Game 64 Recap: Blazing Opener
Blazers take game one against RedPocket 7-2 on Grateful Dead Night
By Roberto Santiago
WEST OAKSTERDAM—7 runs. Multiply that by 420 and you get very close to last night’s attendance at Raimondi where the crowd of 3,012 were treated to new uniforms and a Blazers win. Who are the Blazers? They’re the same Oakland Ballers you know and love rebranded by way of an April Fools’ joke come to life. The original idea came form former B’s catcher Tyler Lozano on an episode of B’s Cast back in 2025. What was a one-off joke took its first step to reality when Ballers co-founder Paul Freedman asked Vice President of Communications and Fan Entertainment Casey Pratt for an April Fools’ post idea. “I hate April Fools,” recalled Pratt, “I texted him back, What if we soft launched the Blazers as an April Fools’ joke, and enough people like it, we'll be forced to do it. And he's like, Hell yeah, fire it. So I made the post and it just went so viral that the people basically like made us create the Oaksterdam Blazers.”
The people Pratt refers to put time and money behind their internet comments in a way rarely seen IRL. The line to get into the game was full of folks wearing their pre-ordered Blazers jerseys and caps. Many of them picked up their Dead Night pins and got right back in line for the merch booth. Bo Blanchard was kitted up in Blazers gear but was hoping to get a Grateful Dead Night tie-dye shirt as well. “I was hoping to get the Dead shirt. But they ran out of my size. So I went ahead and got them for my folks who are coming.” Like many fans, Bo pre-ordered the Blazers jersey and cap because, “It supports the Ballers, you know? And it was a cool April Fools’ joke that turned into something.”
The promotion brought out several fans for the first time, or the first time this season. Joey Piese was there with his parents for his first game of the year. The Oakland Roots employee said his mom, Tammy, was the one who ordered their merch, which his father Rick confirmed, “When the whole 420 thing came out, she was on top of all this stuff.”
“Yeah,” Tammy chimed in, “I think it's brilliant, actually.”
For Rick, “It makes sense. I mean, come on, if we're going to legalize it in California, and we're going to have Oaksterdam, boom, it's here. It's a no-brainer. The way they did this, brilliant, just brilliant. And I really hope it, like, sparks a spark in people.”
The kits certainly sparked a spark in noted B’s graphic design collaborator, Guy Sliwinski. “They pop. I feel like the jerseys and the hats look even better in person than they did online.” And he would know. In addition, Sliwinski noted, “There's a few factors that made me want to embrace the Blazers. Part of it's the culture that it's representing with Oakland and the cannabis culture. You know, if you remember, a lot of it started here.”
Cliff, Chris and Larry, a trio of friends in their mid-70s, were in attendance for Cliff’s 77th birthday. Coming for Dead Night was second nature for them. “I’ve seen the Dead more than any other band,” said Chris. “Who are they?” asked Larry. I offered that they were a band from the 60s. “Well, you know what they say,” Larry replied, “if you lived in the '70s, you don't remember.” (It’s true, I don’t remember much of the 70s, but I was three years old when they ended.) On the Blazers promotion, Larry offered, “I think it's hysterical—a family event, and promoting getting stoned. I think it's a great idea.”
Along with the celebration of the culture, there was also a baseball game. One of Oakland’s leaders on the mound Charlie Hurley (2-5, don’t let the record fool you) turned in a second straight strong performance allowing just 3 hits and 1 run while striking out 7 batters over 6 innings. As usual, Hurley threw a lot of pitches that ended up being ground ball outs. “We got a really good defense here. And when they're involved, usually good things are happening.” He also threw 58 of his 90 pitches for strikes. “Coming out, I was just trying to establish the breaking stuff early. I got a good curveball. I'd say personally, it's probably my best pitch. So just being able to have other teams understand I'm not afraid to throw that thing. I throw it first pitches of the game. I don't care.”
Hurley is the last man standing from the Opening Day rotation, with Nick Bautista, Gabe Tanner, C.J. Blowers and Aiden Risse all moving on. How’s it feel to be the vet in the room? “I definitely miss my friends,” Hurley said, “[but] I love the team we have now.” Hurley was followed by yet another new face in Julio Rosario, signed on July 26th, who allowed one run in a remarkably consistent streak of allowing a single run in each of his three appearances for the Ballers/Blazers this season. Tyler Bates and Langston Burkett closed the door to seal the win.
The Blazers jumped in front of visiting (always visiting) Red Pocket 1-0 in the first thanks to heads-up baserunning from Esai Santos. Santos scored a version of a “Rickey Run” by hitting a single to lead off the game, advancing to second on a wild pitch, moving to third on a sac fly, and coming home on a passed ball. Surprisingly-successful-sometimes-relief pitcher Noah Blythe, starting in his regular right field, added a home run in the fourth to make it 2-0. After the Mobiles cut the lead to 2-1 in the sixth, Red Pocket right fielder Braylon Bishop made a highlight-reel catch to rob Jaden Collura of extra bases. But Bishop could only pray as Jeter Ybarra hit his league leading 26th home run two batters later. After Rosario walked in a run in the seventh, the lead looked tenuous until Mitchell Sanford hit a three-run jack, his first B’s homer, to right center to put the game out of reach. “Big spot there,” said Sanford, “Insurance runs are always good going into the last inning. Pitcher made a mistake, gave me a fastball down the middle.”
Multiple fans told Dispatches they loved the themed uniforms and expressed hope the club would wear them again. Pratt but a bonnet on things saying, “We found out that we could get the jerseys in time for Grateful Dead Night, and it just seemed like the perfect fit to be the Blazers on Grateful Dead Night, and it all came together in this, like, perfect, harmonious blurring of Ballers and Blazers fandom.” Asked if this was his greatest marketing achievement, Pratt said, “I've done a lot of amazing things. You know, me and Paul also, anything in a helmet was pretty good. But a lot of that was just because the video was so stupid. But yeah, this is this is probably the pinnacle of Ballerdom or Blazerdom right here.”
Odds and Ends:
Shortstop Tremayne Cobb said he was feeling fine as he works his way back from a knee injury that had him on the IL last week. He did not play in the game.
Since Jeter Ybarra hit another homer, it’s time for another edition of Slamwiches or Slamdingers. “This one's a homemade sandwich this time by my dad,” said Ybarra. “It's gonna be two slices of sourdough, and the inside, it's a bacon, mac and cheese sandwich with bacon, obviously, but instead of regular mac and cheese, you go white cheddar shells. A little bit different than the normal one I said last time from The Melt, the Mac Daddy bacon, mac and cheese sandwich.”
So which one’s better?
“In terms of comparison, I might have to lean towards my dad a little bit just because it's homemade; it's a little better that way, and I can, you know, toss my own Cholula hot sauce on it, shout out Cholula, maybe sponsor me for that.”
Is your dad a good cook?
“You're gonna make me hype him up right in front of him right now? He's a good chef. I’ll give it to him. We don't do the sandwich a whole lot. It's usually whenever I ask for it specifically, so I might have to on this off day on Monday.”
[To Jamie, Jeter’s dad] Jeter was saying this kind of a special occasion sandwich. When would Jeter get this special sandwich? When would he deserve it? “Oh, I don’t know that he ever deserves that. But because I love him, like my other children, when they ask for it, I make it, and I make sure that I make it as good as possible.”
Dads were a theme on the night as Dispatches writer Nick Clementi’s step-dad Bill was playing guitar in the Grateful Dead cover band, Dead Enough, in Scrappy Town all night. “I saw the Dead on Jerry's 31st birthday, August 1, 1973. Roosevelt Stadium in Jersey City. And 12 days later, I got on a plane and moved to California, 'cause the Dead played more often out here,” said Bill, sporting an Oaksterdam Blazers jersey. This was Dead Enough’s second year playing the annual Grateful Dead Night game. “This is one of our favorite gigs. Great crowd, a lot of fun.”
Today is Jerry Garcia’s birthday. Blaze on up in remembrance.
Photos from Darrell Lavin Photography.
Video recap from Ben Verhoek.
Roberto Santiago is a third generation Berkeley boy currently raising the fourth generation. Roberto’s writing has appeared in Latina, Parents, and various online outlets. A lifelong baseball fan, Roberto worked briefly with the Boston Red Sox and once hit an RBI single off Spaceman Lee on a 2-2 changeup. It was his only at bat ever in a real baseball game. Find him on Instagram.
