Reese Kaplan -- A Hard Stop Under the Big Top

To tell you the truth, I was one of the folks who scoffed when I read that the Mets had signed Tim Tebow to play baseball.  After all, it seemed like a publicity stunt in the vein of Michael Jordan’s baseball career.  The Mets would sell a lot of seats, flood the market with “Tebow” jerseys and they would move onto the next act in the circus.

Much to everyone’s surprise, they treated it more like a real player prospect working his way up than they did merely a cheap money grab based upon his celebrity status.  In fact, when Tim Tebow made the Eastern League AA All Star Game in 2018 for Binghamton, a lot of us had egg on our faces as it appeared like his work ethic was paying off for him.  He finished his season prematurely due to a broken hand, but his ending numbers, though hardly eye-popping, were nothing to be ashamed of and a far cry better than anyone might have predicted for the former quarterback.  He hit .273 with 6 HRs and 36 RBIs over 271 ABs.  While a pace for 12 HRs and 72 RBIs for a full season is not the stuff of superstardom, it is certainly more than respectable for a guy who had been on baseball hiatus for more than 10 years.  The only red flag on him was his 103 Ks which was a pace to venture into Mark Reynolds/Chris Davis territory with more than 200 for a full season. 

Unfortunately, when the page turned on the calendar and Tebow was boosted up the ladder to AAA in Syracuse it appears he may have finally hit the proverbial wall.  Midway through this week his hitting line is something that would cause even Juan Lagares to snicker.  In 158 ABs he’s hitting just .158 with a single home run and 14 RBIs.  That’s a pace for something like 3 HRs and 49 RBIs on the season.  Believe it or not, his strikeout numbers got even worse, working now on a record setting pace of about 235 for a full year.  To be fair, perhaps his hand injury was more than was believed as gripping a bat does indeed require full health in that area.  Or maybe his love life is a distraction he has not had in the past.  The fact is that Tebow is turning 32 in August and if not for the fact that the Syracuse Mets are not exactly ripe with outfield talent may have already been told his services were no longer required. 

In a way, Tebow’s journey paralleled that of Michael Jordan who had retired from basketball to give baseball a try.  Like Tebow, every game and every AB was a must-see event.  Also, unfortunately like Tebow, the skills that propelled him to success in another sport were not a guarantee on the baseball diamond.  In his one year in the Chicago White Sox organization Jordan hit just .202 with 3 HRs and 51 RBIs.  The most exciting aspect of his minor league season was his 30 SBs over the course of his 436 ABs.  It must have been especially frustrating to the man for whom everything on a basketball court came so easily, only to find himself struggling to stay over the Mendoza line.  Unlike Tebow, Jordan was one and done, returning to play basketball at an elite level and giving up on his baseball dreams at age 31. Now Tebow may be forced to reach the same conclusion at the same age.

Bo Jackson was probably the best of the dual sport athletes, but injuries curtailed his long term success in both.  Unlike the others, he started younger at age 23 and experienced much more success than his counterparts.  In fact, in 1989 at the age of 26 he made the All Star team while hitting 32 HRs, driving in 105 and stealing 26 bases.   Unfortunately he was pretty much done after the following season due to a hip injury that ended his football career and led to his release by the Kansas City Royals.  He tried hanging on for a few more seasons but never matched his early exploits.