Tim Tebow reported Monday to Port St. Lucie, Florida, for his first day of Fall Instructional League with the Mets and drew a decently sized crowd of spectators.
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But this was Tebow, the quarterback who guided the Florida Gators to a national title and was part of another, and made a speech so inspiring after a home loss to MS in 2008 that then former Gators coach Urban Meyer had it engraved on a plaque and placed outside the front entrance to the football facility at Florida Field.
During Monday’s early throwing sessions, with Tebow paired up with another player for a simple warmup toss, Tebow sailed one throw over his catch partner and over the outfield fence.
“It was a lot of fun, it was great to be a on a team, go through a warmup, take batting practice, try to remember as many names as possible”, Tebow said. Teams typically can’t sell a player’s merchandise until they crack the 40-man big league roster, which Tebow likely never will. He last played organized baseball as a junior in high school – an 11-year absence from the game – when he batted nearly.500 for Nease High near Jacksonville, Fla. However, Tebow signed a bridge agreement with the official jersey supplier Majestic Athletic last week, which allows the company to merchandise him before he makes the majors.
“It was a lot of fun, it was great”, Tebow said. You want to prove people right.
Mets spokesman Harold Kaufman did say there is now no Tebow merchandise being sold at Citi Field, but of course that will probably change at the rate these Tebow jerseys sold out today in Florida.
Tebow, who was released by the Eagles past year and has been working as a TV analyst, tried out for baseball scouts in Los Angeles last month, and, shortly afterwards, the Mets signed him to a deal that included a $100,000 bonus.
“I’m just going out there to try to perform and get better and learn the system just like they are, and I think once you get to know each other hopefully that’s what they find out about me”. “I mean, I guess I have a little chip”.
The Patriots were the second-to-last National Football League team to give Tebow an opportunity following his stints with Denver and the Jets, but New England released him before the start of the 2013 season. He said he will typically leave Port St. Lucie on Friday morning and return on Saturday after his analyst duties are complete.
Tebow’s debut arrived about three weeks after he worked out for scouts from 28 of 30 Major League teams at the baseball facility at the University of Southern California. I really am. I’ve loved the game of baseball. And then over the course of the last few years, it’s something I’ve thought about a bunch.
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My first sporting activity, I played for the White Sox at Normandy Baseball Park.
