Meet the Fan-ily: Jorge Leon

Oakland and Beyond

by Victor Fuentes

President of the Oakland 68’s and fan-elected Ballers board member Jorge Leon catches up with Dispatches to talk hot offseason topics: kids’ ball, board talk, and Fans Fest.

Lil’ Ballers

Leon participates with his son and daughter in the B’s “Lil Ballers” Youth Program. This is a free camp for kids ages 4-7 who are new to baseball or have some experience and want to keep their basic skills sharp in a low-pressure setting. The focus is on hand-eye coordination, gross motor skills, teamwork and sportsmanship, following instructions, and most importantly: having fun! Coaches include program lead and B’s assistant coach James Harris (with special friends and family guests), current and former Ballers players, and Camilo Riveros of Providence Athletic Club. The program is always held at Raimondi Park, with equipment provided—but feel free to bring your own. Parents can watch their future Ballers from the stands.

Leon says, “It’s a great program, free, and the kids love it.” He continues, “Having this type of program with professional baseball players, it’s pretty amazing. Especially with James Harris and the [younger Oakland Ballers players] teaching the kids to play the game of baseball.”

B’s Board

In matters more adult, Leon takes seriously his role in voicing fans’ interests in the B’s on the highest level.

 “I take huge responsibility with that and representing the fan base. Especially because I got voted in by the investors and fans. It’s been a fun ride the first year, last year. Now I’m going into my second year. This position is only a two-year term. It’s been a rollercoaster in a good way. Everything has its ups and down, and I knew what I was getting into. It’s been pretty cool to see that the Ballers are giving a platform like this, and that the fans have a voice with me on the board. I do see more than just the baseball part of it. I see the financial part of it, and I am privy to conversations that a lot of people aren’t.”

Leon elaborates on those meetings that most fans don’t see.

“The board meetings consist of conversations regarding the financials, brainstorming ideas on how to enhance the fan experience, how to grow the Pioneer League and the Oakland Ballers brands, and how to manage the expectations for the upcoming season.  The board Paul [Freedman], Brian [Carmel], Jesse [Eisenhardt], Jamie [Rosenberg], and myself are in the meetings. Being on the board is nothing exciting; it just consists of managing the agenda for each meeting and the ideas that are discussed. We follow on any action items.”

I ask Leon if he wants to remain on the board and run again? 

“That’s a great question, I was thinking about that the other night. I wonder if I can run again and get voted on for a second term?”

If so, I ask again if it was a one-and-done term for him. He’s not sure, at least for now.

Fans Fest

Along with the Oakland 68’s, Leon is also preparing for the fourth annual all-fan-created Fans Fest, which this year will take place in Fruitvale Village.

When asked about how the event originated, Leon explains, “This fan fest came to be due to the A’s not wanting to continue these festivals, so we took it upon ourselves to create our own. Now it’s grown. The first one was very grassroots-organized with 700-1,000 people that attended. Now it’s grown to 12,000-14,000 people. We hope this will bring out a lot of people to the Fruitvale Village on Sunday, March 8th.”

I ask the 68’s president why it’s important to have an event like this.

“This is important to showcase that fan culture in Oakland that exists and will continues to exist, regardless of the other teams’ departures. We are still here, we continue to be here. We need to celebrate our diverse culture and diverse community of Oakland that has built so many winners and athletes. It has changed the game of baseball and football. We want to celebrate all that.” 

Who is invited? “All Oakland sports fans, East Bay fans, Bay Area fans, whatever-sports-team-you-like fans. Everyone is welcome. You don’t even have to be a sports fan. Come out for the good vibes and food.”

Next Season

What are the goals for the 2026 season of the Oakland Ballers?

Leon says, “The goals and hopes for this next upcoming season are to replicate what we did last year: win a championship. Back-to-back champions. Build on that excitement. Grow the fan base and the brand of the Ballers. Expand from the Oakland and East Bay area. Bring in new ideas to enhance the game day experience. Work with local pubs to create watch parties all over Oakland and beyond.”

Fans Fest is free and open to all. It runs 11-4pm in Fruitvale Village on Sunday, March 8. Check out the lineup here.