Burke Badenhop made his Major League debut on April 9, 2008 when he tossed a scoreless inning of relief for the Marlins. In the eight years that followed, he pitched 512 1/3 innings of 3.74 ERA ball with the Marlins, Rays, Brewers, Red Sox and Reds. He’s been a part of four trades (most notably the Miguel Cabrera/Dontrelle Willis blockbuster), tested Major League free agency and been in more than a dozen Major League and minor league clubhouses. We are thrilled to have Burke bring some of that unique perspective to MLB Trade Rumors. This is his fifth offering; he has previously written about the long path to reaching free agency, importance of September roster expansion, the experience of playing the spoiler and how big leaguers separate themselves from the teams for which they grew up cheering.
Upon hearing that Tim Tebow had been training for the better part of a year to play baseball, I didn’t think much of it. I figured he would have a showcase, scouts would show up, and the baseball world would get to see what the Heisman great and former NFLer had to offer. If he were any good, he’d show promise in his workout. I completely assumed and understood that he would be given a bit more benefit of the doubt thanks to his name alone.
As you know, the reviews on Tebow were mixed after the workout. Most reports praised his power, were skeptical of his outfield work, and noted his arm was well below average. The critique that stuck with me most was a scout’s view that Tebow looked like “an actor trying to portray a baseball player.” Such a description summed up so many things in just one sentence. I pictured Bernie Mac hacking away in Mr. 3000 or Freddie Prinze Jr.’s rudimentary mechanics from Summer Catch. The average fan might not notice, but as a pro baseball player, you know the difference between a ballplayer and someone who’s just dressed as one for Halloween.
I checked out the video from the workout out of curiosity. Tebow’s swing looked fine to me. It was definitely long, but it was powerful and fell far short of looking as bad as a Charles Barkley golf swing. Tebow’s outfield work definitely left more to be desired, though. He shagged fly balls with an awkward ‘five step drop’ type of footwork. And I couldn’t stop looking at his glove. Not the type of glove or the color or anything, but how it was broken in. It was just wrong. It didn’t have a pocket, it was bent in a weird way and he had all five fingers in each finger hole, which I’ve never seen an outfielder do.
Despite all the red flags I saw and read about, I figured someone would still sign him. I had no problem with that. He had some pop from the left side. You can teach him how to break a glove in later. The problem for me arose when I heard he signed for $100,000, the equivalent of a bonus for a top ten round draft pick. For some reason, it hurt. It stung.
Big leaguers are found all over the draft. For every first-round superstar like Kris Bryant, you’ll find a Daniel Murphy in the 13th round. I was drafted in the 19th round as a college senior. I signed for $1,000. You could draft 100 of me for the price of one Tim Tebow. Such a thought only elicits feelings of disrespect.
I fully realize that Tebow will sell a lot of jerseys and will entice far more fans to come to the ballpark than I ever did. From a business standpoint, he will probably be profitable. But, as a former player, those ends don’t necessarily justify the means. Taking a roster spot on a minor league team is one thing, but also handing a guy $100,000 is another. This move comes in a day and age when minor leaguers are finally standing up and voicing their displeasure with how their salaries have drastically lagged behind the overall financial growth in our game. I immediately thought of all the struggles you have as a minor leaguer — all of the two-bedroom apartments you end up sharing with five guys. I would have killed for even a $5,000 bonus.
To see a team give a 29-year-old with no baseball experience a six-figure bonus because he was good at college football was confusing. The road to “The Show” isn’t a walk in the park. You don’t get to the big leagues as a 19th-rounder and stay without earning it. It was a badge of honor for me. This signing makes it seem that maybe teams don’t take the grind as seriously as the players do. It sends a very mixed message.
As a minor leaguer you have to believe that talent wins the day. That if you are talented enough, you’ll become a big leaguer. Without that basic belief, you’d be crazy to spend a summer riding a bus from small town to small town, making less than $7,500 per season.
Whether the Mets signed Tebow because they believe in his baseball ability or because they want to sell jerseys is a mystery. The whole nature of it, though, does nothing but cast doubt that talent will eventually win the day. As I said before, I was somewhat angry when I saw the details of the signing. I’m not angry with Tim Tebow. He didn’t force any team to sign him. As a player who defied the odds to carve out a career in the big leagues, my emotions were just another reminder that for guys like me, maybe our grind to the top isn’t as respected as we’d like to believe.
Good grief, let me get my violin.
says the guy who probably worked half as hard as Badenhop and probably achieved less then 1/4. He’s saying what I imagine 99% of players and managers at all levels are thinking.
How get a short pier and take a long walk
i’m sorry someone has a gun to your head and is forcing you to read this
Please do get it, and do us all a favor and shove it!!
You are showing nothing but such blatant disrespect for a man who absolutely earned everything throughout his way to the top..
Either way though, in no way is he even whining…The man is simply sharing his own personal thoughts and opinions on a highly talked about and debated topic..
Anyways, back to that subject and topic of choice..from my own hard work, experiences, and struggles with baseball I can definitely understand the thoughts shared by the writer..
When it is WIDELY KNOWN that minor leaguers are unhappy about being immensely underpaid, and then HAVING to know how hard each of them have worked to just earn those couple of thousands of dollars…then to hand out a $100,000 contract to someone who has already made millions of dollars, yet hasn’t put in a single year of professional baseball!?!?
For that front office to do that, it is truly ignorant, and it is just a major back-handed slap in the face to EVERY, SINGLE minor league player busting his rear end out there!! That isn’t even mentioning the level of disrespect it shows to the guys that spent roughly 10 to 15 years in the minors, busting their humps for just a tiny fraction of that per season!!!
This action, much ike the comment before me, it is just soo disrespectful on so many levels!!
Very well put!!
Well said bravesfan88… really well said. You’re quickly becoming one of my favorite people to read comments from!
I could not have said this any better myself. As someone who has managed a coached at the lowest of Independent Baseball, I know all too well the struggles of minor leaguers. I’ve said this whole fiasco started, it’s an absolute slap in the face to anyone who has ever played professional baseball and never got a chance. To ass insult to injury, while a guy who hasn’t played baseball in TEN YEARS gets a $100K based on his name alone, my guys are sleeping 50 to a house in Las Vegas, New Mexico making $50/week!
Lastly, he will not succeed playing professional baseball. He just won’t. At the end of this embarrassing audition, all he’ll have to show for his the memory of hitting a HR his first AB.
@NYHopVA – Nice to hear from someone currently in the minors. The cost to pay minor leagues a livable salary is chump change to MLB. It pisses me off that people suggest this. The bottom line is that MLB teams don’t succeed without MiLB, they need the feeder system to ensure that players hone their skills so by the time they get to the show it makes it more entertaining.
Honestly I feel it’s just going to get to a point where players will get so frustrated they will unionize and there will be a labor disruption. Do you think this would happen? Or will teams continue to take advantage?
Great write-up, Burke. I’m so tired of hearing about this failure as if he’s someone everyone should look up to. If he was so great, he would still be in the NFL.
You can be a great person that people should look up to and not play in the NFL.
To look at that from the other side of things, there are plenty of criminals, rapists and half-wits who play in the NFL. Do you look up to them?
Another opportunity to bag Tebow. You people are ridiculous. Nowhere in the article above was the author insulting Tebow at all.
Like I’ve been saying: if he wanted to do this the right way, Tebow would have gone directly to indy ball to prove himself, THEN have a MLB workout.
The $100K is absolutely to do with promotion, nothing more nothing less. He can hit a home run, but so could Charlie Sheen and Tom Selleck (even into their respective 40’s).
Anyone who compares this to Michael Jordan is just a stan for Tebow and nothing else, they probably need to get a better cause or hobby.
I really echo and praise Burke for this piece, well done.
Tebow has a big following, you can’t even get a Scottsdale Scorpion hat online!
Really? A ballplayer that is just finding out that life is unfair? How many athletes get scholarships to college when they have substandard grades? Is that fair to the students that want an education? As an athlete, you chose your career path. Nobody forces you into it. If you want more money and lack the skills to make what you want to make, develop skills outside of sports and go get a job doing that. Life is unfair, but, your outcomes are dependant on you.
How much revenue are the students generating for the University with their grades? Not even close to being a good comparison. Try again
my son and his college friends are giving back to scholarship they accepted 5 years ago. they are planning to do this every year as long as they can. if not more in terms of donations.
How much revenue is a minor league player generating?
there’s not a direct relation to the value of a minor leaguer based on ticket or Jersey sales – as someone mentioned earlier, they are necessary for mlb players to hone and develop their skills, so their value can be tied to the income mlb players generate as well.
Unfortunately, not everything is so simple and as black and white as you are implying…
By implying that life is just simply unfair, and we all SOLELY make our own outcomes..that implies that those around us and others have zero impact on our own paths and journey throughout life..
Well, that is just simply not true…
Yes, the people that believe that are called recipients of government benefits.
Burke,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I understand the reaction you had, but I disagree with it somewhat.
At the end of the day, we all know the front office guys don’t care about the 11 PM bus ride to get in at 7 AM to some town that offers nothing but a minor league game and Waffle House. They don’t understand the risks guys take to pull themselves out of a “real job”, offering “real life” experience, for just the chance of making it to the big leagues, let alone stay there. Most just don’t care.
So when I said I disagree, it’s because everyone should know, before they sign on the dotted line for less than minimum wage to wear a costume and throw a ball around, the people you answer to are answering to the bottom line, period. Heck, even when you make it to the big leagues, stay there for a few years, those same people you thought had your back will drop you for the next guy that’ll put money in their pockets.
A Tebow situation comes around once every fifteen years and to me it’s nothing to get upset over. However, I do hope that guys considering a career in baseball take notice of this situation as a sign of what really matters.
Completely agree, this is my perspective as well. The most valuable assets get the most money, that’s how capitalism has always worked.
If Burke wanted to sell more merchandise he was free to market himself better with fans, as Tebow has done for pretty much his entire career.
BB, I can appreciate your perspective and thank you for taking the time to contribute, hearing a players perspective is fantastic and I appreciate you contributing.
Your career is unique compared to most of society, and as someone with a unique career path myself, I can appreciate the extra work, dedication, commitment, and support it requires to believe in yourself and your path more than maybe anyone else does.
But this does come off a little as sour grapes. Maybe TT is a mockery of things. Keith Law certainly didn’t think TT had any baseball business being out there, and his chances of reaching the majors is an incredible uphill battle. Or maybe the Mets know and see something we don’t and think his athleticism is enough they can refine him.
But I just never liked when people complained about what others made/earned etc. in fact, as a former big leaguer, I’m sure your career earnings are often ridiculed by the average fan. Most who don’t understand that to ever earn that level of income that you went through some major struggles and are helping owners produce a product that is incredibly valuable in the entertainment world.
My take is: good for Tebow for dedicating himself and working hard at this. I’m happy for him to place all of his effort and everyone should be allowed to pursue whatever dreams they have as long as it’s not creating hardships for others. The Mets may think 100k is worth the merchandise that they’ll sell, however, I really doubt those economics stand up. The team probably only makes $10ish bucks per jersey sold. I’d have to look, but that would require 10k jerseys to be sold even without sales taxes to be accounted for. Maybe that’s already happened. But the continued investment they have to make to TT with instructors, coaches, time, energy, and a placement in their organization far exceeds that 100k, as teams made with you through their development processes. I don’t know the costs on such a thing, but I imagine it easily exceeds the value of 100k
Again, thanks for contributing, and I look forward to more posts. I will continue to read what you write on here 🙂
The problem is, JFactor, Tebow isn’t working hard and committing himself to this. He’s only playing 4 days a week, taking weekends off in order to do college football on TV. That’s not what real prospects do. They sweat and starve and persevere to make it. Tebow is a publicity stunt. The Mets only get 4 slots in the AFL, and I’m sure there is a real prospect willing to play six days a week and put in tons of extra work just for the shot. Tebow, however isn’t that guy.
If they’re not making their money back, and will have to put in a lot of time far exceeding $100K, to me that seems like a reason to not give him such a large bonus, rather than an argument for it.
sadly they’ll make the 100k on jerseys and other teabow paraphernalia, so it isn’t a loss for the mets organization and in a lot of ways only in this day and age when a guy gets the nomination for president based on his reality show celebrity status do you see this kind of crap.
The argument is that it’s not just 100k. But arguably way more (couldn’t say how much but I’m sure the Mets have an idea). Coach time, organizational slots, travel, food, etc etc.
Having a player in your development system costs way more than whatever bonus they receive (what I was getting at in my post). I can’t get behind the Mets simply signing TT as a publicity stunt. The economics don’t add up. I would argue they would have to sell more than 100,000 jerseys, but again, that’s only a guess because I don’t know how the Mets would value/assess this. But clearly to them, he was worth north of 100k, otherwise they wouldn’t have bothered.
Quick thought, but doesn’t the MLB share all jersey revenue, including that of Tebow?
That’s true except in the case of the Mets, who got a special exemption from that because of the Madoff thing.
You write exceptionally well, Burke, and I look forward to more of your contributions.
The Tebow fanboys (or apologists) who are left, in spite of your perspective as an ex-player and that of analysts like Keith Law, remain a mystery to me.
Excellent article Burke!
“You could draft 100 of me for the price of one Tim Tebow” really hit me.
Yeah it was a really powerful line.
It doesn’t seem as powerful after reading Burke’s gross earnings of $8.8M on BR
I think his point is that he earned the chance to make that money after a loooong grind that wasn’t made any easier by the fact that he received a de minimus bonus and earned peanuts in the minors.
Okay, okay Jeff. You keep getting upset when I bring up Burke’s earnings (I forgot to mention the MLB pension, too).
I don’t think he can justify comparing the everyday man’s grind to Tebow’s (revenue-generating) situation.
But if I called you to apologize…who hangs up first??
Loved the article Burke.
Baseball is a business in which it’s not exactly unusual to see teams spend large amounts of money on player acquisitions that don’t work out.
I can intellectually understand Burke feeling the way he does. Nothing wrong with that. But there’s no universally right or wrong way to feel. Personally, I find it hard to care much if at all about any team spending $100k.
Well anyone who is a fan of the game has the immense respect for making it to the show. I don’t know how you guys even get the calories ya need, much less the nutrition. But the respect you earned is exclusive from what teams do to promote their brand.
PS There are a few big leaguers out there not doing tip on their gloves. Though I agree it looks like Tebow just grabbed the first glove he saw at PIAS and decided to use it.
Always good to hear from somebody who does baseball for a living.
BUT: I wonder how many people would be screaming for their favorite team’s GM’s head if TT makes it to the majors. 100K? Teams pay ten times that to guys who hit .210 or have 6.50 ERAs. Teams pay millions to sign kids in the amateur draft, most of whom (even in the first round) will never see the inside of a MLB park without buying a ticket. Teams pay millions to 16 year old Caribbean kids who very seldomly pan out. Really, what’s a 100 thou for a guy whose going to make some minor league owner very happy. And who MIGHT (and I mean MIGHT) make it to the show; stranger things have happened.
As for the Keith Laws of the world, well, there’s a reason why he’s an EX-member of a front office, and he’s never said anybody is knocking down his door. He’s essentially a numbers cruncher (his real job with Toronto) who picked up some scouting jargon by being in the same room with scouts. I actually found his rant revolting. Not that he doesn’t have something to offer, but its far from gospel.
The hundred players who could have been drafted for the $100,000 given to Tebow all have one thing in common: no national recognition. Tebow’s alternatives to professional baseball are high-profile media gigs. The hundred players’ alternatives are the same as every other high school/college graduate in the country.
This situation isn’t about the Mets’ ROI. It’s not about respect. It’s about Tebow having a far stronger negotiating position than a 19th-round pick.
very well put. the issue is, and has never really been, about Tebow himself
Fans should care about this issue more than most of them do. For baseball to continue growing and being played a high level, you have to have players willing to put in the effort to survive the grueling minor league system that allows you to produce the best players possible
If the minor leaguers, though, decide the ‘grind’ just isn’t worth it anymore because they (quite literally) have families to feed, they’ll just quit pro baseball entirely. For the owners to say they can’t afford to pay minor leaguers a living wage… but then give somebody like Tebow that much money… yeah, that’s not a way to make your employees feel valued
I’m not sure why there are some on here that believe he got his feeling hurt by the way the article was written. I think every single one of his points is valid. Why shouldn’t he be upset that the game he played just signed a joke player. Sure he may sell jerseys but looks how long that lasted in the NFL. Let’s not forget that was his sport as well. It doesn’t make any sense why a team would sign him. A waste of space.
It’s all jersey sales and honestly 100k to any mlb team isn’t really anything I honestly don’t know why Burke or anyone takes it for anything other than the spectacle it’s supposed to be just like in football articles prior I already can’t stand the attention he gets he couldn’t make it as a qb after playing it for his whole life he’s now going to wake up and b able to hit a 95mph fastball or a real good curve can we talk about someone who is or has an actual chance to be a legitimate major leaguer
Poor guy doesnt understand that Tebow signed as a FA,. He was drafted and a slave to whatever team drafted him. He could sign for hat the offered or walk away and flip hamburgers or work in an office. Same choice every Amercian born player has, and soon coming to the rest of the world. The drafts main purpose is to keep prices down for young players who want to play professional baseball in the hope of making the MLB. Moncada cost the Red Sox 63 million. If he was drafted he might have got 8 million. If a draft pick gets 100K, you can bet he could have got 700K or more if he could have signed with any team
Correct, he didn’t have a repressed value like draft picks do
Half of me totally feels Burke on this one. I totally support overhauling minor league pay. It’s ridiculous that the beer guy at an MLB stadium can make more money annually than some low level minor leaguers
But… the other half of me gets a little irritated hearing about how rough minor league life is.
I’ve known WAY too many people who went through hell to achieve their dreams, where the pot of gold at the end of their rainbow was working for 40 years building up a retirement that if they’re lucky might be the size of one year’s MLB minimum salary. The only people I know besides professional athletes who retire around or before age 40 got shot at eight thousand miles away and had to fight with the VA for ages before they could start trying to build a normal life again.
So, yeah, riding a bus around from one bum-fark town to the next for tiny amounts of money sucks – and again I totally get that it has to change – but the people that do it do it because they love baseball and are chasing down an opportunity the vast majority of people can scarcely even comprehend. The ones that burn out long before the big leagues still have a LOT of life ahead of them, and actually knowing a few guys who spent some time on the fringes of pro sports, they really seem to cherish the experience.
Again, I’ve got some mixed feelings here and I definitely sympathize with Burke here, but I think that we have to put what ballplayer life is into perspective – it’s a dream that I’m sure most of us had when we were kids, but most of us had to abandon it when we realized we sucked at baseball. The high schools in the school district I grew up (mostly comprised of two second-ring suburbs of a major city, about 110,000 population) in produced literally ONE major leaguer in a hundred years. Not a lot of people even get to get drafted in the 40th round and fail at rookie ball.
I wish I could get 100k to be a part-time non-prospect. Tebow doesn’t take this seriously; why should we take him seriously? I was a good high school player too, but I didn’t quit the sport before my senior year. Where’s my tryout?
One small detail with the unfair to Tebow getting his $100k bonus. The slot for the last selection in the 1oth round is $156k. What that means is the upper eschelon grabbed all the bonus money and that is why lower rounds get peanuts. Not saying Tebow is worth the money but complaining will not get the Mets a refund.
PS–For all of the cheap talk about the Pirates, the still hold the MLb record for a draft bonus with$8 million going to Cole. MLB changed the bonus rules when they paid Bell $5 million in the 2nd. That is the record for 2nd round picks
I think he’s just trying to share how he feels, being in the same business and seeing a huge wage gap. Especially one based on something other than the work itself.
Imagine if Tim Tebow started at your job but his starting wage was 10x what you make, and he lacked the experience and struggle that you have accumulated over the years.
I would get mad at work when cute women were given multiple passes when they no-showed at work or messed up severely but males were fired on the spot.
Business is business, but I work for a small business now because they care about the employees and don’t pull moves like this.
Unfortunately baseball is corporate America just like these other huge companies, where people are expendable and can be tossed at the owner’s discretion.
And more unfortunately most people pursuing a career in baseball do not know or fully understand this until its too late.
Not to be contrary, but that happens all the time. Family or friends come in and a boss pays the more than many already on the payroll. You either grin and bear it or you look for another job. If you complain, the boss makes the decision to seek new employment for you. Sucks but it happens a lot more than you think. Lucky for you you do not have that problem. I work in small business too. It happened to me. My kid works for a large corporatio. My kid is younger so older people with more expire cue were let go in spite of not much higher pay with an impending merger coming.
Burke,
This all sounds like sour grapes to me.
Baseball is a business. You know that better than anyone. Baseball Reference says you grossed $8.8M in your career.
If I were to take your point of view on this, I could say, “hey, this guy Burke isn’t that smart, didn’t work as hard as me in school, yet made $8.8M and now gets to write about baseball for a living because he was born with a better right arm than me”.
Life’s not fair. You know that. Don’t take it personally. I generally enjoy your pieces.
Also, to anyone bashing Tebow for giving baseball a shot. Please stop. He and his agent made some money and he gets to play baseball. Would you NOT do this??
Joe!!!! Loved watching you play!! However, you also reminded me how old I am…… 🙁
He could just enjoy his career earnings and stay quiet. He’s talking from the perspective he gained as one of the guys who busted his butt with no promises and managed to make it. I’m not going to deny that I’d also prefer to have had the chance to make that kind of dough playing ball, but there are thousands of guys like him who put it all on the line for nothing and never made it — many of whom may not have ever received the shot at the majors for whatever reason.
I too am fine with Tebow taking his crack at playing ball. But I have some sympathy for the idea that if he was really totally serious about the game, he would’ve gone about it somewhat differently — not marketing signed baseballs from the get-go, no televised debut, perhaps a break from the football TV gig, maybe even no bonus. (And probably made the transition earlier.)
Jeff,
I get the perspective angle but that goes out the window when Burke starts talking about being personally disrespected by the signing. Give me a break.
And I get your point about the balls and the football gig. Fair point, absolutely. But you can’t get righteous and say he should’ve taken a harder path or no bonus. That’s outrageous.
He’s trying something he wants to do. He’s increasing his net worth. All while keeping his day job.
The Mets have made 10,000 worse decisions in their history than giving Tim Tebow $100K.
Oh and he’s a guy who donates time and money to charitable causes. Can we just pump the breaks on bashing this guy and get back to real baseball stories.
Please be the real Joe…..
You guys need to hire Burke this was such a great article.
Well, it is his fifth piece for us, so ….
Sounds like a tryout for MLB Trade Rumors 🙂
When is he eligible for arbitration?
It’s an entertainment business and Tebow has the name recognition.
Hey Burke and all baseball lovers/lifers,
As someone who worked in the startup tech world for years, I have something to add to this conversation. I worked menial jobs at startups, worked in high-level positions, and even owned my own startup. I’ve gone through boot-strapping (no funding) and helped small companies secure funding.
This is very similar to minor league players. Some at the very top have nice signing bonuses and others at the bottom eat ramen noodles. It doesn’t change their choice… and i emphasize choice… of career path.
They choose to work in the startup world; with everyone chasing the unicorn that is Google, Facebook, Apple, ETC.. And every baseball player chooses to chase the unicorn that is Chipper Jones, Clayton Kershaw, David Price, ETC.
I write all of this to say this: It’s not everyone else’s fault that you (an others) choose your industry and it isn’t our job to change your circumstances. It’s your job to do so. When I was eating ramen noodles, I wondered if i’d done the wrong thing… But I never asked an investor to give me more money because I could only afford ramen noodles.
I showed up to the meeting with the angel investor wearing my best suit, best attitude, and acted like I had caviar the night before. He didn’t care what my circumstances were. He cared what I can/could/would do for him and an industry… and that’s his job.
So while I have much respect for minor league ball players, and can even relate to some degree, I also understand the other side of the fence. I’ve been in similar shoes.
I hope this comment helps to bridge the gap between the ballplayers and business/non ballplayer folks so we can all respect those who give so much just to do what we love even when it means poor circumstances… And understand that it is only our responsibility to allow us to go from ramen noodles to caviar.
GO BASEBALL
Great
Go Tebow!! It’s not his fault that a MLB team signed him for $100,000
See I see no problem with this in anyway. Tebow is not at fault here in anyway. Nor do I think the Mets are. They put in the money they expected to get something out of it.
I have nothing against TT he can do what he wants with his life and nothing against the Mets they can waste their money on him. I just am tired of hearing about him. He is a great guy a great role model but he is part of a long line of college Heisman Trophy Winners that were busts in the NFL. Time to move on this 15 minutes will pass and he will have gotten more money and more of the spotlight good for him. I only read the article so I wouldn’t get fined or really because I like BBs stuff so I concur we want more. Not that we don’t like your stuff Jeff we do but he has another angle must of us will never have.
Mets project they will sell X amount of Tebow jerseys prior to signing him. Mets then negotiate with Tebow’s representatives. Tebow’s representation knows how many jerseys will be sold and they meet somewhere in the middle. Reps get paid, Mets make money and Tebow’s motives are achieved (whether that is for attention, baseball success, or making more money in professional sports is up to the interpretation of an individual’s perspective of Tebow).
I won’t be rooting for or against Tebow, I think if he wanted to prove himself he would have played in Indy ball for one season. Offers would have followed with an ounce of success.
One thing is for sure. A 29 year old heisman trophy award winner with a huge following is much more valuable than any 11th round draft pick in any draft ever. So the $1k bonus vs his $100k bonus is comparing apples and oranges. I wouldn’t take it personally.
Oh No! The Mets sign TT and pay him$100K to make money someday off his name and slight chance he’ll progress? Come on….. Baseball is not the perfect meritocracy baseball purists would have you believe. Players quit, get hurt, are mis-evaluated all the time. If it is the perfect evolutionary survival of the fittest process, then the purists can rest assured Tim will soon be out of baseball.
Burke, despite my comments which may come off as snippy I really do enjoy your pieces so don’t take it personally.
If it helps at all, I’m certain you’ve generated more clicks for the website then Tebow will sell t shirts for the Mets.
It’s laughable for Burke Badenhop to say he felt “disrespected” that Tim Tebow is making $100K.
First off, Burke made $8.8M in his career, PLAYING A GAME. Meanwhile, the average American is just trying to make sure he or she has enough money to pay both their mortgage and their car payment for the month. He was able to make more money by the age of 33 than many of us will accumulate in our entire lives. Sorry that Tebow’s earnings “elicits feelings of disrespect”, call us when you have to keep enough money to pay your mortgage like the rest of us.
Second, I would estimate that 99% of us would take $100K bonus if it was offered in a heartbeat. We wouldn’t once think about merit or whether there are more deserving people out there. If it helps us pay our bills, if it helps us become more financially free, we’ll take it. To sit there and talk about the plight of others (who, by the way, are playing a game for a living) is cute and all, but it’s not realistic. How many of us turn down a raise, promotion, or bonus at work because there are “others who have worked longer”? My guess: very, very few of us.
The self-righteous indignation that comes from people here is absolutely comical. Just let the guy play.
He’s not saying Tebow shouldn’t have taken the shot at playing ball — he’s saying the bonus and immediate AFL stint represent a slap in the face to players who have trudged through the minors for years making nothing. And I’d guess his feelings stem less from the fact that he did that and made it than from the fact that he was never sure if he would and played with a lot of guys who didn’t. The financial situation you describe is a fact of life for most professional baseball players. Sure, they’re playing a game, and it’s their choice, but that doesn’t mean they can’t feel slighted — and I don’t think the fact that Burke ultimately was able to earn in the majors disqualifies him from offering that perspective.
I totally get that people aren’t sympathetic to someone who had the chance to play big league ball and earn a nice salary doing so, but frankly I don’t think he’s asking for sympathy personally. He’s offering a viewpoint from the perspective of someone who entered the profession with thousands of others who were given little more than a token bonus and a spot on a low-A roster.
It sucks having people seemingly able to skip the dues-paying phase and get opportunities out of proportion with what they’ve proven they’re capable of – I think that more the point.
Sounds right.
Nice article Burke! It is great to get the perspective from a current or former player. Keep up the great work!!
I think a lot of the criticism of the article stems from the fact that it almost vilifies Tebow for doing him and puts him on the same level as someone who took another guy’s job by using PEDs.
Also, I’m LOVING the new TimTebowTradeRumors!
“I’m not angry with Tim Tebow. He didn’t force any team to sign him.”
Tebow is an investment for the Now. He’s worth more money because the returns will happen almost immediately.
Other low-tier draft picks are an investment for the future. They may pay off eventually but most absolutely will never make their money back. Most minor league teams aren’t in the business of making money, so it’s tough to justify big investments into guys that’ll never sniff the majors on average, won’t sell any jerseys and yeah that part sucks but how many other careers have the potential of a multimillion dollar payoff before you’re 30?
This is why people do the exact same thing in the tech world working for pre-IPO startups living 6 to a 2-br apartment and in some cases living out of their van in order to maybe get lucky and with some hard work cash in and be set for life while they’re still young.
It seems dramatically unaware of the world to complain about these things while the majority of people just grind out a life however they can with no reasonable expectations of anything more than maybe getting an early retirement if their 401k (if they’re lucky enough to have one!) doesn’t hit a rough patch before they get old.
I don’t think throwing that line in at the end negates the fact that he is somewhat vilifying Tebow and/or the situation. The player for not toiling for years and taking a roster spot. The team for handing a player with less experience than Burke $100K.
And when Burke factors in the bonus, I’m not sure how he could compare it to his situation. It’s just not apples-to-apples. And I not only mean that on the player’s revenue-generating ability. He’s not factoring in the revenue growth baseball has seen since he was drafted or inflation.
why doesn’t Tebow get at least part of the blame for this? He’s the one who started this little publicity stunt in the first place
He announces at the end of the regular season he’s suddenly interested in what amounts to a part time job as a minor leaguers (because he needs the weekends off for the TV gig he’s not willing to give up to pursue his ‘dream’ of playing baseball)… he should be called out for that
if anything he said leading up to this way true, he’d have waited until the off-season, signed with an Indy league team, and then actually committed to baseball…
instead he shows up late and takes a roster spot in a fairly prestigious league from some other prospect who is, frankly, needs the opportunity a lot more than Tebow does and has put in a heck of a lot more work to earn it. Why shouldn’t Tebow be vilified for that? It’s selfish, arrogant and disrespectful
Did he demand an AFL spot? How is it “selfish and arrogant” that the Mets put him there?
If you are offered a raise or promotion at work, do you consider all the other people in the office? Most of us, myself included, won’t. If you do, wow, you’re a better person than most. If you don’t, then nothing you said is much more than self-righteous bloviating.
I don’t think he’ll earn a trip the the Majors. I also don’t think it’s correct to villify him for getting what he got. You’re right that his roster spot could be taken with someone that has a better chance to make the bigs. But he didn’t make the call to sign himself.
That’s what is so bizarre about the indignation regarding Tebow. He did what literally any one of us would do: take a great opportunity and the money that stems from it.
Blame the Mets for screwing over other prospects, not Tebow.
This does sound whiny. However… None of us, unless we’ve done it, can possibly imagine the grind of training, training camp, a long season, dealing with injuries, etc etc.. So I get it .