Major League Baseball

New York Mets: Why We Should Be Rooting for Tim Tebow

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 8:51 p.m. ET

Fansided, David Hill/FanSided via Call to the Pen

When the New York Mets signed Tim Tebow to a minor league contract, it was considered to be a joke. After he homered in his first at bat yesterday, maybe the laugh was on all of us.

The day that Tim Tebow announced that he was going to attempt to become a professional baseball player, the sporting world had a good laugh. He had not played ball in over a decade, and after a stint in the NFL, who would really give him a chance? He held his workout, and showed some skills, but not enough to be a real prospect. Nonetheless, the New York Mets signed him to a minor league deal, giving Tebow a $100,000 signing bonus.

Then, Tebow went to the Arizona Fall League. There, he fell flat, looking like an overmatched high schooler as he flailed away. He did get a few hits, but was generally late on the fastball and appeared to be nothing more than a publicity stunt. In Spring Training, Tebow actually got a couple of hits, and was sent to the Columbia Fireflies, who began their season last night.

Tebow got the start in left, batting seventh. While Tebow Mania was high, expectations for his debut had to be limited. However, this is Tim Tebow we are talking about, a player who managed to perform when no one expected anything of him. This continued last night, as Tebow homered in his first at bat.

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That home run would be the offensive highlight of the night for Tebow. He finished 1-5 with three strikeouts, showing that he still needs a lot of work when it comes to his ability at the plate. However, that home run does show that maybe there is something there after all.

It is easy to poke fun at Tebow. Despite the protestations from his devoted fan base, he was really a mediocre quarterback in the NFL. Likewise, it is highly doubtful that he becomes a viable prospect for the New York Mets. Because of who he is, Tebow is always going to be looked upon as a bit of a side show.

And yet, Tebow is really everything that we want from a sports icon. He is humble and hard working, putting in all the extra time he can to improve at his craft. Tebow's generosity knows no bounds, as the stories of his willingness to help everyone are practically legendary. He does not get into trouble, and always has a kind word for everyone. Tebow is exactly the type of person that people should aspire towards being, regardless of their opinions about his religion or general athletic ability.

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In some way, this may be why a segment of the population wants Tebow to fail. He is seemingly too perfect, and that will always rub some people the wrong way. People, for some strange reason, need these idols to fall, perhaps to feel better about their own struggles in life.

Instead, we should be rooting for Tebow to find success. If he does, he can be the type of player that we point out to our children or younger siblings, showing then that it is possible to succeed while doing things the right way. He is someone we should all aspire to be like, using whatever platform we have to promote being better people and to lead by our actions and examples.

Maybe that home run ends up being the high point of Tebow's minor league career. Maybe he continues to struggle, and the Mets determine that the merchandising is not worth the price of stunting another players progress. And maybe, just maybe, all that hard work that Tebow is putting in pays off, and he can develop into a viable piece. He may never be a true prospect per se, but Tebow could end up moving up a level or two.

Tim Tebow hit a home run in his first minor league at bat yesterday. While he struggled over the rest of the night, he showed that the New York Mets may not have wasted that money they used to bring him in.