Semien tallies 1,500th career hit with his journey in mind

OAKLAND -- It was only right that Marcus Semien would lead off a game with a hit during the last series at the Coliseum.

Semien singled as part of a three-run first inning on Wednesday night, as the Rangers defeated the A’s, 5-1, to even the series -- the final games at the Coliseum. It marked the 1,500th hit of Semien’s career, 758 of which came during his six seasons in Oakland. Semien is just the 25th active player to reach 1,500 hits.

"It's a pretty surreal thing for someone to tell you that these are the last baseball games here,” Semien said prior to the series. “I still don't believe it. I think there will be baseball here at some point again. I'll definitely feel it once I see the fans out there. [It] should be packed from what they're saying, so it'd be fun to have that energy in this building. … It's just a place where I feel very comfortable playing baseball. This may be the last three games, but I'm just looking forward to this.”

The Bay Area native and University of California Berkeley alum, Semien has the most career games played (409) at the Oakland Coliseum among active MLB players (next is Mark Canha, with 327).

Entering play Wednesday, Semien also had the most hits (402), doubles (78), triples (12), and runs (236). He is one of just six players in Coliseum history with at least 400 hits, 235 runs, 75 doubles, and 35 stolen bases, joining Rickey Henderson, Reggie Jackson, Carney Lansford, Jose Canseco and Bert Campaneris.

"You figure I was probably up there after six years of playing pretty much every day,” Semien said. “I think that's always been my goal, to play and be out there every day. I was given the opportunity by [A's senior advisor and former general manager] Billy Beane and [former manager Bob Melvin] to continue to grow. It wasn't always pretty, but they let me work through my struggles, and I stayed healthy for the most part, too."

The Rangers' personal iron man has been that way since his days in Oakland as well. He played 155 or more games in every full season except 2017, when he was sidelined due to a wrist injury. He was a mainstay in the A’s lineup, just as he has been in Texas.

"I can imagine how Marcus feels playing here. He spent a lot of time here -- growing up here, too,” said manager Bruce Bochy. “I know it's probably a lot going through his head. He spent time here, grew up here, and now he’s going to wrap up baseball here at the Coliseum. I'm sure it's still a little stunning for him … But you know what? We're gonna take it and enjoy it and play some good baseball.”

With both of his parents being from San Francisco, Semien grew up a Giants fan -- but as an East Bay product, he frequented the Coliseum growing up. He would take BART with his friends, they would debate Barry Bonds vs. Jason Giambi while attending Giants vs. A’s games. He watched his fair share of baseball in Oakland.

He came to appreciate the A’s and their fan base years later, when Oakland acquired him in a trade with the White Sox on Dec. 9, 2014. Just 24 at the time of the trade, Semien struggled early in his A’s tenure before becoming the player he is today, finishing third in AL MVP voting in 2019.

His six years in the East Bay is still the longest he’s spent with any franchise as he completes his third with Texas. Despite the age of the Coliseum, it still holds a special place in his heart.

"When I grew up around here, I didn't think [about the facilities],” Semien said. “I just thought, ‘Wow, this Major League stadium that I get to watch big league players play at.’ Then once I got here, it was an opportunity for me to play every day. So I never thought anything about the facilities. I didn't have that opportunity in Chicago. I had it here, and I just tried to take that and run with it. I never, never really complained about anything because I had a starting job in the Major Leagues."