Pirates fast five: Fastest guy in the clubhouse, Bryan Reynolds' extra-base effort, Diego …

TAMPA, Fla. — Canaan Smith-Njigba grew up in Texas, where baseball is revered but football is a religion. His younger brother, Jaxon, is a standout receiver at Ohio State. So how did Smith-Njigba end up playing baseball for a living?“It’s kind of hard to say no when the Yankees come calling,” said Smith-Njigba, who was New York’s fourth-round pick in 2017 and last year was traded to the Pirates.When I asked what position he played on the Rockwall-Heath High football team, Smith-Njigba leaned back in his chair and flashed a broad smile. “I was a quarterback.”Sitting one locker over, Anthony Alford shook his head and groaned theatrically. “Aww, here we go. …”Smith-Njigba: “Everybody’s hating on the Dallas quarterback.”Alford, with a skeptical look: “He says he played quarterback.”Smith-Njigba, exasperated: “Google me!”Alford, with a playful wink: “I think he played center. And you don’t see any 6-foot centers in the NFL, so …”Some of the fellas nearby perked up their ears. When Smith-Njigba and Alford are bantering like this in the clubhouse, it’s always entertaining.That’s a good place to begin this “Hey, what’s your 40 time?” edition of the Pirates fast (and I mean really fast) five.Speed thrillsA native of Mississippi, Alford…
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