Coliseum employees who became familiar faces brace for what's next as A's move to Sacramento

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.

''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.''

''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.

''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."

''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.''

''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.''