Russell Wilson will be joining the Texas Rangers for their Cactus League game on Monday, but the Seattle Seahawks quarterback will not be stepping to the plate. On Wednesday, a seemingly annoyed Ron Washington answered a series of questions from reporters about whether or not Wilson will be allowed to hit in the game.
“How’s he gonna get an at-bat? The guy hasn’t had any work at all,” Washington said. “No way … The guy hasn’t seen a pitch. He hasn’t seen anything. I’m not running him up there.”
A reporter then asked if it is a matter of not wanting to take an at-bat away from a legitimate contender who could actually make the team.
“That is correct because that’s a fact,” Washington replied with a smirk.
Washington has always been a no-nonsense kind of guy, and it would be tough to describe Wilson’s scheduled appearance on Monday as anymore than nonsense. The Rangers control Wilson’s rights after taking him in the Rule 5 draft in December, but the 25-year-old just won a Super Bowl. His future revolves around the NFL and only the NFL.
“Our intention is to bring him in and try to see if there’s anything he can say that may help anyone around here that has a baseball uniform,” Washington concluded. “This guy’s a winner. He has tremendous character. He has attitude and undoubtedly a lot of commitment to what he does. That’s what we’re about.”
And yes, we know how much Washington loves to bunt. That doesn’t mean he’s going to put Wilson in the way of a 90-mph fastball just to drop one down. Reporters know this is nothing but a PR stunt. It must be exhausting for Washington to listen to them act like it’s anything more.
Video via The Big Lead
