Does Tim Tebow actually have a chance to make it in baseball?
It was pretty surprising when the news broke on Tuesday that Tim Tebow, former NFL player and 2007 Heisman Trophy winner, is trying his hand at baseball. It’s more than a whim or a publicity stunt: Tebow has been training in Arizona and California for the past year and wants to play in the MLB.
Ken Rosenthal wasted no time in finding out more about this, posting quotes on his Facebook page after speaking with Chad Moeller, the former catcher who has been training Tebow, and Brodie Van Wagenen, a baseball agent and co-head of CAA Baseball. Here’s what Moeller had to say:
“I am beyond impressed with Tim’s athleticism and swing, and it goes without saying that he has shown a high level of discipline and strong work ethic. I see bat speed and power and real baseball talent. I truly believe Tim has the skill set and potential to achieve his goal of playing in the Major Leagues, and based on what I have seen over the past two months, it could happen relatively quickly.”
That’s pretty good stuff, though it’s coming from the guy who’s training Tebow. Let’s see what Van Wagenen, the agent, had to say.
“This may sound like a publicity stunt, but nothing could be further from the truth. I have seen Tim’s workouts, and people inside and outside the industry – scouts, executives, players and fans – will be impressed by his talent. (…) Tim’s tool set is real. His physicality is unique in professional baseball. His work ethic is unprecedented, and his passion for the game is infectious. He knows the challenges that lie ahead of him given his age and experience, but he is determined to achieve his goal of playing in the Major Leagues.”
More sparkling praise! But can we hear about Tebow from a big name major leaguer? Someone with real hitting prowess?
I spent time w @TimTebow in the cages recently, he’s a NATURAL. I absolutley believe in his ability to play in the bigs. Tim has IT #focused
— Gary Sheffield (@garysheffield) August 9, 2016
Gary Sheffield certainly fits the bill. Praise from him should not be taken lightly. Though to be fair, Tebow isn’t a total baseball novice. It was one of three sports he played as a standout high school athlete. He was a left fielder who could show off tremendous power in batting practice, and he even hit .429 in his junior year. In fact, this isn’t the first time that MLB has flirted with Tebow. From MLB.com:
The Angels considered drafting Tebow out of high school in 2006, but he never returned an information card at the club’s request, and the team moved on.
Tebow moved on too, to an illustrious college football career with the University of Florida. He won the Heisman Trophy in 2007 as a sophomore, and was drafted by the Broncos in 2010. Of course, choosing football meant the end of serious baseball, and he hasn’t played since 2005, his senior year in high school.
Tebow’s in good company here, because football players on the diamond isn’t a new thing. Everyone remembers Bo Jackson flitting between baseball and football in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Deion Sanders played baseball part-time for over a decade. Jackie Robinson was an outstanding football player for UCLA. Giancarlo Stanton chose baseball over football, and his giant frame and muscular arms certainly help him hit those long, long, long home runs. And there’s a big list of players who hucked the pigskin before focusing on baseball.
But athletic prowess doesn’t mean that making that transition is easy. Michael Jordan, who is pretty much the greatest basketball player of all time, had a tough time in the minors. He batted .202/.289/.266 in 127 games with the White Sox Double-A affiliate, and never made it to the majors. Tracy McGrady, who retired from basketball in 2013, also tried baseball. He pitched 6 2/3 innings for the independent Sugar Land Skeeters in 2014, and racked up a 6.75 ERA. He retired after he struck out one batter in the independent Atlantic League All-Star Game.
It might be easy to dismiss Tebow, but he clearly has a lot of athletic talent (not to mention lots of muscles), and he wants to put it to good use somewhere. It might not be easy, but if he can figure out how to translate his football skills to baseball, that could be something to see. At the very least, he might hit some monster home runs. That alone would be worth it.
More MLB coverage from Yahoo Sports:
– – – – – –
Liz Roscher is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at lizroscher@yahoo.com or follow her on twitter! Follow @lizroscher
