The New York Mets just recruited former athlete Tim Tebow, though the newcomer to baseball has never seen the big leagues before. The former quarterback of the New York Jets will have to face brutal odds, even though he has not played baseball for years, being on the team that is so hungry for a World Series win.
Although the Mets need future stars, Tebow is not the type of young blood to come around. He has played football since high school and stopped in late 2015. Even though he may have played baseball in high school, he is still widely known to be more of a football athlete.
Tebow played for only two seasons, but as a junior. He hit .494 (hitting almost 50 percent of baseballs thrown at him) with four home runs, 30 RBI (Run-base-in) and 10 doubles (two bases on a hit) on a team that reached the state Final Four before losing to Winter Haven. He also had a powerful arm and batted lefty, says his coaches. He was even named All-state for baseball in 2005.
Keep in mind though that football and baseball are two completely different sports. However, the celebrity factor plays a very large role in the recruiting of Tebow. It has some positive effects, such as more fans and larger attention from the media, but the negative effects outweigh the positive. Tebow has gotten way better privileges and perks than other minor leaguers. Some players have played in the small leagues for years and never had their chance to shine in the big one while Tebow got in immediately and basically crushed the other minor leaguers’ chances of getting in.
The 12 years of training Tebow missed will bite him back in the future. Tebow, instead of learning how to do the tricks in camp, will have to learn them the hard way in the big leagues, including the classic curveball, sinker and the brutal knuckleball, which will be waiting for him. All of these are also going at speeds over 90 mph and possibly 100, which is way different than the standard high school speed.
Sophomore Samuel Tenambam says, “I think he will be an okay addition for the team, but he can’t expect much playing time since he has not played for so long.”
Tebow will have to play the outfield, where huge plays can determine the entire game. Other players such as Curtis Granderson, Yoenis Cespedes, and Juan Lagares will not give up their spots easily, which will be a very hard fight for Tebow.
Tebow will have to adapt quickly to the conditions and flow of the game if he wants to play. However, Tebow does have the strength and coordination to hit, as seen the first time he got up at plate during a minor league game. He hit an outside ball out of the park, which shows he has hope to get over the increasing obstacles.
Freshman Christopher McPherson says, “Tim Tebow can’t just jump in the game without a fight first; he will need lots of time to get to play a spot.”
Recently, Tebow has played against the Boston Red Sox. Although he drew a run to tie the game 4-4, he went 0-3, striking out two times and hitting a ball into a double play.
The hopes for the Mets will be determined by its future players and former stars. Against all odds, the Mets will try to get back to the World Series from two years ago. How will Tebow benefit the Mets?