Oakland Ballers Make Biggest Signing in Franchise History

Jason Burke | Jan 24, 2025

Oakland Ballers / Oakland Ballers

The Oakland Ballers have been announcing their roster for the 2025 season over the past two weeks, beginning by re-signing righty Connor Sullivan, catcher Tyler Lozano, and outfielder Tyler Best, but on Thursday they announced a new addition to the club--sort of.

Yesterday, the Ballers made it official. Casey Pratt is now a member of the team as the Vice President of Communications and Fan Entertainment. Pratt is a two-time Emmy-winning Sports Producer/Anchor/Reporter, and brings nearly two decades of Bay Area media experience and communications skills to the team.

As part of the announcement, the Ballers also posted this hilarious video on social media.

Last year @CaseyAPratt tried out for the team. He didn't make the cut. But after a LOOOONG wait, he's finally getting the call. Welcome to the Ballers, Casey! https://t.co/v6cS4R73FE pic.twitter.com/CQCJdft78y

— Oakland Ballers (@OaklandBallers) January 23, 2025

In the video there is a sequence at the 58 second mark in which he jumps at the wall for a ball and misses completely, which has to be the highlight of the whole video. A's on SI reached out to the latest addition to the Ballers, and he said that they filmed that scene a number of times so that they could get it just right. Both in the video and in the press release, the team has made clear that they do not plan to play Pratt in the field.

He also said that he left some easter eggs on social media to alert people to his new gig weeks ago that people didn't catch onto.

Casey Pratt

Casey Pratt

Charge your phone, / Casey Pratt

Pratt wasn't done dropping easter eggs, however. He also told A's on SI that he wore the same hoodie in the scene where he gets a call to join the Ballers (not as a player) as he wore in the team's announcement video from late 2023.

Casey Pratt

Casey Pratt

Easter eggs aside, this is a big deal for year two in Oakland Ballers history. He spent a brief period of time working in the Oakland Mayor's Office, serving two Mayors in his tenure, but the reason he transitioned from a career in sports media was to have a bigger impact in the community he enjoys. Joining the Ballers continues to fulfill that goal.

Pratt is also a huge fan of Oakland baseball and wants to see the Ballers have success.

"When Paul and Bryan asked if I wanted to be a Baller, we all let out a collective giggle,” Pratt said. “The truth is, it has always felt like I was a member of the B’s. From concept to execution, I always stayed in touch with the team.

"The B’s story is so fascinating and deeply important to the Oakland sports community. As a lifelong Oakland baseball fan myself, being a part of the growth and future success of baseball in The Town means everything to me.”

The Oakland Ballers season begins on May 20 at home against the Ogden Raptors. In fact, the Ballers will be home for the first two series of the season, so they will be at Raimondi Park from May 20-June 1, with Monday, May 26 as the only off-day.

The team is currently offering a "Ballers Love Bundle" for Valentine's Day, which includes two flex tickets, two special t-shirts, and two Valentine's Day cards. The first 50 people to buy the pack will also get a four-pack of Almanac Ballers Love Hazy IPA.

The Ballers will continue to announce roster additions in the coming weeks as they build up for the 2025 campaign. The initial group of announcements is expected to be the players that will be re-signing, followed by the new additions to the roster.

Maybe they'll sign Brodie Brazil next.