Way back in the single-digit 2000s, we launched www.projectfranchise.org, a landing page on which we explained our plan to buy a sports team and let the fans call the shots.
The very first fan decision we put to a vote was “What sport should we buy a team in?” and baseball dominated as 71% of the fans’ top choice.
After some failed attempts to buy a minor league baseball team in Texas and many twists and turns over many years, we found ourselves owning an arena football team that became the first fan-run squad.
We didn’t mean to ignore the fans’ first vote; we just couldn’t make it happen. So, we went from one football team to a full league with the launch of Fan Controlled Football in 2021, and then last year, we got into NASCAR with Fan Controlled Racing—which wasn’t even an option back in that original vote.
So, today, a decade and a half after the fans chose baseball, we are beyond stoked to announce that Fan Controlled Baseball is finally going to happen. And this isn’t just another crazy idea that will take years to make a reality.
We partnered with the Oakland Ballers of the Pioneer League to bring FCB to life for their fan appreciation game on August 31st, which will take place in just a few short weeks.
In that game, as the Ballers battle for a playoff spot, the fans will be in charge – from setting the starting lineup, managing the bullpen, deciding when we steal and pitch hit, to actually calling some of the key pitches live during the game.
And voting is already live—jump in the Control app right now to decide which new jersey design the Ballers will wear on game night.
We can’t find any record of the total from that first vote; all we’ve got is this old screenshot, but we are pretty sure about 25 people voted. Since then, we’ve received many millions of votes from fans for all sorts of things—from what beer we serve in the stadium to live play calls and challenges to drafting players like Johnny Manziel and Terell Owens.
We’ve always done our best to ensure that the fan’s voice is truly heard loud and clear, and it’s pretty awesome that we’re finally able to honor that very first vote.
So Let’s Play Ball!!!