Before Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson throws a pass at Acrisure Stadium, he’ll throw a baseball at PNC Park. Wilson is slated to throw out the first pitch at tomorrow’s Pirates game when they host the Boston Red Sox.
Wilson played baseball growing up and had he not chosen the football and NFL path, might’ve made a push to play professional baseball.
In fact, Wilson played for the Colorado Rockies’ minor league affiliates throughout the 2010 and 2011 seasons. An infielder, he appeared in 93 games, he hit .229 with a solid .355 on-base percentage, hitting five home runs and driving in 26 runs. He eventually gave up his diamond dreams to continue playing football, transferring from NC State to Wisconsin and becoming a third-round pick of the Seattle Seahawks.
In an icebreaker segment with the team shortly after being signed, Wilson was asked what he’d be doing if he wasn’t playing football.
“I’d definitely be playing baseball,” he said.
In 2018, Wilson appeared in a spring training game for the New York Yankees after his rights were traded there by the Texas Rangers.
“While football is my passion and my livelihood, baseball remains a huge part of where I came from and who I am today,” Wilson said at the time of the trade. “I’ve learned so much on the baseball field that translates to my game physically and mentally playing quarterback in the NFL.
Growing up a Yankees fan, Wilson pinch-hit for Aaron Judge, he worked the count to 2-2 and fouled the first pitch before striking out on a 93-mph fastball.
Wilson is expected to be the Steelers’ starting quarterback to open up the 2024 season. He signed a one-year deal with the team after being released by the Denver Broncos at the start of free agency, citing Mike Tomlin as a key reason why he chose Pittsburgh.
The Pirates are off to a strong start to the season, sitting at 11-8 and one game out of first place in the NL Central. The Red Sox are 10-9 but sit in last place of the AL East, three games back of the rival New York Yankees.
