Russell Wilson & wife Ciara just became owners in MLB project
Russell Wilson has made a career out of overcoming the odds.
At 5’11, the experts said he was too short to play quarterback in the NFL.
He was a third-round draft pick, and originally, the Seahawks didn’t even see him as their starter.
But he brought Seattle to a place it had never been — atop the football world as a Super Bowl champion.
Now, the four-time Pro Bowler is going deep again.
Wilson and his wife, pop star Ciara, are heading up a group trying to bring Major League Baseball to Portland, Oegon.
The couple announced Friday that they’re joining the Portland Diamond Project.
Honored and excited to welcome Russell Wilson and Ciara as owner/investors in Portland Diamond Project. Looking forward to working together to make MLB in Portland a reality. @dangeRussWilson @ciara #MLBtoPDX #PortlandDiamondProject #MLB #Baseball #Portland pic.twitter.com/XSOdrvwHiQ
— Portland Diamond Project (@PDXDiamondProj) June 1, 2018
“We believe Portland is the next great Major League Baseball city, and that’s why Ciara and I are excited to announce we are a part of the Portland Diamond Project,” Wilson said in a news release, per CBS Sports. “It is time for MLB in Portland.”
The connection between Wilson and baseball is well known; he was selected by Baltimore in the MLB draft before opting to attend North Carolina State.
In 2010, he was drafted and signed by the Rockies, and even played in their minor league system.
Three years later, Texas chose him in the Rule 5 Draft, and he attended spring training with the Rangers.
This February, he actually played in a spring training game for the Yankees.
So we get that he loves baseball. But Ciara?
“Athletics has always been important to me. As a young girl growing up in Atlanta, I was a tomboy who ran track and worked the hot dog stand at Turner Field,” she said. “I am excited about the opportunity to bring the comradery of the game to the city of Portland. I want to see this vision come to life and empower more women owners in major sports franchises.”
Back in 2016, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said MLB was considering expanding from 30 to 32 teams.
Among the most frequently mentioned possibilities are Montreal (former home of the Expos), Charlotte and Portland.
Portland is currently exploring possible locations for a stadium.
Right now, Portland has the NBA’s Trail Blazers, of course, and the Timbers of the MLS.
If the Wilsons have anything to do with it, the next step may be to “Play ball!”
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