Category: Baseball

OAKLAND, Calif. — Marcus Semien grew up in the Bay Area as a die-hard San Francisco Giants fan. Today, he is the starting shortstop for the Oakland A’s, and he couldn’t be any happier.

Semien grew up in El Cerrito, California, and attended high school in Berkeley. He played many sports throughout his childhood, but decided to focus on baseball in college, where he played at the University of California, Berkeley. He was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in 2013, but was never given a starting role with the team.

“Playing in Chicago, I wasn’t getting a lot of attention because I was just a rookie and I was playing behind [starting shortstop] Alexei Ramirez,” Semien said in a recent interview.

After the completion of the 2014 season, Semien was shipped to the Oakland A’s, who didn’t have an established shortstop. He took full advantage of this opportunity and won the starting job in the area that he grew up and watched games as a child.

Playing in the Bay Area has its perks and drawbacks, but Semien is just happy for the opportunity to play the game he loves.

“It’s been different. .. whenever you’re going through a lot of ups and downs, it’s hard times, it’s good to have the support there around you. I feel blessed to be in that situation.”

And

“Make sure you work hard … You don’t want to have any regrets,” Semien said, when asked about advice he would give to aspiring professional athletes. “Work hard, grind through the tough times because it’s always going to make you a better person, and in my case, a better player.”

While the A’s have played well below their expectations this year, Semien is quietly putting together a solid rookie season.

“It’s tough because during spring we played so well,” he said. “We expected big things.”

Semien understands that going into his second full season next year, expectations for himself are naturally going to increase.

“Right now, where I’m at, defensively, continuing to get better, making a routine play at shortstop or wherever position I’m at. At the plate, just being a more consistent hitter. … getting those RBIs, scoring runs and doing those things that help us win.”

OAKLAND, Calif. — What went through Oakland A’s shortstop Marcus Semien’s mind in the sixth inning against the Baltimore Orioles last Tuesday when he hit that home run?

“Before that at-bat they walked a guy to get to me… gave me a little bit of extra fire to do more,” Semien said in a recent pre-game interview with the staff of the Teen Observer at the Coliseum before an A’s- Astros game on Aug. 6.

“Every time I go up to the plate I want to do something to help the team win,” he said.

Billy Butler hitting a leadoff double and scoring off Jed Lawrie’s triple in addition to Eric Sogard being intentionally walked to first base motivated Semien to hit a home run to take the 5-0 lead against the Orioles.

Other thoughts from the 24-year-old, who reflected on growing up in the Bay Area:

On advice for young athletes, Semien said: “Make sure you work hard and whatever you’re working on and doing, make sure you give it everything you’ve got.Just work hard and grind through tough times because it’s always going to make you a better person, and in my case, a better player.”

When asked about his room for improvement, Semien mentioned getting better defensively; his error rate has been the subject of numerous stories. “The Oakland A’s have given me a great opportunity here. I’ve had some struggles and they’ve done what they can to work with me. … I’m starting to get comfortable here.”

On what it was like for him to play to for the Oakland Athletics after being a Giants fan during his childhood: Semien said: “Honestly, I’m happy wherever I’m at. I grew up going to a lot of Giants game. My grandmother took me to most of those games.”

Semien talked about facing the Houston Astros that night; the Astros had a 60-49 record leading up to Thursday’s game and were first in the AL Western Division. “We just want to make the adjustments we’ve got to make from the previous years against them. … And just focus on today. You can’t look back on yesterday…… set a focus on competing today,” he said.

The Oakland A’s lost 5-4 in the 10th inning to the Houston Astros that night.

OAKLAND, Calif.—Welcome to California, where people cheer louder when it rains than when Brett Lawrie hits a 447-foot bomb. An unimpressive season for the A’s thus far, sitting at the bottom of the AL table, things need to change. I sat down with Marcus Semien yesterday to talk to him about the tough season and what he has in store for the rest of the season and for the rest of his career. Despite the fact that the A’s are shot for a playoff spot, Semien, a Cal grad, mentioned that it was important for him and the team to continue to put in the effort throughout. That positive attitude shone through when he was talking about a three-run shot he hit against the Orioles on Tuesday, saying “Every time I go up to the plate, I want to do something to help the team win.”

Semien, who has now staked out his spot as a full-time big leaguer, is not only settling in to the Bay Area, where he grew up, but also is now settling in to his natural position at short. On the White Sox, where he played third and second because Alexei Ramirez had the starting job at short, he wasn’t comfortable. After moving to the A’s and settling in at short, he has come in to his element and seized what he called “a big opportunity” to stake out a starting role at short. Only a newly found big league talent, he was very clear in describing the difference of the atmosphere in the minors and the big leagues.

“It’s different” Semien said. “There’s nothing like it.”

Semien’s optimism and humility came through again when asked what part of his game he needed to focus on most by replying “I really look at every part of my game,” and that he is working to become  a more consistent player.

Semien, batting a meager .249 with 10 homers and 26 RBIs, has been picking up steam recently over the last six games, hitting a more impressive .277 with two dingers, including a three-run moon shot on a hanging curveball that brought the A’s to a 5-0 lead on Tuesday night.

Semien’s future looks promising, and if his recent performance is any indication of what is to come, then the A’s are lucky to have such a promising prospect rounding out the infield at short over the next couple years. Providing defensive prowess, occasional power at the plate, and a sense of optimism, Semien’s future with the A’s and the big leagues looks promising.