A’s ‘groundsdog’ Reba stealing hearts of players, coaches originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
Before the Athletics take the field on game day at the Oakland Coliseum, there’s one very loyal employee making sure its conditions are up to par.
Reba, the A’s head groundsdog, can often be seen helping her owner and head groundskeeper Clay Wood drag the infield — when she’s not chasing birds on the outfield grass, of course.
And over the years, the helpful canine has stolen plenty of hearts while becoming a ballpark staple in Oakland.
“Ever since we brought her home, she’s been coming to the stadium, so she’s pretty well-versed around here,” Wood recently told NBC Sports California. “… Reba just took to the little infield three-wheel machine right away and just kind of jumped up into the little crate that’s on the back.
“So right from the beginning, she was just in it, part of the crew, really.”
Wood and Reba arrive at the Coliseum around 8:30 am on game days, he said. Reba likes to help Wood drag the infield dirt, then she roams around the field looking for friends.
“And then when people start showing up, she kind of starts jumping around, looking for the attention from different people and visiting players, our players, coaches, just kind of anybody that will give her the love,” Wood said.
“She really is almost like a therapy dog. Guys love spending time with her and just laying on the grass with her, throwing her the ball or whatever it is.”
Back when San Diego Padres manager Bob Melvin was coaching the A’s, he was “a big Reba fan,” Wood said. Melvin could be found tossing a water bottle with Reba out on the field on mornings after running the stadium stairs, setting aside 10 or 15 minutes a day to spend with the dog.
And it isn’t just those wearing the Green and Gold who grow fond of Reba. Seattle Mariners shortstop JP Crawford liked Reba so much in his visits to the Coliseum that he encouraged his team to get a clubhouse dog.
Last summer, the Mariners announced they had adopted Tucker, a 4-year-old retriever mix, as their new clubhouse dog.
“So the Mariners are big [Reba] fans,” Wood said.
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Having a dog around can be therapeutic, and Reba brings an intangible presence to the ballpark from which the A’s and visiting teams passing through are able to benefit.
“It’s definitely a noticeable difference when she’s not around,” Wood said. “Having her here just makes the day better, I think, for everybody.
“It’s the media, players, coaches, employees around here — I mean, everybody just loves having a dog around. There’s nothing that brightens a day like that.”