On August 30th, Tim Tebow held a baseball showcase for MLB scouts. According to reports, 46 scouts were present representing 28 of the 30 MLB teams. The results from scouts in attendance were pretty much consistent:
- He is a physical freak, listed at 6-foot-3 and 255 pounds with only 7% body fat.
- He has slightly above average speed, clocked in the 60-yard dash between 6.6 and 6.8 seconds.
- He has a slightly below average throwing arm
- His raw power is off the charts
- He definitely has room for improvement against live pitching
- His age (29) could be a negative
Many thought that Tebow’s pursuit of a baseball career was a publicity stunt, but his camp insisted otherwise. I actually was in the camp that thought he was serious about his pursuit of playing baseball as a career. He seems like a genuine guy and he has never had a reputation of having a poor work ethic. He may not have played competitive baseball since his junior year in high school, but he seemed committed to giving it a go. I saw some of the highlights from his baseball showcase and he appeared like he might be able to play in the low minors and work his way up. In fact, I was rooting for him to make it. It would be a great story.
Today, it was reported that Tim Tebow signed a minor league deal with the Mets. He was paid a $100,000 signing bonus and was to report to Port St. Lucie on Sept. 19th for instructional league. Good for him, the Mets insist it wasn’t a publicity stunt, and although I don’t fully buy that argument, I thought it was good that Tebow was willing to start at the very bottom to prove himself in baseball. Then I saw this:
Sandy Alderson acknowledges that Tim Tebow won't be available every day in instructional league because of Tebow's ESPN broadcasting job
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) September 8, 2016
To me this is ridiculous and I no longer take his interest in baseball as a truly serious endeavor. For a 29-year-old person who hasn’t played organized baseball since high school to insist on having a couple days off each week to broadcast is counter productive. How can he be fully committed to trying to make it in baseball, if he isn’t willing to give up his cushy ESPN gig? According to Colin Cowherd, 10 teams were interested in signing Tebow, but only the Mets were willing to allow him to continue his broadcast career – thus proving that the Mets are in it for the publicity. If they were interested in his potential, you think they would want him fully committed to actually improving.
I wish Tebow the best, but I am no longer convinced he is truly serious about trying to make it in baseball. Maybe he proves me wrong and commits to several years in the minors (and maybe overseas), but until then, I’m just not buying he’s 100% committed, since, well, he isn’t even 100% committed to the instructional league.
[Image Credit: SportingNews.com]