Bay Area

Oakland Baseball Native Returned to the Bay to Give Back to The Town

He was diagnosed with a form of heart arrhythmias, which led to his release from the A’s. Unfortunately, other teams could not be convinced to take a chance on him due to heart problems, so he spent no more than a season with any organization over the next five years. In 2021, now heartbroken over what had transpired throughout his career, he decided to retire from playing baseball. Despite being frustrated, he wanted to have fun during his last season. “As an athlete, you never want to feel like the game is kicking you out. You want to walk away on your own terms,” Harris said. “I wanted to be in a position where I can transition my life from being a player to other opportunities.”

Published

1 year ago

October 5, 2024

Magaly Muñoz

James Harris coaching on the field for the Oakland Ballers, a new Pioneer League team in the Bay Area. Harris also coaches youth baseball in order to prepare them for sports after high school. Photo courtesy of James Harris.

By Magaly Munoz

If anyone knows the struggles of breaking into minor league baseball, it’s James Harris.

Harris, an Oakland native, was drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2011, starting a tumultuous 10-year career of jumping from one team to the next, and he had health problems that would hinder his career progress.

After dedicating almost his entire life to playing baseball, Harris never imagined he would be released and signed to 11 different teams over a decade.

“The experience is humbling,” Harris explained.

“I think that for most people, [the emotions] goes both ways, where you probably start off a little bit of anger because you feel like you’re better than other guys that are staying. But then you have to humbly look in the mirror and say, ‘Well, what do I need to do differently if given the opportunity again?’” Harris said.

Midway through his career, Harris experienced episodes of passing out while on the field, leading to several weeks of testing with multiple cardiologists. This caused him to miss six weeks of the season.

In 2021, now heartbroken over what had transpired throughout his career, he decided to retire from playing baseball. Despite being frustrated, he wanted to have fun during his last season.

“As an athlete, you never want to feel like the game is kicking you out. You want to walk away on your own terms,” Harris said. “I wanted to be in a position where I can transition my life from being a player to other opportunities.”

And new opportunities were exactly what he found, and not too far away from the field he knew and loved.

Soon after leaving baseball, Harris began working with kids during his off time, coaching and training players of all ages. This evolved into coaching travel ball teams and eventually partnering with BJ Boyd, his former A’s teammate, to start their own training team called Backyard Boyz.

Boyd knew from the start that the partnership would be able to build something big to give back to the community.

Harris and Boyd understood how expensive and time consuming the sport was, on top of how confusing breaking into the big leagues would be for the young players who had the drive to move to the next level beyond high school. They provide kids with mentorship and opportunities to play in front of college scouts at little to no cost.

This is not about money or building themselves up at others’ expense, they want to see Oakland kids thriving with opportunities that are not easy to come by without families paying exorbitant fees.

The players love Harris, Boyd said, because he’s been in their shoes before, so he understands what it really takes to go to the next level. The kids look up to them because they dream of being where the two have already been.

“The motivation and the goal behind [Backyard Boyz] is to help be a platform and a resource for as many kids as possible. Everyone doesn’t have an advocate speaking on their behalf [like this resource],” Harris said.

Around the time of starting Backyard Boyz, Harris began working with a new pioneer league team, the Ballers, that came to Oakland during peak baseball desperation.

The A’s, Oakland’s major league baseball team since 1968, had just announced their plans to leave the city to find a new home in Las Vegas when the Ballers announced their plans to dig roots in the town. The B’s hoped to take away the doom and gloom that the A’s were leaving with fans and give locals something new to take pride in.

Oakland has gotten a reputation for losing professional sports teams. The longtime NFL team, Oakland Raiders, moved to Las Vegas in 2020, and the Golden State Warriors left their city arena empty to play across the bridge in San Francisco in 2019.

Harris first joined the growing B’s team as marketing and sales guy, promoting the team to locals and building up the hype the new team would bring. Midway through the teams first season, Harris was asked to step up as an assistant coach.

Because of his background in running baseball camps and playing in the minor league, the change of position seemed like a no-brainer to Ballers Manager Aaron Miles.

“[Harris] would hang around the batting cage and talk ball with the players. He was another knowledgeable baseball guy for players to lean on,” Miles said.

The Ballers finished their season by making it to the Pioneer League playoffs, but ultimately lost 6-4 to the Yolo High Wheelers in the first round.

Although the coaching is at different levels, Harris is honored to be a part of maintaining the legacy of Oakland sports at a time when fans are feeling discouraged. The Ballers and Backyard Boyz are allowing him to create impact in the lives of players who are at unique stages of their careers, whether that’s starting out in high school or trying to use the Pioneer League as a stepping stone into something bigger.

“It means a lot to me to be a part of [the Ballers] and to see how it’s directly impacted people. The amount of people I’ve met doing this, and working with the little leagues has been extremely humbling,” Harris said. “I think that this is going to be huge for the community.”

Magaly Muñoz

A graduate of Sacramento State University, Magaly Muñoz’s journalism experience includes working for the State Hornet, the university’s student-run newspaper and conducting research and producing projects for “All Things Considered” at National Public Radio. She also was a community reporter for El Timpano, serving Latino and Mayan communities, and contributed to the Sacramento Observer, the area’s African American newspaper.

Muñoz is one of 40 early career journalists who are part of the California Local News Fellowship program, a state-funded initiative designed to strengthen local news reporting in California, with a focus on underserved communities.

The fellowship program places journalism fellows throughout the state in two-year, full-time reporting positions.

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Magaly Muñoz

A graduate of Sacramento State University, Magaly Muñoz’s journalism experience includes working for the State Hornet, the university’s student-run newspaper and conducting research and producing projects for “All Things Considered” at National Public Radio. She also was a community reporter for El Timpano, serving Latino and Mayan communities, and contributed to the Sacramento Observer, the area’s African American newspaper. Muñoz is one of 40 early career journalists who are part of the California Local News Fellowship program, a state-funded initiative designed to strengthen local news reporting in California, with a focus on underserved communities. The fellowship program places journalism fellows throughout the state in two-year, full-time reporting positions.

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Activism

Chase Oakland Community Center Hosts Alley-Oop Accelerator Building Community and Opportunity for Bay Area Entrepreneurs

Over the past three years, the Alley-Oop Accelerator has helped more than 20 Bay Area businesses grow, connect, and gain meaningful exposure. The program combines hands-on training, mentorship, and community-building to help participants navigate the legal, financial, and marketing challenges of small business ownership.

Published

1 week ago

February 21, 2026

Oakland Post

Bay Area entrepreneurs attend the Alley-Oop Accelerator, a small business incubation program at Chase Oakland Community Center. Photo by Carla Thomas.

By Carla Thomas

The Golden State Warriors and Chase bank hosted the third annual Alley-Oop Accelerator this month, an empowering eight-week program designed to help Bay Area entrepreneurs bring their visions for business to life.

The initiative kicked off on Feb. 12 at Chase’s Oakland Community Center on Broadway Street, welcoming 15 small business owners who joined a growing network of local innovators working to strengthen the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

At its core, the accelerator is designed to create an ecosystem of collaboration, where local entrepreneurs can learn from one another while accessing the resources of a global financial institution.

“This is our third year in a row working with the Golden State Warriors on the Alley-Oop Accelerator,” said Jaime Garcia, executive director of Chase’s Coaching for Impact team for the West Division. “We’ve already had 20-plus businesses graduate from the program, and we have 15 enrolled this year. The biggest thing about the program is really the community that’s built amongst the business owners — plus the exposure they’re able to get through Chase and the Golden State Warriors.”

According to Garcia, several graduates have gone on to receive vendor contracts with the Warriors and have gained broader recognition through collaborations with JPMorgan Chase.

“A lot of what Chase is trying to do,” Garcia added, “is bring businesses together because what they’ve asked for is an ecosystem, a network where they can connect, grow, and thrive organically.”

This year’s Alley-Oop Accelerator reflects that vision through its comprehensive curriculum and emphasis on practical learning. Participants explore the full spectrum of business essentials including financial management, marketing strategy, and legal compliance, while also preparing for real-world experiences such as pop-up market events.

Each entrepreneur benefits from one-on-one mentoring sessions through Chase’s Coaching for Impact program, which provides complimentary, personalized business consulting.

Garcia described the impact this hands-on approach has had on local small business owners. He recalled one candlemaker, who, after participating in the program, was invited to provide candles as gifts at Chase events.

“We were able to help give that business exposure,” he explained. “But then our team also worked with them on how to access capital to buy inventory and manage operations once those orders started coming in. It’s about preparation. When a hiccup happens, are you ready to handle it?”

The Coaching for Impact initiative, which launched in 2020 in just four cities, has since expanded to 46 nationwide.

“Every business is different,” Garcia said. “That’s why personal coaching matters so much. It’s life-changing.”

Participants in the 2026 program will each receive a $2,500 stipend, funding that Garcia said can make an outsized difference. “It’s amazing what some people can do with just $2,500,” he noted. “It sounds small, but it goes a long way when you have a plan for how to use it.”

For Chase and the Warriors, the Alley-Oop Accelerator represents more than an educational initiative, it’s a pathway to empowerment and economic inclusion. The program continues to foster lasting relationships among the entrepreneurs who, as Garcia put it, “build each other up” through shared growth and opportunity.

“Starting a business is never easy, but with the right support, it becomes possible, and even exhilarating,” said Oscar Lopez, the senior business consultant for Chase in Oakland.

Oakland Post

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Oakland Post: Week of February 18 – 24, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – February 18 – 24, 2026

Published

1 week ago

February 20, 2026

Oakland Post

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Bay Area

CITY OF SAN LEANDRO STATE OF CALIFORNIA PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT ENGINEERING DIVISION NOTICE TO BIDDERS FOR ANNUAL STREET OVERLAY/REHABILITATION 2019-21 – PHASE III

WORK DESCRIPTION: The work to be done consists of roadway paving, base cement stabilization, concrete curb ramps, driveways, sidewalks, curbs and gutters, traffic detection loops and pavement striping, and doing all appurtenant work in place and ready for use, all as shown on the plans and described in the specifications with the title indicated in Paragraph 1 above, and on file in the office of the City Engineer. Reference to said plans and specifications is hereby made for further particulars.

Published

1 week ago

February 20, 2026

Oakland Post

PROJECT NO. 2020.0050

BID NO. 25-26.011

BID OPENING: The bidder shall complete the “Proposal to the City of San Leandro” form contained in the Contract Book. The proposal shall be submitted in its entirety. Incomplete proposals will be considered non-responsive. Sealed bids containing the completed Proposal Section subject to the conditions named herein and in the specifications for ANNUAL STREET OVERLAY/REHABILITATION 2019-21 – PHASE III/PROJECT NO. 2020.0050 addressed to the City of San Leandro will be received at City Hall, 835 East 14^th Street, 2^nd Floor San Leandro at the office of the City Clerk up to 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 19, 2026, at which time they will be publicly opened and read.
WORK DESCRIPTION: The work to be done consists of roadway paving, base cement stabilization, concrete curb ramps, driveways, sidewalks, curbs and gutters, traffic detection loops and pavement striping, and doing all appurtenant work in place and ready for use, all as shown on the plans and described in the specifications with the title indicated in Paragraph 1 above, and on file in the office of the City Engineer. Reference to said plans and specifications is hereby made for further particulars.
OBTAINING THE PROJECT PLANS AND CONTRACT BOOK: The project plans and Contract Book may be obtained free of charge from the City’s website at:https://www.sanleandro.org/Bids.aspx Bidders who download the plans are encouraged to contact the City of San Leandro Public Works Department Engineering division at 510-577-3428 to be placed on the project planholder’s list to receive courtesy notifications of addenda and other project information. Project addenda, if any, will be posted on the website. A bidder who fails to address all project addenda in its proposal may be deemed non-responsive.Bidders may also purchase the Project Plans and Contract Book from East Bay Blueprint & Supply Co., at 1745 14^th Street, Oakland, CA 94606; Phone Number: (510) 261-2990 or email: ebbp@eastbayblueprint.com.
PRE-BID CONFERENCE: A mandatory pre-bid conference will be held on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, at 2:00 PM and on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, at 10:00 AM as follows:
Tuesday, February 24, 2026, at 2:00 PM
Zoom Meeting ID: 883 8752 6074
Passcode: 502955
Zoom Link: https://sanleandro-org.zoom.us/j/88387526074?pwd=hZ5rjB8AWdLAUem3CtByFiZxqKarHj.1
And
Wednesday, February 25, 2026, at 10:00 AM
Zoom Meeting ID: 898 2672 0472
Passcode: 091848
Zoom Link: https://sanleandro-org.zoom.us/j/89826720472?pwd=JgZX2nXMpLSRM5xDPr7EJUxl7QIznr.1The information presented at the conferences will be identical, all bidders must attend one of the pre-bid conference and sign the attendance sheet. A firm that didn’t attend the pre-bid conference isn’t qualified to bid on the project.Questions regarding the plans and specifications may be submitted in writing to the project engineer until 5:00 p.m. five (5) days before, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays, bids must be received by the City. The City will not respond to oral questions outside of the pre-bid conference. The response, if any, will be by written addendum only. Oral responses do not constitute a revision to these plans or specifications.
VALUE OF WORK: The Engineer has estimated that the value of work is between $1,000,000 and $5,000,000.
SAN LEANDRO BUSINESS PREFERENCE AND PARTICIPATION GOALS: The work performed under this contract is subject to Section 1-6-225 of the San Leandro Municipal Code regarding local business preference and participation. A list of companies that hold a San Leandro business license is located on the City webpage under the finance department, here: https://www.sanleandro.org/340/Business-License
SAN LEANDRO COMMUNITY WORKFORCE AGREEMENT: The work performed under this contract is subject to the Community Workforce Agreement adopted by City Council Resolution 2015-104. Contractors attention is directed to Section 10.