NFL quarterback Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks has arrived at the New York Yankees training complex and has already completed a number of exercises. In the batting practice he was in a group of real baseball superstars – and he didn’t cut a bad figure at all.
After the Yankees had reached an agreement with the Texas Rangers on a trade for Minor League second baseman Russell Wilson, it was clear that the NFL superstar would eventually hit the ground in jumping practice. On Monday, the time had come.
Wilson, who won the Super Bowl with the Seahawks in 2014, took part in Fielding Drills and was allowed to join the Batting Practice. He beat in Group 2 with National League MVP Giancarlo Stanton, American League Rookie of the Year Aaron Judge and Superstar Catcher Gary Sanchez and First Baseman Greg Bird.
Stanton was reportedly on 15 home runs, Judge had 10 and Bird had 8. Wilson pulled himself out of the affair and hit 6 balls over the fence – one more than Sanchez.
“This is what I’ve known all my life,”Wilson told reporters,”Well, I couldn’t just go on a basketball court. I wouldn’t be good at basketball, but baseball is like cycling for me as soon as I go back to the field. However, it is not an easy sport. It’s very, very difficult.”
For the Yankees, Wilson, who is one of the coolest things I’ve ever done, wears the number 73 for the Yankees, because “I’ve been trying to get number 3, but I think someone already had one”. This was of course an allusion to baseball legend Babe Ruth, whose number 3 has not been awarded to the Yankees since the end of his career.
Wilson will be with the Yankees all week, but there are no plans to play in one game.
This article was published without prior view by the Major League Baseball.