Billie Joe Armstrong, Too Short Invest in Oakland Ballers Baseball

Last year, Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong posted an video from the Rogers Center in Toronto, showing the East Bay-raised rock star spray painting over the stadium’s Oakland A’s logo with an Oakland Ballers logo. The video, in a way, foreshadowed this week’s news.

The Oakland Ballers have announced that Armstrong, along with pioneering Oakland rapper and entrepreneur Too Short, are now investors in the Ballers. They join a long list of fans who also own a portion of the team.

The Ballers, a second-year professional baseball franchise that plays in the independent Pioneer League, hosts their home games at West Oakland’s Raimondi Park. Last year, over the course of 48 home games, the team attracted more than 92,000 fans.

Ahead of the inaugural season, the team’s founders, Bryan Carmel and Paul Freedman, opened the doors to potential investors. They hoped that local sports fans who’ve been dismayed by other franchises leaving Oakland would show up — and they did.

2,200 people raised over $1.2 million dollars in support of the team. The Ballers are back at it this year, looking to raise $2 million. With the social collateral that Armstrong and Too Short bring, the team is well on its way.

“We’re delighted that Too $hort and Billie Joe Armstrong will be joining our ownership group, along with thousands of Oakland fan owners,” said Ballers co-founder Paul Freedman in a statement. “These two local legends were real supporters in our first season, and it’s great to now have them on board in a more formal capacity.”

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Armstrong said that “after the A’s left, the town was heartbroken. The Ballers are going to bring good vibes back to Oakland and the broader East Bay.”

Too Short echoed his sentiments, telling the publication, “If I can’t brag on a big-league franchise I can brag on being a Baller.”

The Ballers other co-founder, Carmel, said, “This isn’t a case of celebrities coming in to save the day. It’s a local team, and Billie Joe and Too $hort are just some better-known locals.”

Armstrong himself showed up to a ballers game last year in West Oakland, the neighborhood that inspired the Green Day song “Welcome to Paradise.” He is also an investor in the soccer club the Oakland Roots.

The first game of the Oakland Ballers’ second season is scheduled for May 20.