Better known for his college football prowess and brief but intrigue-filled NFL career, former quarterback Tim Tebow is stepping onto the diamond today in an effort to show that he is worth developing as a corner outfielder. It’s questionable whether he can make the transition at the age of 29, which is about the time that many top major leaguers are reaching free agency. You can read more background and details of today’s showcase right here.
Here are the latest notes before scouts get their first look:
- Tebow’s undertaking to pursue a late-breaking baseball career grew from a side consideration into a full-blown effort, ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick writes. While Tebow has begun to make believers out of some of those who have worked with him — including former MLB backstop Chad Moeller and long-time big league pitcher David Aardsma — he still has some work to do in convincing scouts and front offices. But Crasnick explains that there are some in the baseball ops world who are genuinely intrigued by a player who did turn some heads back in his high school days — if mostly for his pure athletic ability and evident leadership skills. Those inclined to learn more about Tebow’s unique quest would do well to read all of Crasnick’s detailed, rather interesting piece.
- Even before he hits the field today, Tebow has drawn an offer from a respected Venezuelan winter league team, the Aguilas del Zulia, according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports. The team’s general manager, Luis Amaro — brother of former Phillies executive and current Red Sox coach Ruben Amaro Jr. — says that Tebow is “a great talent.” While it remains to be seen whether his athletic ability can fully translate, Amaro says it’s worth finding out: “I know baseball is a hard game,” he said, “but he’ll either adjust and show he’s ready to play pro ball or not. I think it’s low risk, high reward for Zulia.”
- Certainly, a Venezuelan winter ball assignment wouldn’t be the equivalent of leaping to the majors, but it represents a stiff test for any player. Many current and hopeful big leaguers hone their skills there and in other winter ball settings. Notably, too, Aardsma says that he believes Tebow is capable of reaching the Double-A level as soon as the 2017 season, the veteran reliever told Anthony McCarron of the New York Daily News.
I feel like the best he could do is absolutely demolish one pitch but struggle the rest. the numbers aren’t on his side I can’t imagine trying to get used to the timing of a professional pitcher after 10 years but best of luck.
“evident leadership skills”
It’s impossible for one player to “lead” another player to hit better. This isn’t football, he can’t lead the team down the field by making team plays. Baseball is only a team game in fine print only, it always comes down 1-on-1, batter vs pitcher.
I agree 100%, well put “just another “
I’d actually say it’s more like 1 on 9, considering the pitcher isn’t the only person able to make an out on defense….
The pitcher dictates everything, and the hitter is the only person who can change the outcome of the ball being thrown by him, the rest is where the secondary “team game” comes into play.
It’s 1-on-1 until the batter makes contact.
Baseball is absolutely a team sport. And if you believe it only comes down to 1-1 pitcher vs hitter, than you don’t watch baseball.
Its more of a team/individual hybrid
From the batter’s perspective, it’s only a team sport when someone is on the base paths. From the defense’s perspective, it’s only a team sport when the ball is put into play.
It’s way more 1 on 1 then hockey, football soccer or basketball. I’d say it’s more 2 on 1 though just do the fact that the pitcher, batter and catcher are the only ones in every play
Um, he can be a leader in the clubhouse. I’m no fan of Tebow, but he is a leader. I’d sign him simply for the publicity, ticket & merchandise sales.
Um, how can anyone be a “leader in the clubhouse”? You might argue that a player can “lead the way” by his own excellent play, but that bears no outcome on how the other players play.
I’m curious though, what exactly are you referencing by “leading in the clubhouse”? Cheering hits? Grabbing gatorade for a guy after he hits a homer? Giving a loving pat on the shoulder of a pitcher who just got rocked? Telling a teammate they rock? Those aren’t things worthy of giving a big league roster spot to, ahead of guys who are actually good at playing the game.
Johnny Gomes is a pretty good example of “leadership in the clubhouse.” I agree with you in the sense that I am not 100% sure what that means….however mlb as a whole spoke highly about his leadership ability. Towards the end of his career especially there were probably better options in the minor league to have on your roster then Gomes….however his leadership kept him in the league and on world series teams for several years!
So there is some merit to his statement.
There is NO merit to that when it come to Tebow. Gomes could still hit Major League Pitching at times, Plus he had success in the Major Leagues. Tim Tebow has done NADA in baseball, so the more plausible situation is for him to cause conflict for getting special privileges over the guys that have toiled through the minor leagues.
Have you ever played baseball? I’m not sticking up for Tebow at all but baseball is a team sport. Chemistry is a big deal. Sure it might not be the difference between a home run or a fly out but these guys play 162 games a year together. They aren’t robots, they have emotions. One bad guy in a clubhouse can bring everyone’s moods down. It will effect your motivation and motivation will effect your performance. Don’t you want your team to be trying to win instead of saying screw it and just do it for the paychecks and not care? I know I would. Just like they say when you make an error but it behind so you don’t dwell on it cause if you do you won’t be focusing on the moment, on the task at hand and that can lead to more failure. It can ruin your whole game if you let it get to you. Leadership can help all of this. They can keep the mood up and players happy for 162 games. It’s a bigger deal than you make it sound.
Put* it behind you
He’s not a ML player, so how can that help?? Gomes was a ML Player. They would look at Tebow with resentment, b/c hasn’t earned NADA! They won’t RESPECT him.
Seems like most big leaguers love football, and all certainly appreciate how tough it is, especially QB… They’d definitely respect the guy on some level, no question.
AJ Ellis and the Dodgers. One of the most respected players in the clubhouse. Sets an example for younger players, not afraid to call players out, etc. Prince Fielder filled that role when he was the Brewers. Very vocal and set the tone for the clubhouse. When a team is together for as much as they are during a season, you need a strong, vocal leader who’s not afraid to call players out for dogging it. So much more goes on in baseball than what you see on the field.
I should say “formerly” of the Dodgers. There’s a reason that Dodgers clubhouse was described as “tomblike” after Ellis was traded
AGAIN. How does this apply to Tebow in a ML clubhouse? I know all about clubhouse leaders and such. This specific topic is about TEBOW
Hey junior stay with us. This is all in response to the poster who is doubting the concept of being a leader in the clubhouse. Could Tebow fill that role if he were to make the roster. Absolutely. Would he be good? Probably not. But you don’t have to be good to be a leader. Once again, look at Ellis.
the term “leader in the clubhouse” has been around for decades… are you sure you are as knowledgeable about baseball as you think you are?
Should have played a season of independent baseball if he were serious about pursuing a baseball career instead of causing this media circus.
This, exactly this. Go play with Jose Canseco first, then Japan if you are truly kind of good, then come knockin at MLB’s door after showing you can perform on a daily level.
The sheer arrogance of this guy is something else. If the greatest player in NBA history was terrible at converting to MLB, what makes him think a scrub washout NFL player will be any better?
Agree 150% if that’s possible. It’s really a slap at all of the guys out there playing in independent leagues, winter ball, and all over the world trying their hardest to get noticed and signed by a major league franchise, just so they can then go to the minor leagues and work their tails off just to maybe, one day get a shot at playing big league baseball. To me, that’s one of the great things about pro sports and baseball in particular: very, very few of those who set their goals of playing at the top professional levels are ever good enough or lucky enough to make it.
And Tebow gets to put on a showcase for big league scouts… because he’s Tim Tebow and he played baseball many years ago. I’m not rooting against him, but I am certainly not rooting for him.
Tebow is probably broke now and realizes he needs to find a new way to make money. He’s better off working at Starbucks. I hear they have great benefits.
MJ wasn’t terrible, but he wasn’t a Major Leaguer. He played WELL in the Fall vs the so called Best of Best. He wasn’t the worst player in the Southern League. He was Below Avg, but not Terrible for 1yr of baseball since HS
Except Tebow has zero reason to bother with doing that. He’s not some athlete that was undrafted, or drafted and struggled in the minors. He’s made money and has a stable sizable income at ESPN. There’s no need to go through an independent league to hope to garner MLB attention when your name already does that on its own. And it’s only a media circus because of the social media age. If this were 16 years ago, you wouldn’t even hear about it.
He has a winter ball offer but will ultimately turn it down because talking about college football means more to him than a chance at a baseball career. I can’t wait for the comparisons between how long his swing and his throwing motion are.
This is clearly a publicity stunt. Hitting is one of the most difficult things to do in all sports. The best players in today’s game took 2-4 seasons in the minors refining that one aspect of their game and on top of that had to adjust to the league countless times after pitchers eventually catch up to your tendencies. There are literally hundreds of thousands of baseball players that killed it in high school which suggests he isn’t all that special. Couple that with the fact that he hasn’t played competitively in ten years and there is very little to like here.
Another interesting fact is in today’s world full of advanced metrics and analytics, where would Tebow even stand? He doesn’t have plus speed. I highly doubt he would rate well in defensive categories. I doubt anyone who hasn’t played since his junior year of high school could maintain an even decent average batting. At best he’s a two tool player in my opinion and because of his lack of experience and age this topic is almost laughable.
Yanks sign him to entry level
Send him to Staten Island
He’s a good guy, better human being, and hard worker so if he shows the ability sign him and let him prove he deserves to climb each level.
I would love Yanks sign him not because we need another DH or outfielder in our already stocked system but if George were alive he would have probably already have been signed because George loved football players and the mentality and he loves to bring excitement to fan base.
Worth less than zero as a QB and even less as a baseball player. 50 to 1 odds he never hits above the Mendoza line, and defense will be worse than his bat
An athletic, former college football player that can’t play baseball? This has Kenny Williams written all over it.
I will say this about Tebow.. He has better chance of making it to the show than TMac did.
Sure, having a leader in the clubhouse is a great thing. I am also not 100% sure what that entirely means, but motivating players, keeping things loose during tough stretches, and having experience are all part of that. I’m sure tebow is a great leader, but it doesn’t mean anything if he doesn’t have the abilities to make a ML roster…
In the game of baseball, you can only be a leader if people respect how you play or played the game of baseball. Tebow is a football player trying to play baseball. Baseball players in the clubhouse might respect what he has done on a college football field, but that wouldn’t translate into a baseball clubhouse leadership role because he hasn’t done anything in the game of baseball that would merit respect.
That’s not a terrible assumption, but I’d like to think they’d still respect him on some level. I just always hear players talk about a leader’s “readiness, focus, just the way he prepares for a game” etc, and none of those have to do with his results that day necessarily. But who knows, it’s definitely interesting to think about. We need one of those big leaguers who write for mlbtr now to weigh in! Ha
So tired of this drama queen.
Well said not again 27
Gotta think of it as a baseball choice. He is a pretty fast, very strong very raw player. His downside is he is 29. If I’m a team I take a flyer on him pay him 3k a year to be a minor leaguer and let him surprise me
First of all, does he deserve the attention? Yeah, he probably does, his accomplishments as a pro athlete are undeniable, so it makes perfect sense that he gets a tryout for scouts. Sure, they weren’t in baseball, but he’s proven such a facinating competitor that he’s at least earned a tryout, right?
Second, how could anyone hate on this guy for following his dream? If it’s a publicity stunt, then whatever. But I say we believe him first! We would never go after any 16 year old that wants to play in the bigs, so how is this any different?
If you don’t like the guy, that’s totally cool, but I just can’t see how he’s intrinsically offensive to the game or to the minor league process or whatever. And he likely only needs to hit about as well as A.J. Ellis to add some serious value to a club… ha but who knows.