OAK to the KBO

Nine Ballers past and present join a Coast super squad as first American team playing in the Korean Fall League

by Joe Horton

Oh, the places you’ll go.

A superteam comprised of players from the Long Beach Coast, Yuba-Sutter Freebirds (RIP), and nine Oakland Ballers past and present will compete under the Coast’s banner in the Korean Baseball Organization’s Fall League starting next week. Don Wakamatsu, the B’s Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and the Senior VP of Baseball Operations for Innovation Baseball Partners, will come out of dugout retirement to skipper the squad.

Ren Abe-Arias, Tremayne Cobb, Logan Johnstone, Esai Santos, and Jeter Ybarra from this season’s team and B’s pitching alums Adam Bogosian, James Colyer, Conner Richardson, and Luke Short will play at least 11 games in Ulsan, South Korea, from October 15–31. They will be part of the first American team to play in the Korean fall league. 

In the IBP press release announcing the SuperCoast team, Wakamatsu talked about the two-week development league as a chance to provide younger players with unique international playing experience. “I didn’t expect to return to the dugout, but this group and historic opportunity made it worth it,” said Wakamatsu. “For young players, a trip like this is bigger than baseball. It’s a chance to compete, to grow, and to see the game through a different lens. Korea has such a deep baseball culture, and I’m proud our players will get to experience that together.”

I chatted with Ballers VP of Communications and Fan Entertainment Casey Pratt about the trip. It’s one that’s been in the works for a while and represents another big step forward in a series of groundbreaking games for the B’s—being the first indy ball team to play against an affiliated club in the Battle of the Bay 2.0 against the San Jose Giants, organizing an exhibition game at San Quentin, and now flying across the world to share diamonds with teams from Korea, Japan, Australia, and China. Questions abound, but first, the guy at the helm: why Wakamatsu?

“I think when you look at someone of the stature of Don Wakamatsu, the first ever Asian American manager in the history of Major League Baseball, a guy that's won a World Series, such a respected and historic figure in the game, if he's willing to manage the team, you jump at the opportunity. And I just think this was something that excited him,” Pratt said. “He's obviously very close with with all the players, with the Ballers and the IBP teams…I can't wait to see him get back in as a manager.”

And why now? The press release points out the immediate benefits for the new Irvine Pioneer League expansion team: The opportunity comes as Innovation Baseball Partners launches its newest club in Orange County. Headquartered in Irvine, the new team will draw inspiration from both the Korean Baseball Organization and Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball league to help shape a fan experience that is dynamic, distinctive, and deeply rooted in the culture of the game.

Added Pratt, “I know that for Irvine it’s something that’s very important to them based on the demographics of their town and their market. And I think they want to make that team feel a lot more like a KBO or a Japanese baseball league team. They want the atmosphere you get at those games—the fan chants, and the music and the food, and all the cool things that take place culturally in that part of baseball, which I think we could all learn a lot from, frankly.”

And it’s great for the Coast too, as the primary team whose name will adorn all the players’ jerseys. But what about our B’s? What’s the benefit on the home front?

“Everything we do is in service of the players, and I think that's one of the major advantages of coming to play for the Oakland Ballers—whether you are looking to get signed by an affiliate ball team, which we've had a really successful run at, including a historic year where we sent five players to affiliate teams, or just looking for an opportunity to further your life and career,” Pratt said.
“Last year, I heard that some of our players wanted to be firefighters. I brought the chief of the Oakland Fire Department to talk to them in the clubhouse. We're always looking for ways to enrich our players’ lives on and off the field. 
And this is one example—if you play for our team, these are the types of opportunities you're going to have…These are the types of opportunities that aren't afforded to all players at this level. And with our connections and our expertise, these are the types of things that you can do.”

And why these particular players? “I think that when the roster was constructed, we were looking for a way to supplement the Coast. You know, it's their arrangement. We're kind of just taking part as part of Innovation Baseball Partners, and we were thinking, which players could we send that would be the best players and get the most out of the experience?”

Because ultimately, Pratt said, it’s more than just the games. “I think this trip is just so much bigger than baseball. It's going to be an experience for these guys to really see a different culture, learn about it, play against KBO minor league teams and see how they stack up. And it is the first time ever an American team has played in this KBO Fall League.”

So what are the players themselves expecting?

“Definitely excited to explore the culture and everything over there,” Tremayne Cobb wrote to Dispatches. “Always cool to go to a new place and view their customs, the food, the people, and see how different it is than the States.”

“Looking forward to everything really,” wrote Esai Santos. “It’s honestly my first trip outside of the country besides a day trip to Vancouver.”

And what about wearing a Long Beach jersey?

“The LBC aspect will be interesting, we will see.” With a little nudge, Santos added, “Welllll, I would much rather be wearing my Ballers jersey.”

James Colyer rejoins his former teammates after a successful season in the American Association with the Winnipeg Goldeyes. “Super excited to try all the food out there and just the overall tourist experience!” he wrote. The big question, however, is if he’s found a good translation for his famous B’s nickname, the Big Dipper? Not yet. “No Korean in my vocabulary brotha.”

None in this editor’s either, so I went hat in hand to the internet. Korean speakers, help us out!

폴더 투수 — The Folding Pitcher (Is that remotely right?)

And on the Tre front, Pratt said that the trip is a sign of how well Cobb has rehabbed from his injury suffered in Long Beach in July. “Yeah, he's back up and running. 
I've been keeping up on him on social media in particular, where his rehab is insanely impressive. He's out there setting personal records on all kinds of lifts,” Pratt said. “So, yeah, he's ready. He's cleared, he's good to go. I can't wait to see what he does in that league.”

For fans wanting to keep up with the fall league action, Pratt said there will be a few options. The KBO YouTube channel has streamed select games in years past, the team is partnering with a content creator in Korea, and Pratt has also asked some of the players to send back some accounts of their adventures. “I'm gonna ask them to shoot a lot of videos of their day-to-day excursions and send them back to me so I can put them on social media,” said Pratt. “So there will be a lot of content coming out of the trip.” And maybe some content in particular: “You know, when I heard about this trip, the one thing I wanted was to see our guys go and try a bunch of skin products. That's a big thing out there.”

You can find the schedule and whole All-Star roster here.

Joe Horton is the editor of Dispatches from Raimondi.