New Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson was on hand at PNC Park on Friday to throw out the first pitch prior to the start of the Pirates’ game against the Boston Red Sox.
Before he stepped on the mound near gametime, Wilson took batting practice on the field. It wasn’t Wilson’s first rodeo at baseball, but he still got off some impressive swings.
The nine-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the fourth round of the 2010 MLB draft. He played a pair of seasons in the lower-levels of the Rockies’ minor-league systems in 2010-11 and combined to hit .229 with a .710 OPS, five home runs and 19 steals in 93 games.
Pittsburgh’s new quarterback spent some time with noted Steelers fan and 2013 National League MVP Andrew McCutchen. A football miraculously made its way onto the field at PNC Park and the two played a quick game of catch.
Wilson even hit McCutchen deep on a go-rout. A little underthrown, which could be due to the “flat” ball, as Wilson described it. But hey, a completion is a completion.
Wilson even took a few minutes to play catch with a few young Pirates’ fans who were on field to take in batting practice. They received quite a surprise.
Wilson was signed by the Steelers last month after two years with the Denver Broncos on the heels of a storied career with the Seattle Seahawks.
Amongst Pirates’ fans at the very least, Russell Wilson is making a pretty good first impression in the city of Pittsburgh.
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