The A’s season may be long over, but the baseball field still beckons Marcus Semien.
Maybe it’s because he’s still in play in the ongoing MLB awards season. Maybe it’s because this particular field is where it all began.
The infield dirt at Central Park in El Cerrito crackles beneath his feet. His father, Damien, and 3-year-old son, Isaiah, are chowing sandwiches on the green benches behind him while he shows a curious reporter where his hunt for an American League MVP award all started.
Semien turns toward shallow right field and points.
“As a 9-year-old, we weren’t as good, I remember losing a game and throwing my hat out of frustration.