How to Start a Professional Sports Team, Win Games, and Save the Town
Paul once told me, “We want to approach this differently from the A’s. If we’re focusing on community interests, what can a group of hardworking people with networks and, in some cases, capital, do to create something that genuinely benefits the community?”
I was curious about what it really takes to start a professional sports team and whether it’s even possible. At first, I thought this curiosity came from too many hours playing “owner mode” on MVP Baseball 2005 or watching Moneyball one too many times in college. But I’ve since wondered if it’s something many of us think about—passing by an old stadium, glancing up at the owners’ box during a game, or sitting at a bar after a poor signing or a bad loss. You might briefly wonder what it would be like when a friend suggests over a pint, “What if we started our own team?”
Well, what if? What would it take? Is it possible? Paul and Bryan were about to find out.
Oakland has been a sports town almost as long as it’s been a town. Headlines like “Our Hopes and Prides Win the 1912 Pennant” celebrated the Oakland Oaks’ Pacific Coast League championship. Even decades later, the excitement was palpable, with fans packing the stands as early as 11 a.m. to watch the Oaks play.
Oakland has always dreamed of being more than a satellite of San Francisco, aiming to be its economic and cultural rival. Early sports teams like the Oaks, Commuters, and Larks embodied this ambition. Even as the city faced challenges like deindustrialization and lost its tax base, major league teams like the Raiders and A’s revitalized Oakland’s sports scene, creating vibrant community spaces and embodying the East Bay ethos.
Paul, who moved to Oakland in 1992, was deeply influenced by the city’s sports culture. He spent his summers watching A’s games and felt a strong connection to Oakland. Years later, when the A’s threatened to leave for Las Vegas, Paul was among those fighting to keep them. The 2023 “reverse boycott” showed that Oakland was still a passionate sports town deserving of teams that valued it.
Inspired by the potential loss of the A’s and driven by his love for the city and his late friend Bobby, Paul and Bryan decided to act. They named their new venture “Ballers” in honor of Bobby, who had been a huge fan of Oakland sports.
Starting a sports team, even at a minor league level, is no small feat. It required around $4 million to get the Ballers off the ground, including a $1.7 million expansion fee for the Pioneer League, stadium costs, salaries, marketing, and other expenses. Paul and Bryan invested their own funds and raised money from local investors, all while keeping their plans under wraps initially.
