Miracle #2 for Q1 2024: Fan’s Fest

When Paul Freedman mentioned he was going to bring a baseball team to Oakland last summer, I wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. I thought it was more a fantasy than a vision.

I teased him a little bit last summer. By the fall, I started getting curious. The more questions I asked Paul, the more he drew me in. After attending the press release officially announcing the Oakland Ballers in January, I was hooked. I was astonished by the community he had rallied. There were characters I recognized from the A’s world and a bunch from MLB that I didn’t.

In February, four diehard Oakland baseball fans from Oakland 68’s organized a festival in Jack London Square called Fan’s Fest to celebrate baseball in Oakland. They put it together in hours outside of their day jobs.

I showed up at 9:30 am - before it started, just to take in the scene. I was spotted by Paul, who escorted me inside. I immediately signed a release form and then began speaking to a person with a cameraman. Minute one, it was on.

I proceeded to connect with everyone from the Ballers organization at the booth. I talked to two ex-MLB legends, completely oblivious to their legendary careers. I was aware they were large humans.

The lady in charge of ticketing.

The guy who runs the clubhouse, who has worked in pro baseball for 40 years. I learned a ton about what is happening behind the scenes as they barrel toward their first season, which begins in May. All they need is a full roster of players. And a stadium to play in. It’s all very deadline-driven.

The feeling was celebratory and electric at Fan’s Fest. 20,000 people showed up through out the day, and they were stoked to be together to celebrate Baseball.

They drunk all the beer. No one got in a fight. The consistent message everywhere was “Fuck John Fisher!” That guy has personally screwed two of my friends professionally, so I fully fucking approve of this message. John Fisher is a scum bag.

The Ballers were clearly the hit of the fest - the East Bay baseball community was hungry for it. I knew that Paul, Bryan, and their entire team were part of something really special. When I finally left at 5pm, I knew I had to get involved.

I’m 47 years old and have never been a fan of a sports team before. Now I love the Ballers! The best sports team ever! One day soon they will even play a game of baseball!