OAKLAND — Marcus Semien is proud to be on the advisory board of the Taylor Hooton Foundation, an organization that is dedicated to educating youth about the dangers of using performance-enhancing drugs. Last week, the foundation announced that its advisory board had reached a record 38 members, all active players across Major League Baseball. This is Semien’s third year as the A’s representative, taking part in supporting the foundation’s “It’s All Me” public-service campaign. “Something that’s very important to me is to play the game the right way: clean,” Semien said. “That’s what this organization is about, is keeping the game clean … It’s something that kids need to be aware of: how to train, how to eat right, how to get stronger, better every day the right way.” The foundation was formed in 2004 after Hooton, a high school pitcher, passed away at 17 years of age from use of anabolic steroids. Though the case is extreme, Semien noted using performance-enhancing drugs such as steroids prioritizes short-term benefits over long-term health. “There’s a lot of bad things that come out of using steroids,” Semien said. “Not only being suspended in the NCAA or professional baseball, but for your own body as well. There’s a lot of people taking drugs — their health is not great now because of it. Just those short-term goals of getting better, faster. They end up getting sick or just not being healthy later on in life.” https://www.mlb.com/athletics/news/marcus-semien-represents-as-on-hooton-board/c-288407658