With a rally and parade, fans show their love for the champion Ballers: ‘You can feel the spirit of Oakland’
on October 6, 2025
First came a rally at Oakland City Hall, then a victory parade at Raimondi Park, as hundreds of fans honored the Oakland Ballers on Sunday for becoming Pioneer Baseball League champs last month and giving the city its first baseball championship in 36 years.
Resurrecting a cheer used for decades at the Coliseum, fans outside City Hall chanted “Let’s go Oakland,” in appreciation of the Ballers’ 8-1 win against the Idaho Falls Chukars on Sept. 21. A sellout crowd of 4,100 saw the team clinch the fifth game of the series after coming within a game of elimination.
Oakland last celebrated a baseball championship in 1989, when the A’s won the World Series. The A’s left Oakland a year ago, and are playing games in West Sacramento as they wait for a new stadium to be built in Las Vegas. While baseball fans had grieved the A’s departure, many people felt a renewed sense of pride on Sunday.
“It’s almost like the Grinch came and took away all our presents and the village,” said Steelee Faltis, an Oakland resident and graphic designer. “The town is resilient. It just finds its way.”
His optimism was echoed by Mayor Barbara Lee, who proclaimed Oct. 5 Oakland Ballers Championship Day and gave the team a key to the city.
“The Oakland Ballers won this championship and proved something that we’ve all known — that Oakland doesn’t quit,” Lee said.
Jared Morgan, 56 of Oakland, attended the rally in a black sweater with the Ballers logo. He held a green sign that read, “Built by Oakland.”
“This is our team,” he said, “It brings the community together. If you look around, we’re all together as fans, we have something in common — we love the Ballers.”
“I came out here to support the Ballers because they are a grown, rooted, built team for Oakland,” said his brother-in-law James Blaylock. “After the Athletics left, this was something that was being built by Oakland.”
The Ballers started in 2024 and quickly won the hearts of Oaklanders, who packed the games in the inaugural season. This season, more than 110,000 fans saw the Ballers play, giving the team the fourth highest attendance out of the 11 Pioneer League teams.
“It’s absolutely incredible. For them to be in their second season here in Oakland and to win so quickly like that. To see a championship here in Oakland, it’s amazing,” said Harrison Willis, who attended the rally at City Hall.
After the rally came to a close, more than 200 fans honored the Ballers with a parade at their home field, Raimondi Park. Once the site of a homeless encampment, the park has been revitalized into a place for community members to gather and reclaim Oakalnd’s spirit.
Fans waved their arms to the beat of the music at the parade, which included a stream of low riders, cheerleaders, city vehicles and a firetruck. When the yellow bus carrying the players came into view the crowd erupted in cheers and applause. With “Blow the Whistle” by Too $hort and “Yay Area” by E-40 blaring from the vehicle’s speakers, people couldn’t help but dance.
Players left the vehicle to sign a few baseballs and posters, taking pictures with fans as the parade continued on its route.
“I wasn’t a really big baseball fan before the Ballers got here but now, since they’re here, I’m kind of immersed in it,” said Michael Vaughn, 60, of Oakland. “Being outside you can feel the spirit of Oakland. It brings the spark into the city.”
Swaying from side to side and high-fiving low rider drivers in the parade, Yaya Abdl said, “Oakland has lost a lot of teams but it’s really the fans that make up a team; it’s the support, energy, and it’s the culture. I think the Ballers represent that resistance. The people come together and they empower the community. Oakland historically has represented that energy.”
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