What do Russell Wilson and Madison Bumgarner have in common aside from championships in their respective sports? The two were roommates back in the day.
In the wake of Bumgarner’s dominant Game 7 relief performance on Wednesday, which cemented his place as the greatest World Series pitcher in history, Wilson shared an interesting story with reporters.
“So, funny story about Madison Bumgarner,” Wilson said before practice on Thursday, via the Seahawks official website. “We were roommates at the East-West Showcase coming out of high school, [for] the top 100 players.”
Wilson, as many of you know, was a two-sport star. He played shortstop and hit .467 his senior year of high school and was taken by the Baltimore Orioles in the 41st round of the 2007 MLB Draft. He was even selected by the Texas Rangers last year in the Rule 5 baseball draft.
Fortunately for Wilson, he was on the same team as Bumgarner in the Showcase.
“I’ve gotten to know him over the past few years,” he explained. “I haven’t got in touch with him lately. So yeah, I used to play with him. We were on the same team and I think we won it all that Showcase. It was a good experience.
“I’m excited for him. He’s a true competitor. I used to play against [San Francisco Giants catcher] Buster Posey, too. To watch those two guys – him catching and Bumgarner throwing – it’s pretty special.”
Considering how their careers have gone, I’d say Bumgarner and Wilson both chose the right paths.
