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New Pittsburgh Steelers' Quarterback Russell Wilson Shows Off Baseball Skills at Pirates Game

New Pittsburgh Steelers' quarterback Russell Wilson was in attendance on Friday night for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Boston Red Sox game at PNC Park. Wilson, a former baseball prospect himself, threw out the first pitch and took some batting practice on the field.

Brady Farkas

Jan 7, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson (3) warms up before a
Jan 7, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson (3) warms up before a / Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
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There weren't many highlights for the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday night as they lost to the Boston Red Sox, 8-1, at PNC Park.

Perhaps the best highlights came before the game when new Pittsburgh Steelers' quarterback Russell Wilson was on the field, throwing out the ceremonial first pitch and taking batting practice on the field.

You can see his first pitch below, which was delivered from the actual mound, and came in for a strike.

And here's a look at Wilson in the cage as well:

Wilson, a potential Hall of Fame quarterback, who won a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks in 2013, was a former Major League baseball prospect as well. He was drafted in the fourth round of the 2010 draft by the Colorado Rockies and spent some time in the minors before ultimately choosing football full time.

He was a .229 hitter in the minor leagues (two seasons) with five career homers and 19 stolen bases.

Wilson is now headed into the 13th year of his NFL career and his first with Pittsburgh. He spent 10 years with the Seahawks and two with the Denver Broncos. In addition to winning the Super Bowl in 2013, he helped Seattle get back there in 2014, but they lost to the New England Patriots.

The Steelers have moved on from quarterback Kenny Pickett this offseason to make room for Wilson. They also acquired Justin Fields, formerly of the Chicago Bears.

The Pirates are now 11-9 on the season and will play the Red Sox again on Saturday afternoon.

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Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the host of 'The Payoff Pitch' podcast which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Videos on baseball also posted to YouTube. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. You can follow him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady. 

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