Oakland Ballers promote World Series winner Aaron Miles to interim manager

OAKLAND -- The Oakland Ballers independent professional baseball team is changing managers before the end of its inaugural season, the team announced Sunday.

The Ballers, who play in the independent Pioneer League, announced that San Francisco native and former Major League Baseball outfielder Micah Franklin has been relieved of his duties as manager. Aaron Miles, an Antioch native and 2006 World Series winner with the St. Louis Cardinals, was appointed as interim manager after previously serving as the team's third base coach.

The Ballers played home games at Raimondi Park in West Oakland starting this year and have sought to establish themselves as a pro baseball replacement for the Oakland Athletics, the Major League Baseball team that is leaving Oakland for Sacramento starting next year with plans to eventually move to Las Vegas.

The B's (the alternative to the A's) did not release a reason for moving on from Franklin as manager. The team was 29-25 as of Sunday, tied for the fourth-best record among the 12 teams in the Pioneer League.

More information about the Ballers can be found on the team's website at https://oaklandballers.com