by Alyssa Johns
Former NFL quarterback, Tim Tebow, 29, has now decided to try his hand at baseball. Tebow was released from four different NFL teams in five years before he gave up the sport entirely. After his football career ended, Tebow had time to work on other things. According to TheAtlantic.com Tebow eventually expanded his charity foundation, wrote an autobiography and starred in his very own documentary. Although his quarterback days were over, he was far from the limelight.
In late August, Tebow held a baseball tryout for himself. Twenty-eight different MLB organizations and 46 scouts were in attendance. An unnamed scout told ESPN that Tebow “has a long way to go.” Despite an embarrassing performance, Tebow was signed with the Mets as a part of their Instructional League in Port St. Lucie, Florida. His first pitch of his first game resulted in a solo home run over the left field wall, 338 feet from home plate. Though impressive, anybody with enough arm strength could knock one out of the park.
According to the NCAA the chances for high school seniors to be eventually drafted into the MLB is .015 percent, “roughly the chance of a thief guessing your PIN number on the first try.” And yet, famous quarterback Tim Tebow can just decide one day to return to baseball and get signed by the Mets. The Mets in turn, immediately began selling Tebow merchandise. This is nothing more than a publicity stunt for a struggling MLB team. If Tebow hadn’t become a famous quarterback, he wouldn’t have even had a chance to play for any level of the MLB, let alone be the subject of so much sports journalism. Tebow’s dream-chasing escapade has overshadowed the triumphs of many other actually talented baseball players.
Major league players agree. Peter Moylan, a relief pitcher for the Kansas City Royals, tweeted, “Every minor leaguer gives up so much to chase their dreams, @TimTebow doesn’t even have to give up his day job. #justnotright.” Sbnation.com reported that Tebow received a $100,000 signing bonus, an amount significantly larger than what many draftees receive, and he will still miss time from his precious baseball schedule to announce SEC football games.
Tim Tebow’s signing with the Mets is a slap in the face to the players who have worked hard day-in and day-out for years. While the sports news world is clapping for and praising Tebow for his successes, hardworking players around the world are upset, as they should be. Tebow gets the fame and success while playing baseball as a second job, a sport he hasn’t fully committed to. Maybe he expects this to end up just like his football career did. Should he try hockey next?
