Tebow turns back on baseball

NEW YORK (AFP) — Former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow abandoned his bid to break into Major League Baseball on Wednesday, announcing his retirement from the sports after four years in the minors with the New York Mets.

The 33-year-old former Heisman Trophy winner joined the Mets in 2016, four years after his last regular season start in the NFL with the New York Jets.

Although he showed promise as an outfielder — hitting a home run in his first at bat during an instructional league game — he remained a minor leaguer during his years in New York.

“It has been a pleasure to have Tim in our organization as he’s been a consummate professional during his four years with the Mets,” Mets president Sandy Alderson said in a statement.

“By reaching the Triple-A level in 2019, he far exceeded expectations when he first entered the system in 2016 and he should be very proud of his accomplishments.”

Tebow finished his minor league career with 107 runs scored, 18 home runs and 107 RBIs from 287 games.

“I loved every minute of the journey, but at this time I feel called in other directions,” Tebow said.

“I never want to be partially in on anything. I always want to be 100 percent in on whatever I choose. Thank you again for everyone’s support of this awesome journey in baseball, I’ll always cherish my time as a Met.”

Tebow was best known for an explosive start to his NFL career with the Denver Broncos in 2011, when he sparked “Tebow-mania” with a series of improbable comeback wins and a dynamic rushing and passing style.