Leading OFF
It’s time for Mets, Tebow to face reality, end charade
Most people who are critical of Tim Tebow’s disastrous experience with baseball start with this disclaimer: He’s a great guy, a role model and the kind of inspiration any manager would want in the clubhouse.
Sign me up for this proclamation, verbatim. I believe every word of it.
But I’ve seen enough of Tebow in the batter’s box to state another obvious fact: Good character doesn’t justify a farce.
Tebow should do himself a favor and find another hobby. Or, if he doesn’t see the futility of continuing to play ball, the New York Mets should gracefully show Tebow the door and let him walk into that wide-open space called the rest of his life.
Of course, that isn’t likely to happen any time soon. The Mets gave Tebow $100,000 just to put on the uniform, insisting this was no marketing ploy.
That’s the problem: The Mets have been part of the charade all along. They should know better — actually, the on-field evaluators have been aware of Tebow’s fatal flaws since Day 1. It’s the revenue seekers in the organization who are to blame.
Tebow’s No. 15 uniform jersey, the same number he wore as a quarterback, was already a hot item months ago. In only his second game in the Instructional League in September, Tebow’s uniform top was the No. 1 seller on MLB.com.
There’s nothing wrong with being popular; there’s plenty to like about Tebow, and his connection with the fans is well-earned. But it’s hard to take any of this seriously when you actually see Tebow on the field and realize he’ll not only fall short of the big leagues, he’ll likely be overmatched in the lower minors, too.
That .194 average in the Instructional League, including 20 strikeouts in 62 at-bats, hardly bodes well for a 29-year-old.
Tebow hasn’t shown much improvement. In fact, he had such a rough time last week that the Mets considered it a triumph that the former football star didn’t strike out in four at-bats against the Houston Astros on Friday.
Although he displays impressive power in batting practice, Tebow is otherwise lost at the plate, hitless in his first eight at-bats (with four strikeouts) until he got a single Monday.
Tebow, given the chance Monday when the Mets were shorthanded because of the World Baseball Classic and split-squad games, likely will head to minor league camp before being assigned to a Class A team. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he goes to the Brooklyn (N.Y.) Cyclones, where the Mets can maximize his media and marketing potential.
This isn’t to say Tebow can’t help the Mets. To the contrary, his work ethic and commitment are admirable. Every prospect should be similarly driven. It’s a message worth spreading.
And that’s the point: Why not let Tebow play to his strength and use him as a motivational speaker throughout the Mets farm system? The rookies already flock to him, peppering him with questions about his football career at Florida and in the NFL. Tebow is glad to share stories; he makes it easy to understand that hard work and a good attitude actually count for something.
Trouble is, Tebow eventually has to break away and play. And here is where the experiment hits a roadblock. Once Tebow morphs from mentor to athlete, he officially blocks a younger, more talented prospect who could use the at-bats, playing time and on-the-field experience.
Tebow unwittingly becomes part of the problem, not the solution, every time he grabs a bat.
You’d think someone so wellspoken and self-aware would’ve figured that out. Tebow squeezed out every last drop of talent to extend his football career. At least he had skills. But there’s nothing that justifies another day with the Mets. At least not in uniform.
If only the Mets had been more honest about Tebow from Day 1, instead of telling us they had made a baseball decision signing him. General manager Sandy Alderson and manager Terry Collins would have been closer to the truth if they had said Tebow was a good man who can help our young kids work harder. It would have been easier, then, to accept his struggles.
Instead, Tebow is being propped up as some late bloomer who is bound to find his bat speed eventually. It’s uncomfortable to watch. People who like Tebow are rooting for him — not necessarily to turn into Roy Hobbs, but just to avoid looking bad.
Here’s another suggestion: Tebow could just as easily connect with fans in the broadcast booth. He’s articulate and unafraid of the camera. But for this to happen, Tebow and the Mets need to stop pretending they’re nurturing a budding baseball career. It’s time to face facts: He’ll never get close to Flushing.
Our bet is that Tebow will arrive at this conclusion by midsummer, when he and the Mets will part ways amicably.
Why wait? Tebow is a good guy, but not a very good ballplayer.
There was never any shame in that.
Klapisch writes for The (Bergen County, N.J.) Record, part of the USA TODAY Network.