Tim Tebow Holding Workout For All 30 Major League Baseball Teams
By announcing his desire to play professional baseball, Tim Tebow showed once again how much smarter he is than all of his haters.
As you might expect when Tebow, the former Florida Gators Heisman Trophy winner and perpetual cultural icon, announced his intention to pursue a baseball career, his critics came out of their dark, dank spider holes.
The Tebow baseball story overshadowed even the Olympics on Tuesday with the blaring headline above a column written by ESPN.com baseball writer Jayson Stark: "Stark: Tebow in Majors? Not a chance."
I won"t bore you with the barrage of criticism Tebow received except to reprint a comment made by ESPN loudmouth Screamin" A. Smith, who went on a typically obnoxious diatribe against Tebow Tuesday with comments like this: "Look I"ve said this on many occasionsI"m trying to be nice!I truly am trying to be nice, but the arrogance! If I am a baseball player do you know how insulted I am that Tim Tebow"s about to have a workout and everybody and their grandmother"s planning on showing up to see Tim Tebow!?"
And that"s exactly the point. Everybody"s going to show up to see Tebow"s tryout. And everybody"s going to talk about it. And everybody"s going to read about it. And Buster Olney and Jason Stark are going to write about it. And Pedro Gomez will be following him around during spring training. And some wayward team is going to sign him because he can sell tickets and jerseys. And Tim Tebow will once again become the biggest story in sports despite the fact that he is not an NFL- or MLB-quality player.
This is the utter brilliance of Tebow, his agents and his handlers. As popular and polarizing as he is, Tebow"s standing in the national sporting consciousness was beginning to wane simply because he is years removed from playing meaningful minutes in the NFL.
And, so, what better way to resurrect his relevance then to announce he is pursuing a baseball career? Suddenly, everybody is interested in Tebow once again.
Then there is this: If you"re Tebow and the world is yours for the taking, why wouldn"t you try to play baseball? Don"t ever forget playing sports is fun and any of us who had a chance to continue the pursuit of making a living while playing a kid"s game would certainly do it. Because of Tebow"s name and his fame, he is afforded that opportunity.
Good for him.
Colin Cowherd, the eloquent radio host on Fox Sports Radio, put it best on Tuesday. He pointed out that Tebow wasn"t giving up on his football dream and that, in fact, he had accomplished his dream. After all, despite Tebow"s limited passing ability, he won a Heisman, he became a first-round draft pick, he started in the NFL and even won a playoff game. Dream accomplished.
Now he has the opportunity to pursue another dream -- a seemingly impossible dream.
Or is it?
Even if he somehow, someway gets one Major League at-bat in a spring training game, wouldn"t we all consider that the memory of lifetime?
You go for it, Timmy.
Email me at mbianchi@tribune.com. Follow me onFacebook here andTwitter @BianchiWrites. And listen to my Open Mike radio show every Monday-Friday from 6-9 a.m. on FM 96.9 and AM 740.
Tim Tebow: The Man, The Legend, The Future MLB Star?
Former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Tim Tebow was in the news today when it became known he hopes to make another comeback attempt. This time, on the baseball diamond and not the gridiron.
Tebow plans to hold a workout to allow every MLB team to see his skills.
But the Reading Fightins have already made their decision. They"re all set in the outfield and sent the below tweet.
They"re not wrong. The Fightins have been red hot this season.Reading has been dominant all season, led by the home run prowess of outfielder Dylan Cozens (32 HR, 103 RBIs) and first baseman Rhys Hoskins (34 and 101). Catcher Jorge Alfaro has also been a steady force in the three-hole for the team with the best record in all of professional baseball.
Tebow will probably need to say his prayers if he wants any shot of making that squad.
We already know Philadelphians love throwing things, so why not choose something a bit sharper?
How about some axes.
That"s the idea behindEast Kensington"s Urban Axes.
"Its like darts, only bigger and more satisfying,"says Krista Poll, one of the owners of the new joint.
We sent a camera crew over to Urban Axes to get a firsthand look at what throwing axes is like and we"re not going to lie, throwing axes is as enjoyable as expected.
They"re taking group bookings with dates starting on September 15th and later. Go throw some things. Take out some of that aggression. It will feel good.
More info on their website here.
Chase Utley hit 233 career home runs for the Philadelphia Phillies. On Monday night he hit his first against them.
The Phils are out on the west coast this week for an emotional reunion with their legendary second baseman before Chase and his new squad come back to Philadelphia next week to give fans an emotional reunion with a franchise favorite.
But just because Chase is so beloved in Philly doesn"t mean he won"t hurt us like he did last night.
Utley reminded us of that sweet, short swing last night when he took a Zach Efflin fastball down the line for a home run.
So many mixed emotions. Don"t really know how to feel. Don"t like it one bit.
But, I guess, the Phils aren"t going anywhere this season so maybe we root for Chase to get one more World (bleeping) Championship.
Would like to see Efflin get his stuff together though. More on the ugly loss and Efflin"s struggles here.
Tim Teeball?
Unable to find regular work playing the sport he dedicated his life to excel at (football), former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Tim Tebow is going to give a different sport a try: baseball.
The Tebow baseball news comes from ESPN"s Adam Schefter who points out that despite not having played organized baseball in over a decade, Tebow has been trying to get back into the baseball thing for months and plans to hold a workout for MLB teams later this month.
For almost the past year, Tebow has been training in Arizona and Los Angeles to hone his play as a professional batter and outfielder in a sport he has not played on a full-time basis since he was in high school in 2005.
Tebow was an All-State baseball player in Florida and hit .494 as a junior, helping Nease High School reach the final four of the Florida state playoffs.
Tebow"s camp hopes that all 30 MLB teams will come to watch him work out. Whether or not that will actually happen remains to be seen.
Obviously, Tebow should end up playing for the Angels.
Former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow rushed to offer support and comfort to distressed passengers on a Delta Air Lines flight over the weekend when a man onboard experienced a medical emergency.
Passengers of Flight 1772 from Atlanta to Phoenix took to social media to praise Mr. Tebows selfless actions and the crews professional response when an older passenger reportedly started having heart problems.
[Tebow] made a stand for G*d in a difficult situation, passenger Richard Gotti wrote in a Facebook post Sunday that has now been shared over 9,000 times and confirmed by ABC Newss Jeffrey Cook. He met with the family as they cried on his shoulder! I watched Tim pray with the entire section of the plane for this man.
Tebow has never been shy about sharing his Christian convictions, and his public expressions of his faith have been both lauded and criticized in the past.
Tim Tebow is one of the major venues for this ongoing argument about Christianity in our public life, Tom Krattenmaker, author of "Onward Christian Athletes: Turning Ballparks into Pulpits and Players into Preachers" told The Christian Science Monitor in 2011.
People of faith see something much bigger than football, as Tebow defines what it means to follow Jesus in a jaded and uncertain modern world.
People tired of pro sports" descent toward criminal behavior, vanity, and self-indulgence see in Tebow an honorable new model for manhood.
And people affronted by public displays of religious fervor see in Tebow a showy type of faith that offends and even perverts scripture, as G. Jeffrey MacDonald wrote.
But when Tebow joined his fellow passengers in prayer on the Delta flight, he was contributing to a group effort of people pitching in the best way they knew how.
I watched strangers from all over the world and every ethnicity come to the help of this man for over an hour! Whether it was chest compressions, starting an IV, helping breathe life into this man, or praying everyone helped! wrote Mr. Gotti on Facebook.
Tebow helped the mans wife and friend retrieve their luggage and waited with them at the hospital as the man received medical attention, as People Magazine reported. The man later reportedly died in the hospital.
A Delta spokesman confirmed to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that a medical emergency had been declared on the flight, though the airlines doesnt release information about who is on flights.
"We can"t say enough about the Delta professionals who care for our customers every day and we are grateful to our customers who are so often quick to extend kindness and care to one another," Delta spokesman Brian Kruse said.
Tebow hasnt commented on the incident publicly yet, but he spoke with People in Februaryabout prayerfully helping others, saying, "Our purpose is to bring faith, hope and love to those in their darkest hour of need. And those people are everywhere. You just have to open your eyes to see them."
Several Delta Air Lines customers are saluting former football player and SEC Network analyst Tim Tebow along with the Delta crew after they witnessed them running to another passenger"s aid in the middle of a flight.
This is just a week after Tebow visited his former teammate who was wounded in the Orlando shootings.
READ MORE: 21 things every sports fan should add to their bucket list
Richard Gotti told the story on his Facebook page. He was traveling from Atlanta to Phoenix when a man began having obvious heart problems.
"Then all of a sudden, I observed a guy walking down the aisle. That guy was Tim Tebow. He met with the family as they cried on his shoulder! I watched Tim pray with the entire section of the plane for this man," Gotti said on Facebook.
A flight attendant also said they witnessed Tebow leave his first class seat to run to the aid of the concerned passenger.
Another woman captured a photo of Tebow assessing the situation and posted it to Instagram:
A Delta spokesperson told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that they were happy to hear their flight crew also acted in such a timely manner.
See Tim Tebow"s career through the years:
DENVER - DECEMBER 26: Tim Tebow #15 of the Denver Broncos prays in the end zone prior to taking on the Houston Texans at INVESCO Field at Mile High on December 26, 2010 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow #15 prays before their game vs the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, CA, Sunday, November 27, 2011. Joe Amon, The Denver Post (Photo By Joe Amon/The Denver Post via Getty Images)
ORLANDO, FL - JANUARY 1: Tim Tebow #15 of the Florida Gators says a prayer after throwing a touchdown pass against the Michigan Wolverines in the Capital One Bowl at the Florida Citrus Bowl January 1, 2008 in Orlando, Florida. The Wolverines defeated the Gators 41-35. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - OCTOBER 08: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Tim Tebow #15 of the New York Jets before the game against the Houston Texans at MetLife Stadium on October 8, 2012 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Texans defeated the Jets 23-17. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - JANUARY 13: Rocky, the mascot of the Denver Nuggets wears a Denver Broncos Tim Tebow jersey and strikes a Tebowing pose on the court after the Nuggets defeated the Miami Heat 117-104 at the Pepsi Center on January 13, 2012 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - DECEMBER 23: Quarterback Tim Tebow #15 the New York Jets leads a players prayer after their game against the San Diego Chargers at MetLife Stadium on December 23, 2012 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Chargers defeated the Jets 27-17. (Photo by Rich Schultz /Getty Images)
Denver Broncos" Tim Tebow reacts after correcting Alec Baldwin on his Tebowing form during the inaugural NFL Honors show Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012, in Indianapolis.The New York Giants will face the New England Patriots in the NFL football"s Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis on Feb. 5. (AP Photo/Marcio Sanchez)
NASHVILLE, TN - DECEMBER 17: Tim Tebow #15 of the New York Jets kneels to pray on the sideline before the game against the Tennessee Titans at LP Field on December 17, 2012 in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans won 14-10. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
FOXBORO, MA - OCTOBER 21: Tim Tebow #15 of the New York Jets completes drills before a game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on October 21, 2012 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - DECEMBER 23: Tim Tebow #15 of the New York Jets leads a prayer after the Jets" loss to San Diego Chargersat MetLife Stadium on December 23, 2012 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky /Getty Images)
SAN DIEGO, CA - NOVEMBER 27: Tim Tebow #15 of the Denver Broncos prays before the game against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium on November 27, 2011 in San Diego, California. The Broncos went on to win 16-13 in overtime. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - DECEMBER 11: Quarterback Tim Tebow #15 of the Denver Broncos prays on the field prior to a game against the Chicago Bears at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on December 11, 2011 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
FOXBOROUGH, MA - AUGUST 15: Tim Tebow signs autographs. The New England Patriots end their last practice, on Thursday, August 15, 2013, before the Friday exhibition game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. (Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow showed off his rookie haircut bestowed on him Saturday afternoon before practice. The Denver Broncos held a practice session at Invesco Field Saturday afternoon, August 7, 2010. The crowd was announced at more than 20,000. Karl Gehring, The Denver Post (Photo By Karl Gehring/The Denver Post via Getty Images)
New York Jets quarterback Tim Tebow talks to the media after practice on opening day of their NFL football training camp Friday, July 27, 2012, in Cortland, N.Y. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
Florida"s Ahmad Black, right, makes a catch as quarterback Tim Tebow defends during practice Friday, Dec. 4, 2009, in Atlanta. Florida will face Alabama in the Southeastern Conference Championship game on Saturday in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
FOXBORO, MA - JANUARY 14: Tim Tebow #15 of the Denver Broncos kneels and prayers with teammates and members of the New England Patriots after the Patriots won 45-10 during their AFC Divisional Playoff Game at Gillette Stadium on January 14, 2012 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA - DECEMBER 19: Tim Tebow #15 of the Denver Broncos kneels on the ground before their game against the Oakland Raiders at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on December 19, 2010 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Colorado striker Omar Cummings took a knee in prayer like Tim Tebow after his goal in the first half. The Colorado Rapids hosted the Columbus Crew in a MLB playoff game Thursday night, October 27, 2011. Karl Gehring/The Denver Post (Photo By Karl Gehring/The Denver Post via Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - NOVEMBER 17: Quarterback Tim Tebow #15 of the Denver Broncos kneels with teammates and members of the New York Jets at midfield for prayer following the game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on November 17, 2011 in Denver, Colorado. Tebow scored the game winning touchdown as the Broncos defeated the Jets 17-13. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - NOVEMBER 17: Quarterback Tim Tebow #15 and Safety Brian Dawkins #20 of the Denver Broncos pray after the game against the New York Jets during the game at Invesco Field at Mile High on November 17, 2011 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Al Pereira/New York Jets/Getty Images)
Analyst Tim Tebow smiles as media members enter the SEC Nation studio prior to a question-and-answer session at the ESPN studios in Charlotte, N.C., on Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2014. ESPN held a media open house for its new SEC Network which will be produced in its Ballantyne studios in Charlotte. (Jeff Siner/Charlotte Observer/MCT via Getty Images)
Analyst Tim Tebow, center, smiles as he answers questions from the media on the set of SEC Nation at the ESPN studios in Charlotte, N.C., on Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2014. ESPN held a media open house for its new SEC Network which will be produced in its Ballantyne studios in Charlotte. (Jeff Siner/Charlotte Observer/MCT via Getty Images)
VANCOUVER, BC - JUNE 14: Former Heisman Trophy winning and Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow attends the UFC 174 event at Rogers Arena on June 14, 2014 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Tim Tebow and guest arrive at the White House Correspondents" Association (WHCA) annual dinner in Washington on May 3, 2014. AFP PHOTO/Nicholas KAMM (Photo credit should read NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 03: Tim Tebow (L) and Katie Shepherd attend the Bloomberg & Vanity Fair cocktail reception following the 2014 WHCA Dinner at Villa Firenze on May 3, 2014 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/VF14/WireImage)
NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 31: Tim Tebow is seen at ABC"s "Good Morning America"on January 31, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by Raymond Hall/GC Images)
NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 31: NFL player Tim Tebow attends ESPN The Party at Basketball City - Pier 36 - South Street on January 31st, 2014 in New York City (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images For ESPN)
GOOD MORNING AMERICA - The Super Bowl Boulevard Blowout festivities continue all week on GOOD MORNING AMERICA, 1/31/14, airing on the ABC Television Network. Tim Tebow, who recently signed as a commentator with ESPN, is a special guest on the show. (Photo by Ida Mae Astute/ABC via Getty Images) STEVE YOUNG, TIM TEBOW
FILE - In this Jan. 6, 2014 file, photo shows Tim Tebow on ESPN before the NCAA BCS National Championship college football game between Auburn and Florida State in Pasadena, Calif. Tebow will be a special guest on ABC"s "Good Morning America" on Friday, Jan. 31. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
GOOD MORNING AMERICA - The Super Bowl Boulevard Blowout festivities continue all week on GOOD MORNING AMERICA, 1/31/14, airing on the ABC Television Network. Former NFL stars compete in the GMA Football Food Fight. (Photo by Ida Mae Astute/ABC via Getty Images) GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, ROBIN ROBERTS, JOSH ELLIOTT, TIM TEBOW, EMERIL LAGASSE, JOE MONTANA
PASADENA, CA - JANUARY 06: ESPN analyst Tim Tebow looks on during the 2014 Vizio BCS National Championship Game between the Florida State Seminoles and the Auburn Tigers at the Rose Bowl on January 6, 2014 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)
FOXBORO, MA - AUGUST 29: Tim Tebow #5 of the New England Patriots warms up prior to the preseason game against the New York Giants at Gillette Stadium on August 29, 2013 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)
FOXBOROUGH, MA - AUGUST 26: Tim Tebow smiles while being asked questions about his future in New England in the locker room after practice. The New England Patriots held a workout on the practice fields outside of Gillette Stadium this afternoon. (Photo by Jim Davis/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
DETROIT, MI - AUGUST 22: Tim Tebow #5 of the New England Patriots throws a pass during warm-ups prior to the game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on August 22, 2013 in Detroit, Michigan. The Lions defeated the Patriots 40-9. (Photo by Mark Cunningham/Detroit Lions/Getty Images)
FOXBORO, MA - AUGUST 16: Tim Tebow #5 of the New England Patriots warms up prior to the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Gillette Stadium on August 16, 2013 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)
FOXBORO, MA - AUGUST 16: Tim Tebow #5 of the New England Patriots warms up prior to a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Gillette Stadium on August 16, 2013 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)
ORCHARD PARK, NY - DECEMBER 30: Tim Tebow #15 of the New York Jets warms up before playing an NFL game against the Buffalo Bills at Ralph Wilson Stadium on December 30, 2012 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)
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"We can"t say enough about the Delta professionals who care for our customers every day and we are grateful to our customers who are so often quick to extend kindness and care to one another," Brian Kruse said.
The ill passenger received medical attention upon arrival in Phoenix. According to PEOPLE, he was then transported to a nearby hospital where he later died.
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