NEW YORK (AP) — Just call him Johnny Baseball.
Wilson, who had transferred to Wisconsin, told the Rockies in January 2012 that he wanted to pursue an NFL career, and in December 2013 was acquired by the Texas Rangers in the Rule 5 draft. A few weeks after winning the Super Bowl, Wilson attended Rangers spring training and participated in infield drills.
Manziel played baseball and football at Tivy High School in Kerrville, Texas, and asked Texas A&M coaches about being part of the baseball team before winning the Aggies' starting quarterback job as a redshirt freshman.
Russell Wilson of the Super Bowl-champion Seattle Seahawks was a 41st-round selection by Baltimore out of high school in 2007, but opted to go to North Carolina State. He was a fourth-rounder of Colorado in 2010 and played in the Rockies' system as a second baseman.
Street isn't sure if Johnny Football would try both sports.
Mike Dee, the Padres' president and CEO,NFL Jerseys China, tweeted back: "Best athlete on the board... #JohnnyBaseball."
"Heck, if he wants to come out here and hang around before games ... I don't know if they let 28th-round picks do that," Street said. "But he's a great athlete. I don't think anybody expects to see him in the big leagues, but maybe he's going to try and do both. I don't know. If he does, he's one of the more competitive people I've been around. We'll see what happens with his football career. He's potentially got a baseball one."
Padres closer Huston Street, who pitched at Texas and whose late father, James, played quarterback for the Longhorns, liked the pick, even if Manziel did play for the Aggies.
"It was kind of, 'Why not?'" Padres general manager Josh Byrnes said Saturday before the Padres hosted the Washington Nationals.
"I'm a fan. I think he's an exciting player," Street said. "I think he's good for sport. I think he plays hard. I don't know if he'll ever wear a Padre uniform, but it sure is exciting that the organization took him. I know he hung out here last year a couple times and everybody really enjoyed his presence. Everybody liked him. I came away from that day thinking, 'Man,holesale NFL Jerseys, that's a good dude, that's a cool guy.' It seemed like he was a very focused,NBA Jerseys China, mentally strong guy. He wanted to do something. We know what he can do in football.
But, in May 2013, Manziel took batting practice with the Padres at Petco Park and tossed out a football-style first pitch as he dropped back, scrambled to the side of the mound and floated a bootleg "pass" to San Diego outfielder Mark Kotsay, who caught it behind his back with his glove.
"Big thank you to the @Padres and @padresmikedee for selecting me in the MLB draft," Manziel wrote on his Twitter page. "What a great day!"
"He certainly loves baseball," Byrnes said. "We kind of talked about it at that time, 'Do you want us to draft you?' He said, 'Yeah, absolutely.'"
Manziel was listed as a shortstop for Texas A&M, although he never played for the Aggies as he focused on football. He hasn't played baseball since high school and probably won't see the diamond again as he embarks on his NFL career, but was happy the Padres took a swing at him.
Why in the 28th round?
Manziel, the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy in 2012,Cheap Jerseys, was taken by the Browns with the 22nd overall pick in the NFL draft last month.
"I would tell him to don't try to be a jack-of-all-trades and a master of none," Street said. "But at the same time, it's been done before. I don't know about at the quarterback position. A little bit tougher position."
On Manziel's first swing in batting practice, the bat flew out of his hands, but he settled down and later drove a pitch off the right-field wall.
Earlier this week, Manziel — decked out in an Indians jersey — was set to throw out the first pitch in Cleveland before the Indians played Boston. He warmed up earlier with Indians pitcher Josh Tomlin, but his toss was washed out by rain that delayed the start.
In May 2013, Manziel visited the Padres when he was in San Diego to work with a quarterbacks coach.
Next year, Florida State's Jameis Winston could be in the same situation as Manziel. The Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback also is a hard-throwing closer for the Seminoles' baseball team. Winston was already a 15th-round pick of the Rangers in 2012.
"I didn't know he played baseball," Padres right-hander Ian Kennedy said Saturday. "Anybody in Texas probably plays all those sports, football, baseball."
Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny
