The odds of Tim Tebow becoming a major league baseball player as he begins the road in a new sport for him (or at least something he hasn’t played in high school) aren’t the kind you wanna place your money on. But like Han Solo said a number of times, the odds don’t matter in this case. Tebow wants to play baseball, and he’ll get the opportunity to start in some lower level league, and try to work his way up from there.
Tebow had 28 teams sending representatives to his workout, with David Aardsma and Chad Smith testing him with pitches. He showed some nice power with his bat (8-for-19 overall) but struggled with off-speed pitches. His speed and baserunning weren’t bad at all, but his throwing arm, surprisingly, didn’t leave any positive impression with the scouts in attendance.
Some think Tebow can be a Double-AA level player by 2017, and he already has an offer from a Venezuelan Winter League team, the Aguilas del Zulia. Obviously, playing in Venezuela isn’t anywhere close to what the major league atmosphere and level is like, but Tebow has to start somewhere, and it’s a pretty good place to start, especially for someone who hasn’t played competitive baseball for over a decade.
Tebow insists this isn’t a publicity stunt or anything of the sort. It’s true. He doesn’t need the attention, and he makes a lot of money talking about SEC football for ESPN. As he said, this is actually taking a paycut, if he actually lands a deal with someone, but this is about the love of the sport and taking a risk, which is always commendable.
This isn’t about publicity. It’s definitely not about money. I took a pay cut to do this. For me, you pursue what you love regardless of what else happens. If you fail or fall flat on your face, and that’s the worst thing that can happen, it’s OK. When did pursuing what you love become such a bad thing? I’ll make all the sacrifices to be the best I can.
Rumors suggest Tebow already has minor league offers from a number of teams, and although he’s 29, the age most major leaguers are finally available for free agency at, making his way up Baseball’s ladder isn’t completely out of the question. Tebow might end up having a Michael Jordan-like career in Baseball, which is probably not what Tebow has in mind. He might fizzle out way before, or maybe last in the minors for a few years.
Tebow started in the NFL for about half a season, helping the Denver Broncos make the playoffs in 2011, also leading them to a postseason victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers with a now famous overtime touchdown pass. But his mechanics and accuracy numbers were too much to ignore, and with Peyton Manning becoming available, shipping Tebow to the caring hands of Rex Ryan and the New York Jets, who destroyed his career without a lot of effort.