby instead of extra innings, creating an electric atmosphere.
- Fan-Controlled Gameplay: A partnership with Fan Controlled Sports allows spectators to make real-time decisions, turning passive viewing into an interactive experience.
- Democratized Ownership: The team raised over $1.235 million from 2,200 fans, ensuring that the people who care most about the team have a stake in its success.
This “willingness to experiment” is the cornerstone of the Ballers’ strategy. By allowing fans to participate in management and decision-making, the team aligns its business incentives directly with its mission: delivering joy to the community.
As the A’s prepare to exit the Bay Area, the Ballers are proving that fans don’t have to be subject to the whims of billionaire owners. Through a blend of tech-forward thinking and local dedication, Freedman is demonstrating that while technology can improve the world, it often has much to learn from the resilience of a community like Oakland.