Welp, it’s time…and I sure hope social media is prepared.
Tuesday, the Tim Tebow Experiment will be fully realized when scouts from an estimated two-thirds of the 30 Major League teams head to Los Angeles to watch the NFL quarterback-turned-broadcaster-turned-hopeful big leaguer show off his stuff.
And while the stack is certainly stacked against him (dude hasn’t really swung a bat in more than a decade), he might actually be good. One guy that definitely isn’t buying the hype…longtime Major Leaguer and current Philadelphia Phillies bench coach, Larry Bowa.
“Whoever’s idea it is, they don’t respect the game of baseball,” Bowa said. “It’s a hard game. You don’t come in at age 28 or 29. I’m not saying he’s not a good athlete, but this is a hard game and there are a lot of good athletes in pro ball that never get to the big leagues. I don’t think it can happen. There are guys 28 or 29 that are getting released every day. How can you take ten years off and all of the sudden be facing guys throwing 95, guys throwing sliders?”
But, hey, say what you want…the Heisman Trophy winner already has options.
Not only is there that standing offer from the Schaumburg Boomers, but now, Tebow has even caught the eye of Aguilas del Zulia, a five-time champion of the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League and two-time Caribbean Series winner.
No kidding.
“He’s a great talent,” Aguilas general manager Luis Amaro told Yahoo Sports. “He’s an athlete. He’s won the Heisman. He’s won two national championships. I know baseball is a hard game, but he’ll either adjust and show he’s ready to play pro ball or not. I think it’s low risk, high reward for Zulia.”
So, who are the 13 teams that have confirmed interest in Tebow? According to the Sporting News…the New York Yankees, Miami Marlins, San Diego Padres, Cleveland Indians, Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Reds, Tampa Bay Rays, Boston Red Sox, Minnesota Twins, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers and the reigning World Series champion, Kansas City Royals.