Oakland Ballers to hold local tryout in April
The Oakland Ballers are set to begin their inaugural season in just a couple of months, and they have been busy filling the roster in recent weeks. They've also been teasing a local tryout, which now officially has a date.
On April 6, the Ballers coaches will be holding a tryout for interested players at Laney College from 10-3. The sign-up sheet says that you should bring the proper attire and equipment for the showcase, and that batting practice, a fielding evaluation, 60-yard dash, and live bullpens will take place.
There is a $161 fee to sign up for the event, which is to help pay for the expenses of putting on the tryout. The events in Florida and Arizona are a bit more costly, so the Ballers are trying to make entry as fair as possible for the local contenders. It's also used a little as a buffer to weed out the people that aren't serious about the process and just want to say they tried out for the team.
In the press release that was sent out, EVP of Baseball Operations Don Wakamatsu said, "We are excited to announce the Oakland Ballers Spring 2024 Open Tryouts. Our Open Tryouts will be an annual tradition to reflect our commitment to developing homegrown talent while showing the world what it means to be ‘built by Oakland.’ Our coaching staff and front office brings with it the experience of 3 World Series Rings, 6 Gold Glove wins, and 5 former Major League Baseball players. We’re here to cultivate excellence for Oakland and hope to see local players join us at Laney College on April 6th for their chance to rep Oakland with pride."
We had a chance to speak with Wakamatsu this afternoon in a little more detail about what the team is looking for and the process of building up the roster from scratch. A transcript of that interview will be up tomorrow!
For now, you can sign up to try out for the Oakland Ballers here. If watching the game is more your speed, then they also have tickets packages available here.