Moving the former QB up despite a.222 average might seem like a reach, but it’s the closest thing to a success story the franchise can claim.
Anyone with a passing knowledge of the 20-80 scouts’ grading scale is going to put the latest Tim Tebow news in its proper perspective: He’s a 29-year-old novice who, for all his hard work, still looks like a football player trying to play baseball. That.222 batting average and .651 OPS with the Low-A Columbia Fireflies in the Sally League provides plenty of evidence that Tebow’s major-league quest is pure pipedream.
But as Tebow continues to plug away at his new sport, Sunday’s announcement that he’s being promoted to Port St. Lucie in the High-A Florida State League puts an intriguing twist on his professional journey.
In September, when the New York Mets signed Tebow to a minor-league contract out of a Southern California tryout camp, cynics observed that it was a cash grab by the Wilpon family, and Tebow would be nothing more than a circus to distract from the goings-on at Citi Field.
Nine months later, the Mets have inadvertently laid claim to the “circus” designation. And they need all the sideshows they can get to divert attention from the product they’re selling.
It’s been one big slog of disheartening news for the Mets this season, from Matt Harvey ‘s off-field antics and injury problems to Noah Syndergaard ‘s MRI-related hijinks to Asdrubal Cabrera ‘s dissatisfaction over playing second base. So here we are, two weeks from the All-Star break, and speculation is rampant that Curtis Granderson, Jay Bruce and Cabrera are among the Mets veterans who will be on the block between now and the July 31 trade deadline.
Tebow’s advancement through the system will do nothing to make Mets diehards feel better about what’s transpired in 2017. But for a guy who’s not taken very seriously in baseball circles, he deserves credit for putting his head down, keeping his mouth shut and working diligently each day to improve. From a temperament and character standpoint, Tebow has been everything the Mets hoped for when Alderson said he would provide a positive example to the organization’s young players in the instructional league and in spring training.
The latest test of Tebow’s patience came during a recent trip to Charleston, South Carolina, when the rival RiverDogs poked fun at Tebow and his religious faith with some low-brow in-game entertainment. Alderson called the trolling “very minor league, ” but not a word was heard from Tebow.
Once Tebow arrives in Port St. Lucie, it will be great for business. When he showed up at the Mets’ instructional league complex in September, more than 400 fans circled the back fences at Tradition Field and jostled for autograph position. Tebow-maniacs spent $120 on replica jerseys and reflected fondly on Tebow’s days as a Heisman Trophy winner at the University of Florida. A few parents even allowed their kids to skip school to watch Tebow shag fly balls and take batting practice.
As Tebow continues to post underwhelming stats and struggle to embrace the nuances of the game in the low minors, the daunting nature of his quest becomes more real. But when the alternate topics of discussion in Mets-land are manager Terry Collins’ job status, potential candidates to be dealt at the trade deadline and the team’s mounting number of days spent on the disabled list, Tebow provides a welcome break from the despair.
Nine months ago, he was derided as a sideshow. Now, he’s the franchise’s resident feel-good story.
