The reason he signed with the Mets: the Mets were the only team among the ten
who were ready to offer him a contract who were willing to allow him to continue
his television work.
Beyond that, I can't imagine what the Mets saw in him beyond the obvious
publicity value. From what I saw of that well-publicised workout he had in front
of a pack of baseball scouts, he was rated cumulatively as
* Having long ball power so long as you threw him batting practise speed stuff;
several scouts said he didn't suggest that he'd be able to hit the long ball consis-
tently against stuff thrown at higher than A-level minor league ball. And, unfor-
tunately, in the Show right now there's only one Bartolo Colon . . .
* Having a weak throwing arm playing deeper outfield positioning but a passable
one playing more shallow. (Not good if you need to be playing deeper against
the other guys' big boppers or opposite-field line drivers.)
* Having questionable baserunning speed. (Put it this way: It was said of Tebow as
a football player that his skill set was really more appropriate to a halfback or even
a tight end than a quarterback, but just try telling a halfback or tight end to steal
bases on major league catchers' throwing arms and see how soon you'll have to
post his bail money for each arrest on the basepaths.)
* Seeming to care more about his television career than any baseball career, something
Tebow himself ultimately admitted.
Which means he won't even be able to make a firm commitment to playing instructional
league ball, never mind playing to a level that might inspire the Mets to invite him
to spring training next February. (In fairness, Tebow
does have a rep as being
good at his television analysis job, and you don't get that by just showing up to
work and strapping a mike on.)
For the record: Around ten percent of all minor leaguers ever make it to the majors as
it is. And those guys put a 24/7 commitment to the game in even to get no further than
Triple-A level. If Tim Tebow thinks he can make it to the majors while making perhaps
less than half that kind of commitment, he may be in for an even more rude awakening
than any he got playing in the NFL.
