Seahawks News: Texas Rangers Draft Russell Wilson
By Todd Pheifer
Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports
No, this is not a typo. The Texas Rangers drafted Russell Wilson. Yes, the Russell Wilson that plays quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks FOOTBALL team.
Don’t worry, fans. Wilson is not going anywhere. He is not going to wake up one morning and suddenly decide that football is too dangerous. Then again, someday he might. But, it probably won’t be tomorrow.
First of all, this has to be understood in context. This was the Rule 5 draft, which is an opportunity for teams to essentially steal each other’s players. Most often the players that move are not the big-name stars.
In some ways, it is funny that this is even a story. Seriously, why are the Rangers doing this?
There is the “cheap publicity” theory. After all, it makes a few headlines and perhaps it reflects positively on the Rangers organization to be associated with a guy who has a good reputation in the sports community.
There is the “why not” theory. Could Wilson pull a Michael Jordan in a few years and decide that he wants to get back to his baseball roots? I guess, but it seems unlikely that a 30-something could quickly regain the ability to hit a curve ball. Wilson is a great athlete, but he wasn’t a dominant baseball player in his short minor-league career.
Wilson did suggest that he would like to “come to spring training and work out.” What that means is anyone’s guess. Maybe he just wants to spend some time in the warmer climate of Arizona.
Again, this story will likely fade fast, but it is an amusing side narrative for a few days. For now, Wilson will probably stay on the football field. Maybe someday he could walk across the street and play outfield for the Seattle Mariners.