Semien, Ron Washington share tremendous bond

This story was excerpted from Kennedi Landry’s Rangers Beat e-newsletter. To learn the complete e-newsletter, click on right here. And subscribe to get it recurrently in your inbox.

ARLINGTON — When Marcus Semien signed with the Rangers, he knew he needed to speak to Ron Washington.

The previous Texas supervisor, now a third-base coach with the defending World Sequence champion Atlanta Braves, advised Semien that Dallas-Fort Price was a fantastic place to boost a household, but in addition stated it was the proper alternative for Semien to be a part of rebuilding a successful group.

To grasp Semien’s rise towards turning into considered one of Main League Baseball’s finest gamers, it comes again to Washington, who spent two seasons with Oakland as a coach between his time because the Rangers’ supervisor and Atlanta’s third-base coach. These two seasons might have been an important of Semien’s profession.

“Ron Washington is essentially the most influential baseball man in my life,” stated Semien, when he signed in December. “It was largely protection and defensive shifts. I feel the time limit I met Wash, I wasn’t in a reliable mindset defensively. Once I left that season and obtained into the subsequent season, I used to be nearer to the center infielder I’m as we speak. Very calm — and I nonetheless work on the issues that we did again in 2015.”

The 2 reunited and hung out speaking throughout batting apply at Globe Life Discipline through the Braves’ three-game set in opposition to the Rangers.

Washington advised MLB.com that teaching Semien was a blessing for him and it’s been superb to observe him develop as an individual and participant since their paths crossed in Oakland.

“For a man like Marcus Semien to say one thing like that about me exhibits how a lot he’s grown,” Washington stated. “He is a top quality particular person, a top quality household man, a top quality baseball participant and [a] high quality teammate. Any adjectives that you would be able to search for that may quantify anyone as being large, that’s Marcus Semien.”

Semien was a profession shortstop in Chicago and Oakland earlier than becoming a member of the Blue Jays on a one-year deal in 2021. He slid over to second base to make room for up-and-coming Toronto prospect Bo Bichette at shortstop.

Semien did not simply succeed within the place change, he received a Gold Glove Award at second base. Now, he’s staying on the precise facet of the diamond to be the Rangers’ second baseman for the foreseeable future. Alongside Corey Seager, who signed a 10-year deal to be the franchise shortstop, the 2 wish to rebuild a successful tradition with the Rangers.

Washington has seen this membership at its very best, main Texas to back-to-back American League pennants in 2010 and ’11. He stated his solely remorse was not successful a World Sequence with the Rangers. Washington lastly obtained his ring 10 years later with the Braves. Semien, signed to a seven-year, $175 million take care of the Rangers, is able to get his in Texas.

“It might take a bunch to [win a championship],” Washington stated. “Marcus Semien could be considered one of that group. That is why he got here right here. He needs to win. And I feel their imaginative and prescient over there may be to win additionally. They care. It is only a matter of everybody getting collectively and pulling on the identical rope and executing the sport of baseball. And if anybody can do these issues, I simply stated it could possibly be Marcus being himself and being a pacesetter. That is who he’s.”