Tim Tebow says consistency remains his biggest battle

TRENTON, N.J. — Just call it Tim Tebow’s modern day two-minute drill.

That’s about how long it took the former Jet and Heisman Trophy winner turned

Mets prospect to be asked about the sport that made him famous Tuesday afternoon.

So how did Tebow, an outfielder and designated hitter for the Mets Double-A affiliate, the Binghamton Rumble Ponies, feel about the Philadelphia Eagles, a team he once spent a training camp with, finally winning the Super Bowl?

“I was happy for them,” Tebow said before the Rumble Ponies’ series opener against the Yankees’ Double-A affiliate, the Trenton Thunder at ARM & HAMMER Park. “I actually had a lot of former friends and teammates on both — the Eagles and Patriots. So, you obviously text with them in the two weeks leading up, saying ‘I wish you luck on both teams.’ You try to be a good friend and support them either way.”

But Tebow doesn’t take long bus rides up and down the east coast to text with his NFL friends and talk about his former sport. He’s chasing a dream and getting better — albeit slowly. In his first

180 at-bats of his second minor league season, Tebow, 30, was hitting .239 with four home runs, 21 RBIs, and 19 walks in 58 games. Last season, Tebow hit .226 with eight home runs, and 52 RBIs in 430 at-bats for 126 single-A games.

“It’s been good,” Tebow said. “It’s definitely been unique. The last few years have been a lot of fun, figuring out a lot of stuff out. But, it’s been a great journey.”

Still a relative newbie in the multilayered world of the minor leagues, Tebow said consistency remains his biggest battle. In the long term, baseball isn’t a ‘lighting in a bottle’-type sport, and Tebow knows that.

“It’s just consistency and being able to have consistent at-bats in games and series,” he said. “That’s really the key of baseball, right? If you’re able to put that together, everything will really improve.”

Specifically, Tebow has seen an improvement in his ability to adjust to new pitchers on a night-bynight, or even inning-byinning, basis. “I wouldn’t say it’s a done process at all,” Tebow said. “It’s still in the works. I think you’re still getting comfortable every game, every at-bat. Sometimes you take a step back, sometimes you take two steps forward.

I’m still figuring that out for sure. I wouldn’t say you’re ever 100 percent comfortable.”

Tebow refused to fuel any fan-driven speculation that he may be called up to the big leagues should the Mets continue to struggle and, thusly, be spending September playing in meaningless games at Citi Field.

“I just have to focus on this day, improving, and the process,” Tebow said. “I get why you have to have the question, but for me it’s about today.”

Tebow is hardly the hottest prospect in the Mets minor league system. Now-former teammate Peter Alonso is one of the organization’s most buzz-worthy prospects. Alonso spent 65 games with Binghamton before being called up to Triple-A Las Vegas last week. Tebow had nothing but good things to say about the first baseman, who hit .314 with 15 home runs and 52 RBIs before the call-up.

“He’s awesome,” Tebow said. “He’s just getting better every day. I know he’ll do a great job up there.”

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