Happy Opening Night A’s Fans!

We begin the 2011 A’s baseball season tonight with a home game against the Seattle Mariners. 7:05pm folks. OK, we’ve noticed that the trend is to say “Happy Opening Day.” But since we play a night game we’re going with the facts.

Looking around the Tickets Sales and Ticket Operations Departments we notice a lot of experienced faces… and graying hair (or receding hair!). A highly educated, work-a-holic bunch of people, our familiarity with each other shows how much we enjoy working in Major League Baseball. It prompted the question: What number A’s Home Opener is this?

The newest of the bunch are Lauren, Andrew, and Faizan, this being each their second Opening Night. Lauren and Andrew, both Ticket Services Representatives, are not short on experience. Lauren previously worked for the San Diego Padres and Andrew for the Philadelphia Eagles of the NFL. Faizan, a burnt orange Texas grad, is our Database Administrator and enjoys the temperate weather of a California Opening Night. John, a Ticket Services Rep, is celebrating the start of his fourth season, but just his third Opening Night. He joined the A’s in May of 2008. If you’re a brand new or long returning Season Ticket Holder there’s no doubt you’ve talked with or met all three of these terrific Ticket Services Reps.

Looking at nearly a half decade are Jason, Premium Seating Services Assistance, and Catherine, Ticket Services Manager, with this being their fourth Opening Night. Over the half decade hump with six Opening Nights are Moti, Premium Seating Services Manager, and Anuj, Ticket Operations Coordinator. Also at six Opening Nights today is Anthony, Box Office Supervisor, who is actually missing the action. We’re sure he’s got his hands full as Anthony’s wife gave birth to a baby girl earlier this week. We’ll give Anthony a pass this year.

The over-a-decade bunch (yikes!) is jam packed. Susie, Brian, David, and Travis are all enjoying their tenth Opening Night today. As Bill King would exclaim, “Holy Toledo!” Susie, Director of Premium Seating Services, met her husband, Matt, at the A’s who he himself is at number seventeen today. Brian, Director of Ticket Sales, made the move from Boston to the Bay Area just over ten years ago and is finally a full-fledged A’s fan. David, Ticket Operations Manager, is officially entering his eleventh season. Travis, Digital Ticketing Operations Manager, remembers that only a few years before he joined the A’s computers were just entering the workplace. How times have changed.

Josh, Director of Ticket Operations, is at Opening Night number eleven today. Straight from the mean dirt roads of farmland Ohio, Josh grew up an A’s fan watching Rickey, Hendu, Mac, and Stew as a kid. But Josh isn’t the department’s longest tenured Opening Night employee. That distinction belongs to Steve, Executive Director of Ticket Sales & Operations. Steve, celebrating his fourteenth Opening Night, predicts continued excellent service to all A’s fans and a winning 2011 season. We all do actually. Some of our best times have been crowded around a small radio in a Box Office listening to King call the “walk off bunt” and jumping up and down with fellow employees waving home Mark Kotsay in Minnesota. It’s the beginning of another baseball season tonight. Play Ball!