The independent league Oakland B's planned to take over the Oakland A's venue at the Coliseum for a night of nostalgia in late June — until the big league club blocked their agreement as exclusive rights holder to the building for professional baseball. Months ago, before the newly created Oakland Ballers were official and for the most part still just a big dream, co-founder Paul Freedman went back and forth by email some 70 times in an effort to secure one special game at one special venue where he and so many others hold treasured memories dating to their youths. Freedman said he and co-founder Bryan Carmel had a signed contract in place and a deposit paid through communication with ASM Global, which operates the building for the Coliseum Authority — an agency leasing the ballpark to the A's through this year.

OAKLAND, Calif. — (AP) — The minor league Oakland B's planned to take over the Oakland A's venue at the Coliseum for a night of nostalgia in late June — until the big league club blocked their agreement as exclusive rights holder to the building for professional baseball. Months ago, before the newly created Oakland Ballers were official and for the most part still just a big dream, co-founder Paul Freedman went back and forth by email some 70 times in an effort to secure one special game at one special venue where he and so many others hold treasured memories dating to their youths. Freedman said he and co-founder Bryan Carmel had a signed contract in place and deposit paid through communication with ASM Global, which operates the building for the Coliseum Authority — an agency leasing the ballpark to the A's through this year.

The minor league Oakland B's planned to take over the Oakland A's venue at the Coliseum for a night of nostalgia in late June — until the big league club blocked their agreement as exclusive rights holder to the building for professional baseball. Months ago, before the newly created Oakland Ballers were official and for the most part still just a big dream, co-founder Paul Freedman went back and forth by email some 70 times in an effort to secure one special game at one special venue where he and so many others hold treasured memories dating to their youths. Freedman said he and co-founder Bryan Carmel had a signed contract in place and deposit paid through communication with ASM Global, which operates the building for the Coliseum Authority — an agency leasing the ballpark to the A's through this year.