I ran away to the big city today. My friend from Pittsburgh met me there, and we went to see Monty Python’s Spamalot. Why Spamalot? Well…one of us is a Monty Python fan, and one of us has a wicked crush on Clay Aiken (who is currently playing Brave Sir Robin). I will also add that the one of us who has a crush on Clay Aiken is not the one of us who has a crush on Bubba Crosby…

Anyway, we did what women do on a girls’ night out. We swapped baseball news. She had just heard via her local media that Craig Wilson signed a minor league deal with the Pirates.

Wilson, of course, was released by the Reds after failing his spring training physical. Meanwhile, the Pirates had a severe lack of warm bodies to fill the roster spots in Indianapolis. And the Pittsburgh management that Wilson was rumored to not get along with have all been fired, so it all worked out.

As for his shoulder…Wilson says he’s fine.

The Reds felt Wilson wasn’t healthy enough to play but the Pirates say they have no worries about the condition of the shoulder, which was operated on by team orthopedist Patrick DeMeo.

“It was all the opinion of one person, the Cincinnati Reds’ team doctor (Tim Kremchek),” Wilson said. “I’m fine. I wouldn’t be playing if I was hurt. I wouldn’t sign a contract if I didn’t think I could help a team. I’m just looking forward to getting an opportunity to prove it.”

Interesting. I didn’t realize he’d had his surgery done by the Pirates’ orthopedist. I wonder if team doctors are more likely to give a clean bill of health to the players they operated on? Since they are basically approving their own work that way.

Best of luck to him. He and his wife still own their house in Pittsburgh, so if he lights it up in Indianapolis, they’re ready to move back.