The Oakland Ballers have announced Too $hort and Billie Joe Armstrong(Green Day), will be joining the Oakland Ballers ownership group. In July 2024, the Ballers launched a community investment round that was oversubscribed with over 2,200 fans investing $1.234m, reaching the goal in just nine days. The Ballers are now opening a new community investment round that aims to raise $2m.
The Ballers, a second-year professional baseball franchise that plays in the independent Pioneer League, hosts their home games at West Oakland’s Raimondi Park. Last year, over the course of 48 home games, the team attracted more than 92,000 fans.
“Oakland has produced some of the best athletes and sports fans in the world and The Ballers commitment to feeding that competitive fire is exciting for me as an Oakland native. I’m proud to be joining the Ballers ownership group, and excited for the impact we’re going to have on the community and the overall sports landscape in the Bay Area and beyond!” says the Bay Area legend, Too $hort.
Oakland’s history of community resilience inspires the Ballers’ vision to build a team, and sustain it by revolutionizing the connection between teams and communities. The Ballers aspire to lead a new era of sports ownership that prioritizes fans and recognizes their essential value to a team. Last year, we became the first sports franchise in the world to add a fan to the board of directors. Now major players in the Oakland community are joining the cause.
“Sports in the Bay Area have been transforming over the last couple of years. We’ve had some emotional goodbyes to teams we grew up with, but recently there has been a major shift. The Oakland Ballers and the Oakland Roots & Soul represent everything I love and grew up on in the Bay Area. The welcoming atmosphere, DIY attitude and the people behind it make me proud to be an investor and support the next generation of teams kids in the bay will be proud of,” said Green Day Frontman Billie Joe Armstrong.
The Teams announcement continued: “The B’s first community investment round was in high demand, and many fans missed the chance to become owners of the Ballers. This inspired us to reinforce our commitment by launching a new community investment campaign designed to transform the sports ownership model, giving fans a genuine voice and stake in the team.”
In addition to the economic rights that go with an investment in the Ballers, the B’s ownership structure goes beyond any previous sports ownership models, offering fans an unprecedented bundle of rights that includes checks and balances on key team decisions that include where the team is based, changes to the logos and brandmarks, and even some front office hiring decisions.
“We’re delighted that Too $hort and Billie Joe Armstrong will be joining our ownership group, along with thousands of Oakland fan owners. These two local legends were real supporters in our first season, and it’s great to now have them on board in a more formal capacity,” said Paul Freedman, Oakland Ballers co-founder.
The Ballers believe that a new model for a more authentic partnership between fans and teams with guardrails is critical, and that Oakland, a city with a rich legacy of fighting to make the world a better place, is the perfect community to help it materialize.
