Tim Tebow is officially getting in gear to become the baseball player that his football career never let him be. With the New York Mets spring training games, he’s showing he is more than just a former NFL star trying to rekindle a sports career in another form—he’s showing that people may want to start taking him a little bit more seriously.
Although his football career went askew, he still has the athleticism needed to get to other places in sports. Spring games like these can only give Tebow a chance to show fans what’s in store in his young baseball career.
Tebow’s football career started to decline early, after even earlier, unprecedented success with the Denver Broncos. But after going to the Jets, the Patriots, and then the Eagles, and not finding action, he turned his attention to baseball. But Tebow always loved playing baseball in his youth, and even preferred baseball.
Now that he is finally in baseball, he’s doesn’t care much about the critics. He told People how he sees things.
“People are like, ‘This is your box and you need to stay inside of it.’ Why? I don’t have to stay in a box. I get to do what’s in my heart. I get to live my life with abandon. I serve a big God. I get to pursue those things and I don’t have to apologize for that.”
Tebow played baseball in high school and even drew the interest of professional teams, before he chose football. At 28 years old, the Mets are favoring Tebow on the field, getting him out there before the younger guys also on the Mets minor league team due to the attention he can draw. It’s not just about how well he does or doesn’t play.
But Tebow did indeed show potential in his third major league spring training appearance. He hit a single and made a diving catch against pro competition, showing some maturity and potential. It’s his best spring training game yet out of the three he played in. He’ll play again when the team faces the Houston Astros on March 14.
Despite his poor performance previously, Tebow was brought back to join the Mets for spring training because Mets management needed players, according to Newsday. The Mets surely aren’t hurting themselves for favoring Tebow over other minor league hopefuls in the lineup. The attention he carries with him can spur ticket and merchandise sales. And for Tim Tebow, it gives him a chance to redeem his sports career.
