It was announced today that Second Baseman Russell Wilson was leaving the Asheville Tourists and he was going to play football for the University of Wisconsin Badgers. He will compete for the starting Quarterback job this fall.
It was a move that really surprised no one and probably came as a relief to some because now the question "will he or won't he" has been answered. The only question that really remains now is "what happens to his baseball career?"
Playing professional baseball is a full-time job. The more athletically gifted such as Russell Wilson already have the athletic skills, they just need to fine tune their baseball skills. Russell Wilson struggled at the plate this season, there is no doubt about that. He had raised his average from about .200 to .228 when it was announced he had left the team.
I would love to see what he could do if he devoted the time and effort to developing his baseball skills. We may not find out until next season or we may never find out. Part of that answer may be up to the Colorado Rockies organization. I have yet to hear a response from them on his decision. If I was them I think I would want part of the signing bonus back and wish him best of luck in his future.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Monday, June 13, 2011
In Need Of Pitching
I was able to go to my third Asheville Tourist game of the season yesterday afternoon. It rained off and on for the whole game and even delayed the start by about an hour. They lost to the Hickory Crawdads 12-3 and it was really a lackluster performance. Once again, Tourist pitching gave up the big inning (Hickory scored 7 runs in the third inning)and the offense was not able to overcome that.
Shortstop Christian Adames hit two solo homeruns and Cory Dickerson added another solo homerun to account for all of the Tourists runs. Third Baseman Helder Velazquez made two outstanding plays in the field, one in which he reached into the stands along the third base line to grab a foul ball off the top of a fans umbrella.
I had the pleasure of talking to a San Diego Padres scout who was at the game for about 30-45 minutes. He had his radar gun and he was making notes on his scouting reports and everything. I never caught his name but I don't think he realizes what a thrill it was for me to talk baseball with a baseball guy. He also reminded me of what an awesome setting McCormick Field is. He made the comment when Adames hit one of his homeruns into the trees beyond the scoreboard in left field about he loves "watching the ball sail into the trees." I have been to almost all of the minor league parks in North Carolina and McCormick Field is the most picturesque without a doubt.
Shortstop Christian Adames hit two solo homeruns and Cory Dickerson added another solo homerun to account for all of the Tourists runs. Third Baseman Helder Velazquez made two outstanding plays in the field, one in which he reached into the stands along the third base line to grab a foul ball off the top of a fans umbrella.
I had the pleasure of talking to a San Diego Padres scout who was at the game for about 30-45 minutes. He had his radar gun and he was making notes on his scouting reports and everything. I never caught his name but I don't think he realizes what a thrill it was for me to talk baseball with a baseball guy. He also reminded me of what an awesome setting McCormick Field is. He made the comment when Adames hit one of his homeruns into the trees beyond the scoreboard in left field about he loves "watching the ball sail into the trees." I have been to almost all of the minor league parks in North Carolina and McCormick Field is the most picturesque without a doubt.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
The Curious Saga Of Russell Wilson
Russell Wilson continues to be an enigma for the Asheville Tourists. It was a widely held belief that when Russell Wilson was assigned to the Asheville Tourists, he had finally chosen to put baseball over football. As ESPN college football analyst Lee Corso might say "Not so fast my friend."
About a month ago, it was announced by North Carolina State University football coach Tom O'Brien that Russell Wilson would not be playing football for the Wolfpack this fall, regardless of whatever decision Wilson made, he was free to play his final year of eligibility somewhere else.
Rumors immediately started surfacing about him playing for Steve Spurrier and the South Carolina Gamecocks. Russell Wilson then paid Auburn University a visit on one of his off days from the Tourists and the speculation began in earnest about where he would be this fall.
If I was the Colorado Rockies and the Asheville Tourists, this would tell me that he is not fully committed to a career in baseball. He was a fourth round draft pick in 2010 by the Rockies, signed for $200,000, and is the #19 ranked prospect in the Rockies organization according to Baseball America. He was allowed to return to NC State last fall to play football after 30 + games in a short-season league but I believe the Rockies expected that to be his final year playing football.
If you do the math, the Tourists baseball season isn't over until the first week of September. He would not be joining any college team until at least the second or third game of the season. A new team means a new playbook, new terminology, a new offense, and new teammates not to mention the fact he would miss all of training camp. The Rockies would have to release him to play football early enough for him to go to camp for him to have any chance of being successful this season. He would also have to step in to the right situation to be successful. The Rockies have invested money and time in Russell Wilson and I really don't know if they will be willing to give him that much leeway.
Statistically, Russell Wilson has struggled with the Asheville Tourists. As of this writing he is only batting .203 with 67 strikeouts in 143 at bats. That kind of strikeout percentage is usually reserved for power hitters and he has one lone homerun. He obviously has a good idea of the strike zone as he leads the team with 29 base on balls and has a solid on-base percentage of .363 but he just does not make consistent contact.
On the plus side, he has 12 stolen bases in 13 attempts and is a slick fielding second baseman. However, it is rather obvious that he needs to put in the extra work year round to be successful on the baseball diamond.
He is also an intelligent young man having gained his degree from NC State in three years and already working on his Masters Degree. If he wants to make a legitimate run at a professional career in either sport, I do believe he has to make a final choice. He is only 22 years old but if he chooses baseball, he has his work cut out for him. It is rare to have that much athletic ability to be able to play both sports and few have been able to pull it off.
About a month ago, it was announced by North Carolina State University football coach Tom O'Brien that Russell Wilson would not be playing football for the Wolfpack this fall, regardless of whatever decision Wilson made, he was free to play his final year of eligibility somewhere else.
Rumors immediately started surfacing about him playing for Steve Spurrier and the South Carolina Gamecocks. Russell Wilson then paid Auburn University a visit on one of his off days from the Tourists and the speculation began in earnest about where he would be this fall.
If I was the Colorado Rockies and the Asheville Tourists, this would tell me that he is not fully committed to a career in baseball. He was a fourth round draft pick in 2010 by the Rockies, signed for $200,000, and is the #19 ranked prospect in the Rockies organization according to Baseball America. He was allowed to return to NC State last fall to play football after 30 + games in a short-season league but I believe the Rockies expected that to be his final year playing football.
If you do the math, the Tourists baseball season isn't over until the first week of September. He would not be joining any college team until at least the second or third game of the season. A new team means a new playbook, new terminology, a new offense, and new teammates not to mention the fact he would miss all of training camp. The Rockies would have to release him to play football early enough for him to go to camp for him to have any chance of being successful this season. He would also have to step in to the right situation to be successful. The Rockies have invested money and time in Russell Wilson and I really don't know if they will be willing to give him that much leeway.
Statistically, Russell Wilson has struggled with the Asheville Tourists. As of this writing he is only batting .203 with 67 strikeouts in 143 at bats. That kind of strikeout percentage is usually reserved for power hitters and he has one lone homerun. He obviously has a good idea of the strike zone as he leads the team with 29 base on balls and has a solid on-base percentage of .363 but he just does not make consistent contact.
On the plus side, he has 12 stolen bases in 13 attempts and is a slick fielding second baseman. However, it is rather obvious that he needs to put in the extra work year round to be successful on the baseball diamond.
He is also an intelligent young man having gained his degree from NC State in three years and already working on his Masters Degree. If he wants to make a legitimate run at a professional career in either sport, I do believe he has to make a final choice. He is only 22 years old but if he chooses baseball, he has his work cut out for him. It is rare to have that much athletic ability to be able to play both sports and few have been able to pull it off.
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