A Fan Shot by Travis Pulver
When Tim Tebow announced that he was going to give professional baseball a try a few years ago, few (if anyone) took him seriously. His detractors couldn’t understand why a former quarterback that hadn’t played baseball since high school would want to do such a thing.
Then, he held his tryout with a rep from almost every team present and ended up signing with the New York Mets.
The popular perception was that they were doing it just to drive fans to minor league games (and it worked at the lower levels). But then the most unexpected thing happened—he wasn’t terrible. Many assumed that he would be since he hadn’t played baseball in years and never at the professional level. To be fair, he wasn’t great; he wasn’t terrible.
Then it happened—he improved.
Only a few supported his decision to give baseball a shot held out hope for him to make it. Mainly due to his athleticism and tireless dedication to anything he sets his mind to, they thought he could make it. The Mets organization saw enough improvement to warrant giving him a shot at Double-A Binghamton last year. He finished the season hitting a respectable .273 with six home runs and 36 RBIs in 84 games (271 at-bats).
But that wasn’t what got people excited. In the month of June, he hit .301. He was hitting .340 in July before he injured his hand, ending his season.
His play got him an invite to camp, an eventual spot on the Triple-A roster, and Vegas giving odds on when he would get called up. Fast forward a few weeks, and people are now calling for the Mets to admit the Tim Tebow Experiment was a big mistake.
Through 23 games he was hitting just .130 with 32 strikeouts. To say things were not going well would have been an understatement. However, things have gotten better. He has hit safely in eight of his last 11 games including his first home run in AAA on May 19.
His batting average got as high as .162, but after going 0-4 on Wednesday, it slipped back down to .157. It is better, but it still isn’t good. However, while his detractors want the Mets to be done with him, his manager, Tony DeFrancesco, sounds prepared to be patient with him (via TDN.com):
“It’s just going to take maybe a little more time. He’s not the first guy, if it doesn’t work this year, come back to Triple-A again. There have been numerous players that have two, three years of Triple-A…. So, give the kid some time and some credit. It’s definitely a work in progress.”
For some reason, many don’t seem to have any patience with Tim Tebow, the baseball player. They think he is too old and since he hasn’t played his whole life, doesn’t deserve it. Maybe he should have picked another sport, like horse racing? But, if he can play, why does it matter how long he has been playing or his lack of experience?
Many would answer that by saying he can’t play, which is why he should be cut. But, as DeFrancesco noted, it is not unusual for guys to spend a number of years in AAA before getting the call. Heck, it isn’t even uncommon for guys 30+ years old to make their Major League debut:
- Jim Morris, P, Tampa Bay Rays: He was teaching high school and coaching baseball when he tried out for the Rays and making his big-league debut at the age of 35.
- Edward Paredes, P, Los Angeles Dodgers: After bouncing around the minors since he was 18, Parades finally got the call in 2017 when he was 30 years old.
- Michael Brady, P, Oakland A’s: His career began as a shortstop in 2009 but failed to develop. So, rather than give up on the dream, he converted to a pitcher. He bounced around a few teams before signing with the A’s in 2017 and making his debut that year at 30.
- Austin Bibens-Dirkx, P, Texas Rangers: His career began in 2006, but he never got the call until he landed with the Rangers in 2017. He made his first appearance at the age of 32.
It took Bibens-Dirkx 12 years and saw him spend time with 12 different teams before getting the call. In 2016, there were seven guys 30+ years old that made their debut; in 2017, four. It isn’t as unusual as people might think.
So—should the Mets cut Tebow loose since he isn’t playing well? Of course not. Most players spend a few years in the minors before getting a shot, and this is only Year Three. Give him time.
