Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson might not seriously consider a baseball career anytime soon. But Texas Rangers general manager Jon Daniels insists there’s a lot to be gained from the Super Bowl champion attending spring training with the club.
Wilson, who guided the Seahawks to a 43-8 victory over the Denver Broncos on Sunday, was selected by the Rangers from the Colorado Rockies in the Triple-A phase of December’s Rule 5 draft. Wilson’s agent told FOX Sports’ Jon Morosi that his client plans to attend Rangers spring training in Surprise, Ariz., and Daniels told Peter Gammons that it could be a valuable experience for all involved.
“It would be great having him talk to young players like Jurickson Profar, as well as our minor leaguers,” Daniels told Gammons on Monday. “It would be a great experience for everyone.”
Wilson originally was selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the 41st round of the 2007 MLB draft before opting to attend college, first at North Carolina State and then at Wisconsin. Wilson, a second baseman, then was drafted by the Rockies in the fourth round of the 2010 MLB draft. He appeared in 93 games at the Single-A level, hitting a combined .229 with five homers and 26 RBIs with the Tri-City Dust Devils and Asheville Tourists in 2010 and 2011.
Wilson is coming off a Super Bowl victory in just his second NFL season, so the 25-year-old’s future likely resides on the gridiron. But hard work typically separates certain athletes from their peers, and Daniels is enamored by Wilson’s level of commitment.
“Our manager in Hickory, Joe Mikulik, managed Russell in Asheville in the Rockies system,” Daniels said Monday. “He claims that in all his years, only one player ever beat him to the park: Russell Wilson.”
Wilson might be joined at Rangers spring training by reigning Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston, whom Texas drafted in the 15th round of the 2012 MLB draft.
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