"I haven't swung a bat in about two years," he told The Seattle Times. "I lasered one out of left-center field, so that was good to stay back and drive it left center. It feels good hitting a home run. There's something special about throwing a touchdown, but hitting a home run is a good feeling too." Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Expecting to hit a home run with a blockbuster contract extension soon, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson paid a visit to the Texas Rangers for the second straight year and hit a home run in batting practice Saturday.
The Rangers picked Wilson in the Triple-A segment of the Rule 5 draft in 2013, and he took ground balls with the team for a day last spring. On Saturday in Surprise, Ariz., he took ground balls again and also took some swings in the cage.
“I haven’t swung a bat in about two years,” he told The Seattle Times. “I lasered one out of left-center field, so that was good to stay back and drive it left center. It feels good hitting a home run. There’s something special about throwing a touchdown, but hitting a home run is a good feeling too.”
“It’s an honor just to be here,” added Wilson, who was drafted by the Colorado Rockies out of high school and played in their minor-league system for two years while also playing football at North Carolina State.
“Growing up as a little kid, I dreamed of playing two sports and I always played both. Just to be here and have this opportunity, I’m grateful. It’s truly humbling to be able to play with these big-leaguers, guys like Prince Fielder, Adrian Beltre and Elvis Andrus.”
Wilson, who has led the Seahawks to consecutive Super Bowl appearances, is entering the final year of his rookie contract, and the Seahawks are expected to give him a deal worth at least $20 million a year and guaranteeing more than $60 million.
At the NFL owners meetings in Phoenix earlier this week, coach Pete Carroll said, “It’s tracking very well. It’s been a process that we have laid out. It’s really putting all the pieces together in due time, and it’s happening very well. We have continued concerns about putting it together with some of the guys as well as Russell, but it’s been a big focus for us and the timing is coming.”
