Tebow an All-Star hit
OF makes Eastern League team
TRENTON, N.J. – A gaggle of overzealous fans greeted Tim Tebow at the front gate of Arm & Hammer Park before Wednesday night’s Eastern League AllStar Classic, the clearest sign of the new buzz about the Tebow baseball narrative.
Sometimes dismissed as a sideshow or a novelty over the past couple of minor league seasons, Tebow’s bat has caught fire the past couple of months for the Binghamton (N.Y.) Rumble Ponies, the Class AA affiliate of the New York Mets. Hitting .390 in July and .305 in June, Tebow bumped his batting average up from .234, where it sat on the last day of May, to .270 where it sits now.
The surge made him an All-Star, at least a minor league All-Star, and speculation is growing that Tebow could get promoted to AAA or even the big leagues by the end of the season.
The 30-year-old remained mum on his thoughts on a potential promotion in a pregame news conference along the first-base line, but the advice he gave to young athletes spoke volumes about how he might feel about the doubters whom he’s heard since he started this baseball journey two years ago.
“I would say if you have a dream and you’re passionate about something, then don’t be afraid to go and live that out,” Tebow said. “There will always be naysayers and people that want to bring you down, but let your passions speak louder than the critics will ever speak. Listen to your heart, and let that be something you pursue, because in life, the greatest thing you’re going to regret is not failing, it’s going to be not trying.”
While Mets assistant general manager John Ricco said this week that the organization has no plans of promoting Tebow, his improvement has opened eyes and led to an all-star appearance.
With tickets for Wednesday’s game going for as much as $145 on Stubhub, Tebow is a huge draw and could bring masses of fans to Citi Field, which has had many empty seats on a nightly basis as the Mets fall further out of playoff contention. This alone could lead the Mets to reconsider their stance on Tebow.
Until then, Tebow is eager to keep making huge leaps and strides.
“For me, my thought process was all the things I’ve been working on and really trying to be able to make some tweaks and changes to be able to lock into those fundamentals and try to improve and continue to stay focused on the process that I have since I started this endeavor,” Tebow said.
Despite the reignition of Tebowmania, there’s still many things holding Tebow back. His improvement is impressive, but he’s hit only one home run during this hot streak and has struck out 95 times in 241 at-bats this season. Plus, with his 31st birthday on Aug. 14 rapidly approaching, he’s one of the oldest players in AA.
At this point, it’s do or die for Tebow’s major league aspirations.
However, Tebow seems unflappable in the face of Father Time creeping in on him.
“I think for me, I can’t worry about any of that, I have to stay focused on the process and not the maybes, not the hy- pothetical and not the what ifs,” Tebow said. “I don’t think that’s a place where an athlete can live. I don’t think you can let your mind go into places like that.”
If Tebow hits a wall and the sand runs out of his hourglass, which could very likely happen, at least he will have some support from his mom, who when ambushed by TMZ earlier Wednesday said she would send her son to the majors right now.
“That was my mom trying to be sweet, getting caught off guard by TMZ at the airport,” Tebow said with laugh. “I guess if that’s sophisticated journalism, then sure. She’s trying to be sweet. The good thing is my parents will always believe in me no matter what, and I love that.”