Just six months after their arrival, the Oakland Ballers – the city’s new minor league team – played their first home game.
Tuesday night, Oakland’s newest professional team made its home debut in front of a sold out crowd. The B’s are playing their inaugural season in the independent Pioneer League at Raimondi Park, in West Oakland.
Players from the team greeted attendees at the gates ahead of the first pitch. There was excitement from all corners of the ballpark as the B’s took on the Yolo High Wheelers, who play in Davis.
Just outside of the stadium, over the left field wall, local firefighters sat on top of their firetruck to take in the game.
The B’s have made a point to establish themselves as rooted in the Oakland community.
In getting the field ready for the home opener, the team relied heavily on community support. Over the weekend, around 60 volunteers, including members of the local group, “Friends of Raimondi Park,” helped put the finishing touches on the stadium.
Attendance last night was announced at 4,100, exceeding the park’s capacity by about a hundred fans. By comparison, the A’s have averaged 6,100 fans this year, about 10 percent of the capacity at the Coliseum.
As the A’s departure looms, the B’s have declared that they are here to keep professional baseball in Oakland. There will be 47 more chances to catch a B’s home game this season.
