Upon his arrival to Minor League spring training camp, Tim Tebow spoke to reporters today about his transition from football to baseball.
“I’m not going to worry about what everyone’s writing or what everybody’s thinking or however I’m being marketed,” Tebow said. “I just want to be able to continue the process, enjoy the process, enjoy every day, get to know my teammates and have fun out there.”
“I don’t think it’s a bigger challenge than I thought,” he continued. “Obviously I knew that it was a big challenge — Imagine picking up the sport after 12 years of not playing. So I understood it. And I think part of the challenge in it being so hard is part of why it’s so fun, and why it’s something I’m enjoying and loving, because it’s a hard game. It’s not an easy thing to do. Hitting a baseball is one of the hardest things in sports, but I enjoy the process very much.”
Monday was Tebow’s first official day of Spring Training, but he arrived early over the weekend. Tebow signed a Minor League deal with the Mets on Sept. 8 of last year and was initially sent to the instructional league in Port St. Lucie. He was then sent to the Arizona Fall League where he hit .194/.296/.242 in 70 plate appearances with 20 strikeouts. He finished strong however, batting .281 (9-for-32) with eight walks (.425 OBP) in his last 11 games. He is expected to play in some Grapefruit League games this spring.
