Ballers Bulletin December 2025
Published on December 18, 2025 under Pioneer League (PL)
Oakland Ballers News Release
As the year winds down and the days get a lot cooler, we find ourselves thinking about what made this season so special. It wasn't just the wins, the records we broke, or the championship moments. It was and will always be the people. The fans who came together for a shared purpose. The kids running the bases with wide eyes and big dreams after Sunday games. The feeling, night after night, that Oakland came together and built something real.
This season gave us memories we'll carry long after the calendar flips. 2025 was our year and as we get set to ring in the New Year, we wanted to find a way to honor not just a championship team, but a championship community.
The players won the games on the field, but Oakland fans were the secret to our success. Most teams say things like that, but we mean it and can prove it. We went down 0-2 on the road in the Pioneer Baseball League Championship and went 3-0 when we returned to Oakland. Why? We think it's pretty obvious. Oakland doesn't quit and we have the best fans in the world.
With that in mind, we designed a version of our championship ring that is affordable and available for $73.23, which mirrors our historic 73-23 regular season record. It is available for pre-order now and we can't wait to see everyone rocking their bling when we do our ring presentation ceremony at Raimondi Park.
The 2026 Schedule Has Arrived
Speaking of flipping the calendar to 2026, the Pioneer Baseball League schedule just dropped. Which means we can announce that Oakland Ballers Opening Day will be on Tuesday May 19th. We're starting the season with a 12-game homestand, so you'll get your B's fix early. We are hard at work on our promotional calendar, and we can't wait to share some of the amazing things we have planned to celebrate and commemorate our 2025 championship. And if you'd like to check out some games for a discount and get first crack at single-game tickets... See below.
The Digital Dozen
The Digital Dozen -- Twelve Oakland Ballers Flex Tickets. Download, print & fold holiday card at home. Offer ends Jan 2, 2026.
Holiday shipping deadlines creeping up on you? We've got you. Skip the lines, the tracking numbers, and the crossed fingers. This is the perfect holiday gift that shows up instantly and turns into months of joy at the ballpark. Introducing the Digital Dozen Flex 12-Pack. An easy, feel-good way to give someone unforgettable Ballers moments, sent instantly to your inbox so no one knows you forgot to do your holiday shopping.
The Digital Dozen includes:
A 12-Ticket Flex Pack valid for any 2026 regular-season home games
A print-and-fold gift card you can hand over, tuck into a stocking, or slide under the tree
No stress. No shipping. Just a season's worth of memories, wrapped and ready.
Pricing for the Digital Dozen:
Premium Reserved A: $500.65
Premium Reserved B/C (Including Prime): $446.72
Bleacher Reserved E/F: $311.90
General Admission: $231.01
Digital Dozen recipients also get early access to choose their specific games, like Opening Day, before tickets go on sale to the general public. We expect early access to open in March.
A Major Award
Careful, it's fra-gi-le (must be Italian)... As we just mentioned, we broke wins records, we won championships, we got a key to the city of Oakland from the Mayor, and this just in... The Oakland Ballers also took home the prestigious McCurdy Cup. The award, named after longtime PBL commissioner Jim McCurdy, was presented to the Ballers by PBL President Mike Shapiro.
The McCurdy Cup is awarded to the Pioneer League's best front office. We'll proudly display it in the window for the whole neighborhood to see. Happy Holiday Helpers
This holiday season, the Ballunteers are showing up for Oakland the same way Oakland shows up for us. And our fans are so giving that these events all reach capacity quickly.
On Friday, December 19th from 3pm-10pm we'll need Ballunteers to join us for OakLuv at Children's Fairyland. We'll be there to help setup and takedown the event. Who doesn't want to spend a little extra time in Fairyland ?
And on Saturday the 20th, our community of fans will lend a hand at Williams Chapel Baptist Church from 9am-12pm to help distribute toys, then come back out from 3pm-6pm with the Black Cultural Zone to serve meals, greet guests, and spread holiday cheer.
Wait lists are full for those events on the 20th, but we just added some January Ballunteer opportunities, too.
On MLK Day we'll be participating in Oakland's "Paint, Plant & Pickup With Your Pups" event, which takes place Monday, January 19th, 2026 at 9:00AM. You can sign up for that event here.
And demand was so high for our January 31st food sorting event at Alameda County Food Bank, that we added an afternoon session from 12:30pm to 3:30pm.
As a thank-you, all Ballunteers receive two free Ballers tickets (space is limited, so sign up soon).
Strikezone Stuffers
Welcome to the Ballers, New Starting Pitchers Ryan Rissas and Aidan Risse
The elves in the North Pole aren't the only ones tinkering. The Ballers have added two new starting pitchers to the rotation and both of them have Bay Area ties.
We signed Ryan Rissas, a lefty from San Ramon and traded for Aidan Risse, who previously pitched for the University of San Francisco Dons.
Rissas... Risse... They'll keep our broadcasters on their toes and hopefully the hitters off-balance, too. Ballers Manager Aaron Miles, Assistant GM Tyler Petersen, and VP of Communications & Fan Entertainment Casey Pratt broke it all down on B's Cast. (Don't forget to watch, like and subscribe.)
The Freedom Run
We're excited to partner with the Black Panther Party Alumni Legacy Network in announcing the first annual Freedom Run + Community Wellness Festival on February 28th. This 5K run/walk around West Oakland highlights historic Black Panther Party landmarks and is a symbolic run to represent the ongoing journey towards freedom, justice, and health equity. The race starts and ends at Raimondi Park where there will be a free Community Wellness Festival.
Join us to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Black Panther Party, on the last weekend of the 100th year of the Black History Month on Saturday, February 28, 2026 from 9AM to 10AM (the Run) and 10AM to 3PM (the Festival).
The Gift That Keeps On Giving
Having an opportunity to teach the youth of the Bay Area the fundamentals of teamwork and sportsmanship has been the gift that keeps on giving for us. Just look at those precious little faces ... Our next Lil' Ballers camp for kids aged 4 to 7 is taking place on January 10th. And while it is at capacity, we are just getting started.
We have several more camps planned in the near future, including a Nike Baseball Camp for kids aged 12-14.
Keep an eye out for those announcements soon. Top Of Our List
We made our list. We checked it twice. And at the top of that list was a satin team jacket. An iconic look that brings instant nostalgia for all Bay Area sports fans of a certain vintage. The past meets the present and makes a good present, too.
Introducing the new Oakland Ballers jacket from Oaklandish. It's already receiving a warm reception on social media. And it's selling quickly. At last check, there's less than 100 remaining.
And if you made it this far, we have a special treat for you. We recently caught up with Santa, the big man himself, and he informed us that the Ballers have officially made the 'Nice List' and he predicts a huge 2026 for the team. See for yourselves.
Happy Holidays,
Your Baller Family
Pioneer League Stories from December 18, 2025
- Ballers Bulletin December 2025 - Oakland Ballers
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
