Texas Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien might be a Silver Slugger, but that still doesn't necessarily make him the best hitter in his family, even if he is known as the ironman.
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Semien's family is ever-growing. His wife, Tarah Murrey, just had the couple's fourth child, their first daughter, last month, in the middle of the Rangers' playoff run, right before the American League Championship Series matchup against the in-state rival Houston Astros. And Murrey? She's a former college volleyball player - an outside hitter. The hits just keep on coming.
As the Rangers battle the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2023 MLB World Series, the two-time All-Star and Northern California native will be looking to hit it out of the park and bring home his first World Series trophy. Considering he led the AL in hits this season, Semien might just be the man for the job.
Semien's Wife, Tarah Murrey, Played Collegiate Volleyball
Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images
Tarah Murrey was born in March 1990 in Santa Clara, California, just south of San Francisco. She's the daughter of former San Jose State basketball player Douglas Murrey, who was selected in the ninth round of the 1981 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors. Her mother, Barbara, also was an athlete at San Jose State.
Tarah met Marcus while they were attending St. Mary's College High School in Berkley, Tarah playing volleyball and Marcus playing baseball. Her standout high school career culminated in the 2007 California Gatorade Volleyball Player of the Year, first-team All-Bay Shore League, playing in the 2007 World Championships for the USA girl's youth national team, and earning a scholarship to the University of California Los Angeles. Much like her boyfriend, Murrey was on her way to Los Angeles to become a Golden Bear.
Murray's impact on the team was immediate, and the outside hitter became a starter from the beginning of her freshman season. After appearing in all matches during her first two seasons, Murrey made First Team All-American and was named to the AVCA All-Pacific Region Team, in addition to making the NCAA Division I All-Championship and Seattle All-Regional teams. As a senior, she earned more accolades, including Pac-12 Volleyball Scholar-Athlete of the Year, All-Pac-12 First Team, and Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention, all on her way to finishing her career fifth on the UCLA total kills list with 1,714 and fourth with 4,440 attacks.
Her incredible college career led to incredible places for Murrey, including Italy and Puerto Rico to pursue a brief career as a professional volleyball player. After spending less than three years playing for Cuatto Giaveno and Vaqueras de Bayamon, Murrey returned to the states as a volunteer assistant coach with UC Berkeley.
According to Murrey's LinkedIn, which hasn't been updated in years, Murrey was back in the states full time by 2015. By then, she and Semien had already been married for three years, even if we don't have the Instagram photos to prove it.
The Gold Glove winner is all about business, no time for distractions like social media. His wife appears to feel the same way, and the two are not active on social media at all. This lends the couple a lot of privacy, something most people their age find themselves less and less of.
Although we've yet to see much evidence, the couple has been married since 2012 and have four children to prove it - Isaiah, Joshua, Eli, and the recently welcomed Amelie Carol Anne. With so many mouths to feed, it's a good thing Semien signed a seven-year, $175 million mega-deal with the Rangers two years ago. With the Rangers already in the World Series two seasons later, I'd say Semien was worth every penny.
Marcus Semien and his wife Tara had their fourth child on Thursday. Momma and baby Amelie are doing great. #GoAndTakeIt #GoAndGiveBirth pic.twitter.com/CvyQAv4xUZ
— Stefan Stevenson (@StefanVersusTex) October 14, 2023
Great to see Marcus Semien is raising his kids right. His son is holding a @McLarenF1 car!@Rangers pic.twitter.com/kNlJLD1gwT
— Jeff Kirk (@JeffreyNKirk) October 24, 2023
The Rangers knew what they were getting with ironman, too. His time with the Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics and Toronto Blue Jays had proven him a dedicated and dependable team mate with a strong and consistent work ethic - a manager's dream, you might call it. Maybe Marcus got it from his father, Damien Semien, who played college football at UC Berkeley. Wherever he got it from, with Tarah Murrey by his side, his kids are getting a double-dose of it.
