OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Sometimes, Leland Anderson steals a quick glance high into the stands above left field and finds his wife Sandy in section 237 for a wave and a smile.
It’s their way of checking in during shifts as Guest Services ushers at the Oakland Coliseum.
“She’s the hottest,” 79-year-old Leland said with a grin while working his usual sections of 122 and 123 for an Athletics game.
The Andersons have always loved baseball, so once their four sons had grown and retirement came along, the couple from California’s Central Valley soul-searched about what they would do next. And it just so happened the A's were hiring in 2013, the perfect time for them.
Like the Andersons, so many longtime Coliseum employees have built lasting memories at the ballpark, which is set to host a sellout crowd for the final scheduled A's game here on Thursday. The club has played in Oakland since 1968 and plans to call Sacramento home for at least the next three years before a scheduled move to Las Vegas ahead of the 2028 season. The NFL's Raiders left the Coliseum and relocated to Las Vegas in 2020.
In the third-base field box, 95-year-old Sam Moriana is one of those familiar faces fans recognize. He charms them with his quick wit and warm welcomes, then leads people to their seats.
He might even share what he calls “the keys to longevity” with a complete stranger.
“Olive oil, garlic, red wine, humor and classical music,” cracks Moriana, believed to be the oldest A’s employee — he even checked with human resources.
“I’m the oldest goat,” he said.
Visiting teams have also created relationships with these ushers, security personnel, concession workers and clubhouse attendants.
“You come here and you see the same people and it’s like family,” said Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr., who made his major league debut for the Mariners at the Coliseum on April 3, 1989, and recorded his first career hit here. “They watched me grow up, they watched my kids grow up, so it’s hard. Next year, there’s going to be all new faces and it’s not going to be the same. And it’s not going to be the same for the people of Oakland.”
Many of the employees are still working into their 70s, 80s and even 90s because they love being part of the games and cherish working at a place with such history, not only for the city of Oakland but in baseball. Many will now retire.
Others are starting to look for jobs elsewhere, such as 35-year-old Derrick Smith. He has been with the A's the past four years and will soon move cross-country to join the Heat and Marlins franchises in Miami for bittersweet “new beginnings.”
“Kind of sad to leave my friends and my family, but I'm so excited for a fresh new start,” he said.
Some workers remain uncertain about whether they might work games in Sacramento — if they’re even asked and considered. Employees say communication has been minimal.
The Andersons, who celebrated their 59th wedding anniversary on July 3, raised their boys in nearby Hayward and would regularly go to games.
Leland and Sandy come from Modesto, a couple of hours away, and stay with an A's colleague who welcomes them into her home when they work games.
“We have always loved baseball,” Sandy explained. “When we dated it was either a movie or baseball, and most of the time baseball won. The night we got engaged we went to a Giants game because the A’s were out of town. It’s just always been part of our makeup. He always played baseball, I always watched, and we’ve had four sons who all played baseball.
“So we were Little League parents forever. It’s in our DNA.”
People like the Andersons are the faces of the Coliseum.
“Some of it’s kind of sad for the people that are not going to be going, excited for the people that are,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said during Tampa Bay’s last visit in August. “It’s been a unique group here of employees. It does seem like the carryover they’ve been pretty consistent as an organization with who they employ. Hopefully, there’s strong consideration for opportunities for them moving forward. I hope some of them get a chance to do some games in Sacramento."
Clyde and Derek Williams, a father-son security team at the Coliseum, also work Golden State Warriors games at Chase Center in San Francisco, but losing the A’s will hurt.
Clyde Williams lives 44 miles north in Fairfield, practically halfway to Sacramento, so he could commute to California’s capital if he’s asked. He worked Bill Graham Presents “Day on the Green” concerts at the Coliseum beginning more than 25 years ago.
“Well, it’s been everything to me. I’ve been out here on the site for 25-27 years,” he said. “So my heart is saddened that they’ll be leaving but that’s part of the business, so therefore we have to go wherever the big guys say to go.”
He knows they all will deeply feel the absence of the Coliseum glory days.
A’s catcher Shea Langeliers has always enjoyed interacting with all of the familiar ballpark staples.
“The people that work here it feels like a family, we’re all close, all nice,” he said. “They take care of each other, they take care of us. It’s really pleasant to be here with these people. They do such a good job and they’re really fun to talk to and all around just good.”
Clyde Williams describes his most memorable moments as the ones “when fans come in and giving them a great experience.”
"It’s been a pleasure,” he said. “I love this job. I love this place.”
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB
Janie Mccauley, The Associated Press
