‘This place is special for me’: Former A’s star laments Coliseum finale

OAKLAND — Texas Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien walked into the Oakland Coliseum on Tuesday and immediately the memories came searing through his body.
He no longer plays for the Oakland A’s, no longer lives in the Bay Area, but this is where his heart and soul will always reside.
This is home.
He was born and raised in the East Bay.
He went became an All-Star-caliber player with the A’s.
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He became a rich man after playing with the A’s.
And now, after coming to the Coliseum when he was just 5 years old, rooting for Jason Giambi, Miguel Tejada, Jermaine Dye and all of the great A’s stars, later playing for the A’s and now as a visiting player, it hit him Tuesday night.
This will be the last time in his life he’ll be playing baseball in the Coliseum, with the A’s playing their final game at the stadium on Thursday against the Rangers.
“I’m focused on us playing good baseball,’’ Semien says, “but it’s a pretty surreal thing for someone to tell you these are the last baseball games here. I still don’t believe it.
“I’m sure when the game’s over [Thursday], and take the bus out of here, it’ll really hit me.’’
The A’s are moving to Sacramento after the season, two hours north of Oakland, where they’ll play for at least the next three years.
Then, they’re scheduled to permanently play in Las Vegas as early as the 2028 season.
Just like that, the 57-year-old Oakland Coliseum, home of four World Series championships, six pennants, 17 division titles and seven Hall of Famers, will be vacant.
“Definitely, there’s a lot of emotion for me,’’ Semien said. “This place is special for me. They gave me an opportunity here.
“I played a lot of Major League Baseball here, apparently more than anybody in the league right now. I worked out in this weight room, developed myself into a major-league player here. So that’s the part that really stings.’’
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Semien indeed has played more games at the Coliseum (408) than any active player, while also being the active leader in hits, doubles, triples and runs at the stadium.
Now, with perhaps a scoop of dirt before he leaves the field on Thursday, he’ll be saying good-bye.
Semien says his family will be all be on hand for the three-game series, including Thursday’s finale. Security officials spoke to the Rangers before Tuesday’s game, warning them to be cautious in case fans become overzealous.
There’s expected to be 200 Oakland police officials on hand, compared to the usual size of 19, but this will be a game like no other, with the game sold out months ago.
Semien believes the crowd will be respectful, knowing that if things are thrown onto the field, it’s not as if A’s owner John Fisher will be cleaning the debris. It will be the loyal stadium workers who would have to clean up, most who are losing their jobs after Thursday.
“Personally, I’m not [concerned],’’ Semien says. “We kind of figured out a plan to make sure everybody’s safe. I’m good. I don’t know what the setup is exactly yet, but think they came up with a pretty good plan.
“I mean, I wasn’t at the last Raider game here, but I’ve seen what the frustrations were with the Raider fans, and them leaving. It’s definitely understandable.’’
Semien is hopeful that instead of worrying about any fan actions, his final memory of the Coliseum will be a home run, and perhaps a victory, too, scooping up some infield dirt before leaving town.
“It’s a special place, especially for a kid growing up in this area,’’ Semien says. “Once the Raiders left and this just became a baseball stadium, it was like, ‘this is cool.’ I spent the off-seasons here and working out on the field. I just thought that was a new beginning. It’s already over.
“So, it’s kind of sad how quickly that lasted.’’
While the A’s might be gone, it’s not as if the Coliseum will be torn down, with soccer games and other events planned for the facility.
Who knows, perhaps one day, a billionaire could emerge, refurbish or rebuild the Coliseum, and put Oakland in line for a potential MLB expansion site.
“I still think that there’s hope sometime for a team to come back here,’’ Semien said. “This particular lot of land is still going to be here if they ever wanted to build a stadium. So if anybody ends up taking over, and have the idea to bring them back …
“It depends on who’s in charge, you know. But it’s an area that’s hungry for baseball regardless of how the crowds have looked at times. When the ballclub is good, and if it was a better facility, it would have been a better situation.’’
Besides, Semien can attest, miracles can happen. When he was playing for the University of California, Berkeley, the baseball program was scheduled to be shut down after his junior year in 2011. Players were already planning recruiting trips to different schools. Halfway through the season, the team was saved with $9 million in donations.
So, who knows, maybe someone can come to the rescue again one day.
“I’m not a billionaire, I’m a player,’’ Semien says. “I would have liked the A’s to have a nicer place right here. I grew up here. I played here. I know this area.
“With good facilities, good concessions, good fan experience, you bring people. It’s all about the people. It’s something special for this community.
“I know all of the security guards. I know all of the people who work here. I’m sad for them.’’