What the B’s Mean to Me: Chad Aaron
The Southern California B’s stalwart talks B’s fandom in the heart of Long Beach country
by Chad Aaron
I am not sure what it was about the Ballers that initially clicked with me. By proxy of where I live and where I grew up, I should either be a Coast or a Freebirds fan, respectively. Growing up a Rivercats and A’s fan, though, I have always naturally gravitated toward Bay Area baseball. But with the whole Oakland to Vegas move and, honestly, the staleness of MLB baseball in general, I had found myself completely bored with the sport.
Enter the Oakland Ballers.
Right off the bat, there was something about the Ballers that felt so familiar and reminiscent of a feeling I had been missing since the A’s left Oakland. I swiftly found myself completely submerged in the team roster and the season's stats, brushing up on ERAs and batting averages—something I hadn’t cared about in years. I was excited about a team in a way that I hadn’t been in a long time. The Ballers gave me baseball back. Six days a week for the rest of the 96 games, I was completely locked in.
Something so great about the organization, beyond the team itself, is the fans. Such amazing, loyal fans.
It was the first game of the season that took place at Blair Field against the Coast. Joe Horton introduced himself and so kindly invited me to come join in on a group pic with all the Ballers fans, something I had never experienced in all my baseball years. That’s not happening in LA (or Long Beach). It instantly made me feel like part of a community, something I had been looking to find for a long time. From the stands to the livestream chat to the Ballers subreddit, all the fans are a huge part of the Ballers, and what makes them so special.
I had a hard time writing this. I wasn’t sure I had put the time in as a fan. I don’t have years' worth of stories; I stumbled upon the Ballers just this year. Then I thought about Noah Blythe, who was signed around the time I started following the Ballers. I thought about Conner Smith, David Thomas, Ren Abe-Arias, and all the additions to the lineup I saw week after week this season. It didn’t matter when they came along; they were all there to make the most out of a game they love. It validated me as a new fan. It reignited a love I have for a game that's so special to me. It made me REALLY excited for next season. GO BALLERS!
