In the biggest step of his fledgling professional baseball career, former NFL quarterback and current Mets outfielder Tim Tebow will report to the Arizona Fall League on Sunday and play for Scottsdale, per a club announcement.
“We want Tim to play in more games to continue developing his skills on the field while facing advanced competition,” said Mets general manager Sandy Alderson.
On Sept. 8, just over a week after he held a showcase for 28 of Major League Baseball’s 30 teams (neither the Cubs nor Athletics sent representatives to his workout), Tebow inked a minor league deal featuring a $100K signing bonus with the Mets. The 29-year-old, who previously hadn’t played baseball since high school, then began his pro career in the Florida Instructional League and hit .286/.375/.500 with a home run and two walks in three games. Tebow skipped Friday and Saturday workouts in the instructional league because of his college football broadcasting commitments with ESPN and the SEC Network, and the ex-Florida Gator will do the same in the AFL, according to Vince Lara-Cinisomo of Baseball America.
“Working in the Instructional League has been a lot of fun and productive,” said Tebow. “We worked hard and I was able to see a lot of pitches and work on different things. There was great coaching and I tried to improve every day. I plan to use the Fall League as an opportunity to improve. It’s a blessing and a great opportunity.”
In going to the AFL, the two-time national champion and 2007 Heisman Trophy winner will have a chance to further prove his worth as a baseball player against much better competition than he has faced to this point. Tebow will also play for the same AFL team basketball legend Michael Jordan suited up for during his brief foray into baseball.
*Quietly anticipates the ‘WHY IS THIS NEWSWORTHY?! HOW DARE YOU?!’ storm that awaits this thread*
Lol
I get the feeling that most people out there are waiting for Tebow to fail, but by all appearances he is proving the doubters wrong. Will they admit it? Probably not.
In a very limited sample size, he looks to be at least serviceable, and to even perform at the level he has thus far has been very impressive to say the very least. For someone to take all those years off and step into the fire like he has is downright ridiculous. He’s obviously a very talented individual and who knows where he’d be right now if he had started his baseball career right out of high school.
You can’t be serious. Three games and you declare that’s he’s proven people wrong? I’ll have whatever you are having, PLEASE.
How did you play in your three first games of your professional baseball career at any level? What about after years off because of injury or other interest?
Nobody thought he would sign anywhere. Nobody thought he would contribute or ever truly make a 25 man roster. However a Hr on his first at bat, promotion to the fall league (whether on merit or name is still a promotion and worthy). Give the kid a break. I hate people’s constant need to bust other’s down. I’m not a tebow fan, and hate those defending him simply because he’s a Christ lover, but at the same time down hate on him just because he’s a virgin. If we do that, half the people on online forums would be ignored! Give tebow credit for a small victory in an albeit small sample and hopefully the kid continues to do well as Sheffield predicted. I doubt he’ll crack a 40-man but that doesn’t mean I want him to fail. It would be a great story for someone changing sports to come back in such a fashion and would hopefully shut some people up in the process. People who have never played professional sports need to realize some of what they say as ludicrous
What does any of that have to do with his comment that 3 games is far too little to declare someone a success? Andrew Aalbers had a longer than 3 game run of success with the Twins a couple years ago, he’s not a success. Scott Diamond looked great for them the year before that, he can’t crack a MLB roster now. Three games is far too short to tell if someone is or isn’t going to be successful.
Also wanting someone to EARN a spot in the AFL (which is a fairly high honor and is something teams have historically reserved for their top prospects) isn’t an unreasonable expectation. Tebow might be great or he might be a flop, no one knows yet; however its undeniable that he hasn’t earned a spot in the AFL, he was given one, because it’s just not possible for ANYONE to earn the spot in only three very, very low level minor league games.
It’s not too much or little. 3 days is a small sample but obviously intangibles or potential extra income is a larger priority for the mets than a sole roster spot on a fall league team I suppose. I agree the sample is way to small to say anything about his potential future and I wouldn’t do that from 3 games; remember Latos first 3-4 games this season? 3 games isn’t enough to confirm or deny so I’m not sure what your arguing outside the obvious. Nobody is saying he’s going to the AFL or MLB HOF, 3 games is too little to judge but it obviously was attractive to PR. Maybe getting a chance would help, it’s impossible to predict development and often a crapshoot. Wouldn’t shock me to see him succeed in multiple levels and fan out, but I’m guessing he’ll sadly fade
IMO you’re heaping a little too much prestige on the AFL. It’s just a bunch of guys who need extra work. Granted, spots are limited, and they tend to go to guys that are well regarded, but at the end of the day, it’s a venue for teams to get guys some extra work after the minor league season is over. With the instructional league almost over, I think it totally makes sense to send him to the AFL and see what he’s got.
Albers and Diamond are not good comparisons… There is no comparison to this situation, except maybe Michael Jordan… In Tebow, you’ve got a guy who hasn’t played competitive baseball in over a decade, then it was high school ball.. He was a college football star and a failed NFL player. For him to be going to the AFL is truly amazing
Michael Jordan played a FULL season before going to the AFL. He also played vs FRESH pitching in the Full season, not players that for the most part are going through the motions.
Keith McDonald St. Louis Cardinals July 2000 hits homer in first two major league at bats had a career .333 avg 3 homers 5rbi only bad 3 major league hits.. How’s that for a sample size?
Perhaps the Mets’ brass truly feel that he is one of the better prospects that would play in the AFL should he have been born with a different name.
If the Mets think that, then they need to SELL that franchise to a sane person
Hmmm no. I’ve been in the “just let the guy play baseball” camp. But acting like he has done anything to prove anyone wrong, is way off base. He has not completely embarrassed himself in a hand full of plate appearances that have come against basically high school competition.
He will be completely overmatched in the AFL, sending him is an absolute waste for the Mets. This is silly and I’m one of the few that are fine with the Mets giving him a shot.
He’s played 3 games….
so two questions, really
1) what’s the AFL record for strikeouts in a single season?
and 2) how much you think Tebow beats it by?
Three Instructional league games and he is ready for the Fall League? Meanwhile, a couple hundred minor leaguers bust their rear ends for three years with hopes and dreams that they might one day play in the AFL. I’m not a Tebow basher and don’t believe this is his fault in any way. The Mets and their quest for PR carries all the blame in this instance. Can’t wait for the AFL Tebow Jersey sale report here in a few days.
In fairness most low level minor leaguers aren’t Heisman winning former professional athletes already.
What other minor leaguers are heisman winners, D1 national champions, multi sport prospective draftee, an nfl draft pick (I’m assuming he was drafted but I think it was a late round or FA signing/unstaffed)?. Regardless, the dude is a heisman winner and regardless of your sport, and ncaa no longer translating into nfl success, but some of those skills should carry over to help him. I’m concerned about his age but clearly he has “God-given” abilities we shouldn’t ignore, and clearly the Mets haven’t either and likely are soaking up as much PR as possible. Worse case, mets sell extra jerseys and tickets to a minor league clubs games and likely hella jerseys. Where is the harm in signing him? Is he really going to block the next Seager or Turner? Is some other A level guy only going to have a short span of success and miss the majors now? No, he’s not going to be high enough on the depth chart to ever block anyone. There’s no risk, outside all the tebow supporters going crazy complaining when he’s cut or DFA’d
Doesn’t mean I don’t hope he does well. He seems like a good kid, tough with cameras all over, and he’s trying to make a career after choosing the wrong sport. I think some support from other sports fans is not only warranted because of his history but that’s imo
Tebow sucks at baseball. Its a foregone conclusion. His heart isn’t even in it – he is taking two days off a week to got to his real job. Every interview he gives he talks about how he wants to work hard and give it everything he’s got. What he leaves out is give it everything he’s got in his free time
How dare you not see that three games is the same as three years of play? How dare you not consider that he played professional football (which is virtually the same game as baseball), which other players that have been playing baseball haven’t done? Obviously I’m being sarcastic here. The skill sets of football and baseball are quite different. The only thing his football past shows is that he’s a great athlete. The point that is getting overlooked here is that to get to a level where you might get a look at the AFL, those players all have to be great athletes as well.
Next fall after playing a year, Tebow might have earned a spot. This fall he hasn’t even come close if for no other reason that he hasn’t been in the minors long enough to show anything.
My feeling on the value of the Arizona Fall League just went down.
Why isn’t Timbo on the post-season roster?
Ha. Nice. Have him pitch instead of Syndergaard? Maybe man the corner OF spot instead of YoeCes? I think Maybe you’re forgettin how Tebow was known in ncaa for his arm 😉
Jokes aside, he won’t be on the roster. He’s low level. Maybe in a few years if miracles happen. Not only the mets making the playoffs again but tebow making the team would shock me! Shock!
I hope he does well, im tired of people saying he doesn’t deserve a shot!
Tebow couldn’t make the transition from the NCAA to the NFL. I would argue that there is a much bigger leap in competition between instructional league and the AFL. Tebow may or may not be successful come December, but he will definitely be exposed initially.
My bet is that his adjustment – or lack thereof – is what the Mets want to see. It is an undeserved promotion following an undeserved signing, but now the Mets have to see what, if anything, they’ve got and the AFL is the best, fastest, and most painless way to do that.
Dang, I guess they’re just giving away AFL roster spots now. Sorry to that prospect whose been working their tail off for several years. You just got Tebow’d!
Performs terribly – I told ya so.
Performs well – but, but, but…..
Not all, but many people are so wrapped up in their own miserable existence that they feel the need to pass it along to perfect strangers on the internet. It’s sad, it really is.
Someone can’t even give the slightest bit of mild praise to another individual’s accomplishments, no matter how small they may be, without some sort of over-the-top backlash. Thinking in terms of how difficult the game is in the first place, even for the most highly-skilled at their craft, I don’t think that it’s out of line to say what Tebow has displayed thus far is indeed impressive, especially taking into account that he has spent over a decade away from the game.
Is it really so wrong to wonder where he’d be right now if he had started his baseball career right out of high school, or will this prompt more homoerotic statements?
Bottom line, I’m sure that if the guy started out 0-10 with 10 K’s, the same people that are spewing such hateful rhetoric would be jumping all over him saying “I told ya so, this guy sucks, etc, etc, etc”, regardless of the sample size. So then, if the opposite is true, should you not heap at least the slightest bit of praise upon him? Seems like hypocritical and downright disingenuous behavior if I must say so myself.
He had 16 PAs in three games? Must have been pretty high scoring or really long games. is the hitting that much better than the pitching at this level?
He is doing better than I thought he would. Good for him. He still isnt a relevant prospect. Name one other player going to the AFL for the Mets without looking it up…
The AFL is like summer school for baseball, and we’re here talking like some minor leaguer we’ve never heard of just had his career smashed to pieces so Tebow could have his roster spot.
Hopefully we can “sunset” this conversation. Nice guy. Not a baseball player.
Is that Matt Holiday or Tim Tebow in the picture?