Calvin Johnson once went deep during batting practice at Comerica Park.
Calvin Johnson once went deep during batting practice at Comerica Park. (USATSI)

On Sunday, reports surfaced that wide receiver Calvin Johnson has informed the Detroit Lions he is retiring. Our friends at Eye on Football have that story as well as plenty of Super Bowl 50 coverage.

Johnson, who is still only 30, was once a decent baseball prospect. Here's some scouting information from J.J. Cooper of Baseball America, the foremost authority in baseball prospects:

A scout who saw Johnson play in high school said he hit the ball as far as anyone he’s ever scouted. But there was little question that Johnson’s baseball career was not going to last longer than his final game at Sandy Creek High in Tyrone, Ga. Johnson was considered the best wide receiver prospect in the country and arguably the top football recruit at any position in 2004.

...

“I thought he was Jermaine Dye, but he was so raw at the plate. It was tough,” the scout said. “There were a lot of swings and misses, but if he connected, he hit the ball as hard as anyone I ever scouted. But he would be a two-year rookie ball guy. So clearly he was a better football player. He was way ahead as a football guy.”

Back in 2012, nearly a decade since he last played baseball competitively, Johnson showed off that power while taking batting practice with the Tigers at Comerica Park. Here he is smacking a dinger to left field:

Not the most mechanically sound swing you'll see, but Johnson has some real pop. The ball makes a nice sound coming off his bat. Given his athleticism and ballhawk skills, I wonder if he could have been a Mike Cameron type. A righty hitter with power and some swing-and-miss in his game, but also strong center field defense.

Obviously Johnson's decision to go with football worked out pretty well. He became one of the best wide receivers in NFL history.