Two Oakland Ballers fans looking for a spot on team's Board of Directors
OAKLAND — Two people who love Oakland and Oakland sports are vying for a seat on the board of directors for The Towns only remaining baseball team.
The Oakland Ballers are adding another member to their Board of Directors and this time it will be a fan.
The Ballers invited all 2,000 of their fans who invested in the team to apply, and about 75 people took them up on the offer.
Team staff whittled it down to 11 applicants, the fan investors voted and now only two remain, Jorge Leon and Jade Le.
Leon's world revolves around sports. In his free time, he gives back, coaching high school soccer. His other passion is Oakland baseball.
He founded the fan group 'Oakland 68's', but little did he know that passion could lead him straight to the front office.
"I think it's pretty exciting, it's pretty unique. And it's so Oakland because Oakland doesn't cater to billionaires," said Leon. "We do what we want and create changes."
Leon said he identifies with the Oakland Ballers' mission.
"I believe in the team's community-minded way of doing things," he said.
If elected, he wants to implement quarterly town hall meetings with the owners to inspire community engagement.
"The fan voice, they're deep in the trenches, they know what's going on," said Leon. "They know what they need."
Leon's challenger is Jade Le, she's also rooted in Oakland.
Le gives back as a community organizer and small business owner. Her company is called Lemonade51o. It is a sticker, clothing and embroidery company.
The Bay Area is part of her identity and so is baseball. She's a recreational softball player and, like Leon, she grew up going to A's Games at the Oakland Coliseum.
"With this whole grieving process over these last couple of years, emotionally with baseball, it's really exciting that the Ballers are really grounding themselves in Oakland and making sure that fans are at the forefront," said Le.
She said she knew immediately she wanted to apply for the position.
"When the opportunity came up to be in a leadership position, to be in community, I was like I want to do that," Le told KPIX.
Le is humbled by the support she's received to make it to the top two.
She's excited for the town hall. It will be held on Dec. 3, at 6 p.m. at 1255 7th St. in Oakland. All are invited, but only the fan investors will be allowed to vote.
Le is excited to meet other fans and learn more about what they want to see from the team, but she already has some ideas about what she wants to focus on.
"Increasing community engagement, identifying stadium improvements and enhancing the overall experience for everybody," said Le.
Ballers co-founder Paul Freedman feels the team is in good hands no matter the outcome.
"It's going to be really tough because they're two remarkable candidates who both have tremendous experience that would be relevant to the ballers," said Le.
The Oakland Ballers have been as good as their word, giving the power back to the people and letting the fans decide team leadership.
