How good was the Seahawk QB Russell Wilson at baseball?
Jan 9, 2013, 5:58 PM | Updated: Jan 10, 2013, 8:40 am
Russell Wilson played minor league baseball in 2010 and 2011. Lucky for the Seahawks, he thought he'd be a better football player. (Tony Farlow/AP Photo)
(Tony Farlow/AP Photo)
Baseball managers, pro scouts, and an ex-teammate say Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson could have been a decent baseball player too because of his speed, athleticism, and strong work ethic.
As Wilson prepares for the NFC divisional playoff game against the Atlanta Falcons Sunday, ESPN reporter Dan Friedell has looked into how Wilson might be doing had he continued playing baseball.
Wilson played football and baseball for North Carolina State University before transferring to Wisconsin.
He also played minor league baseball for the Tri-City Dust Devils in 2010 and the Asheville Tourists in 2011 as a second baseman.
Jay Matthews, scouting supervisor, Colorado Rockies says the first thing he noticed was Wilson’s athleticism.
“The thing he exemplifies is what you see every Sunday. His leadership skills and his ability to be a quick learner. We saw that from a baseball-development standpoint,” Matthews told ESPN. “We felt like, if we could develop the offensive side of it, we’d have a big league guy.”
John Manuel, editor-in-chief, Baseball America says Wilson didn’t do anything that was noteworthy for him at the time, but he was a “pretty impressive person.”
Others say “he struggled” with baseball and there were times when it “wasn’t a lot of fun for Russell.”
That’s fine for Seahawks fans who have watched him become an outstanding quarterback since he signed a four-year, $2.99 million contract with Hawks in May of last year.
By LINDA THOMAS
