Lou Helmig carries a deep family history with every swing, and every catch, with every sprint around the basepaths.

The lure of the Ballers is not a billion-dollar stadium or millionaire players, but rather the opportunity for fans to embrace a team Oakland can call its own.

While the baseball world is taking a breather on Wednesday after a fun-filled Home Run Derby and All Star Game (that turned into a home run derby), the best team in unaffiliated baseball, the Oakland ...