About Our Writers
Editor: Joe Horton is a fan owner of the Ballers, season ticket holder, writer and teacher. His work has appeared with TIME Magazine, Ploughshares, the PBS NewsHour, LA Weekly, and elsewhere.
Get involved and reach out: joe@dispatchesfromraimondi.com
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Writers
Anthony Brooks is a lifelong baseball fan who enjoys attending games with his son. He is founder of Brooks Creative Photography where he focuses on high school sports photography and fine art photography. He resides in the East Bay and is a Ballers fan owner. You can find him on Instagram.
Nick Clementi is an Oakland native and lifelong Oakland baseball fan. He enjoys long walks on the beach and summer nights at Raimondi Park. He’s a Scrappy enthusiast who doesn't believe in sacrifice bunts. Sports content moderator by day, Ballers beat writer by night. Find him on Instagram and Twitter.
Chris Drue is an East Bay native who has loved baseball since visiting the Coliseum with his dad as a kid. His favorite combo at Raimondi Park is a Fieldwork Day Money and a veggie dog (in a helmet!). His favorite pitch is the eephus, with a Barry Zito 12-6 curveball (circa 2002) a very close second. Find him on Instagram.
Paul Freedman is the co-founder of the Oakland Ballers.
Alec MacDonald is an Oakland resident who has coached, coordinated, and umpired youth baseball in the East Bay. Contact him at hapakine@yahoo.com
Melody Martins has lived in the East Bay for the majority of her life and grew up a proud Oakland sports fan; Raiders, A's and Warriors. She is very active with her local Little League and believes that youth recreational sports are the heart of every community. You can reach her at melody.c.martins@gmail.com.
Dawn Pieper is an Oakland resident, B’s superfan, and leading Ballunteer. She works with animal rescues including Full Circle Cats.
Kyle Robinson is a transplanted Texan with a lifelong passion for the game of baseball. Residing in Oakland with his wife Randi, their daughter India, and a menagerie of pets, when he’s not slyly convincing his wife to name their pets after legendary baseball broadcasters (thank you, Milo Hamilton Robinson) he is probably balancing parenthood with trying to cram in as much baseball as possible. Whether it’s keeping the dream alive as a weekend warrior behind the dish, or on the sideline as a coach, volunteering, rest assured he has baseball on the brain. Find him on Instagram: @krob452
Chris Rodriguez documents baseball through reporting, access, and visual storytelling rooted in the player, development, coaching, and front-office decision-making. This feature runs in collaboration with Dispatches From Raimondi and 9inningnomad. Find him on Instagram.
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.
Melissa Singh is the creator and host of Keya’s Room that is now Keya’s Locker Room podcast, launched in 2019, with experience in television, nonprofit media, and sports broadcasting. She previously served as a project manager for Small Stages Unplugged, works with the Oakland Ballers, and earned an AA in Digital Media. Find her on Instagram at Keyaslockeroom
Terence Tee is a former athlete turned sports photographer. Profession: Professional button pusher & dial spinner. Academic Achievements: One time in 3rd grade he got perfect attendance & they gave him a gold star sticker with a ribbon that said "Rockstar." Accolades: 3× Champion of The SmokeEaters “Hellfire” Wings Challenge. Find him @MaximumEffortPhotos
Natalie Villanueva is a writer, a journalist and a student at UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. A reporter for Oakland North, she finds herself actively engaging with the community of Oakland and Richmond. She's covered stories ranging from Oakland Ballers' fans rallying for a historic win to capturing culture, sports and education within the Bay Area. She's self-published 5 young adult novels and is a proud daughter of first generation Mexican immigrants, raised in the Central Valley. Find her on Nataliereports.org
