You ever have that dream where you have a test in school that you haven't studied for? That was Marcus Semien for a moment on Tuesday, when the Bally Sports Southwest cameras caught the Rangers second baseman humorously realizing it was his turn to lead off the bottom of the fifth against the A's at Globe Life Field.
Semien was relaxing on the bench, chewing bubblegum as baseball players are wont to do, when he looked around wide-eyed as it dawned on him that it was his turn at the plate. Without further ado, he grabbed his bat, helmet and batting gloves and strode up to the plate to face Oakland lefty Ken Waldichuk.
"I saw that nothing was happening and Nate [Lowe] told me I was up and I just laughed and ran up there," Semien said with a smile after the Rangers' 8-7 walk-off win. " ... I've been playing this game my whole life and that's never happened."
And here's what separates Major Leaguers from the rest of us: After his abbreviated preparation, Semien absolutely ripped a 101.2 mph laser into the gap in left-center for the second of his three doubles on the night -- the All-Star's first career three-double game.
"I was a lot more relaxed in that at-bat than any other at-bat," Semien said, "so maybe that's what I need to do more of."
Whatever works!