Watch: A's Semien flashes defensive promise with great glove-flip double play
One of the persistent narratives surrounding the Oakland Athletics' disappointing 2015 season has been the defense of shortstop Marcus Semien. Early in the year, it looked as if the young shortstop was having tremendous difficulties acclimating to the responsibilities of the position, picking up error after error and causing some to wonder if he was better suited somewhere else on the infield.
However, Semien has quietly turned the corner so to speak over the past few months, cutting back on his errors and exhibiting more confidence with both the glove and his throwing ability. He's responded well to Ron Washington's tutelage, and showed off his new confidence on Tuesday night.
The A's lost to the Los Angeles Angels, but Semien started a very slick double play off the bat of Taylor Featherston with a nice dive and glove-flip to second baseman Eric Sogard in the fourth inning:
The play was so good, both teams' Twitter accounts sent him accolades:
We aren't even mad Semien...amazing play. #Angels up 5-1.
— Angels (@Angels) September 2, 2015
Semien's maturation at shortstop has been a positive development in an otherwise forgettable year for the Green and Gold, and his efforts on Tuesday night definitely helped drive that point home.