Oakland Ballers Season 2

Paul Freedman’s ability to have vision and then demonstrate insane execution is a testament to what is possible. It was two years ago that he and Bryan Carmel began this journey. I watched in astonishment as they:

Manifested a baseball team
Found an independent baseball league and convinced them to let them join it
Built out a staff and an actual baseball team with real players
Built a stadium
Play a season

Now, with all that in place, I was excited to see what Oakland Ballers: Season Two would be about. The opening day game surprisingly hooked me, with a ninth-inning comeback tie that led to a home run Derby victory (there are no extra innings in this league). I ended up going to about 30 games this summer, and was there when they clawed their way back, one game at a time, to win the whole fucking league.

I hated sports growing up, particularly the Red Sox. I then had an athletic son who inadvertently taught me to love sports. Now I’m unrecognizable to little James. Life throws a lot of curveballs.

I hope the Oakland Ballers is what the new contract of professional sports in America should look like: authentically rooted in the local community, where players and fans actually intersect, and where the vibes are paramount.