@MK: "Interesting that the press follows this guy around hoping he will fail at anything he does." Right. Let's all think about why that might be. It couldn't be that the MSM, god forbid, carries a kind religious or political prejudice, could it?
Baseball is something you assume every American knows how to play. Watching kids play T-Ball dispels that notion in a hurry. It is great to watch them run the wrong way and do crazy stuff, all while having a good time.
Anybody who has that kind of athletic talent already has a better than average chance, regardless of how much he played baseball before. In Tebow's case, he hasn't played organized baseball since high school. He's 29 now, which is a bit late to start, but if he gets it, he should pick it up faster than if he was 18. I guess we'll know more come March.
Gotta love Tebow -- how and why he became "controversial" was a huge, crummy joke. True, his throwing mechanics were not so hot for an NFL QB. But, the barrels of ink wasted on him for his "other" activities (hint - Christian beliefs) became quite irritating.
The temptation is to compare him to Kirk Gibson. (Gibson was an All American wide receiver at Michigan State.) But Kirk Gibson played on a high school baseball team that went to the state finals, and he hit .390 in the year that the football staff allowed him to play baseball for the Spartans. (Until I looked him up, I'd have sworn that he played baseball for three seasons at MSU. At the same time that he was playing quarterback for Michigan, Rick Leach was an All-American in football and baseball and won a Big Ten batting title.) Anyway, Gibson was something of a known baseball prospect when he came out of college after having been a star football player.
Tebow hasn't played baseball since he was a junior in high school.
I'm proud to say my son has never played the game.
My sons each played a little baseball, but switched to lacrosse as soon as they could. In lacrosse you get to hit people with your sticks. That's frowned upon in baseball.
FanGraphs did an article on Tebow's chances. In the plus column, he does have excellent raw power, scoring 70 on a 20 to 80 scouting scale. However, there have been lots and lots of players with a 70 on raw power that became a 20 in game power since they cannot hit major league pitching. It is difficult to hit home runs when striking out every at bat. It does look nice in batting practice.
Tebow's chances are very long. Still, it may be fun!
dang, I should have added that the additional reason I brought up Gibson was because this is Vin Scully's last week calling baseball, and he is forever linked with that Gibson homerun in the World Series. Gibson was 30 or 31 when he hit that bomb. Older (and having consumed a few more cocktails) than Tebow.
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२७ टिप्पण्या:
Just instructional league
So is that Tebow playing Tee-Ball?
Interesting that the press follows this guy around hoping he will fail at anything he does.
Hmmmph. Went opposite field off a lefty.
We used to call it Dialing Eight (long distance).
What Michael K said. I am rooting for Tebow to make it at least to Triple A.
@MK: "Interesting that the press follows this guy around hoping he will fail at anything he does." Right. Let's all think about why that might be. It couldn't be that the MSM, god forbid, carries a kind religious or political prejudice, could it?
http://www.golfchannel.com/media/tim-tebow-crushes-driver-343-yards/
The guy can swing a club with some power, that's for sure. And some control.
He just saw his last fastball. Let's see how he can handle curves and sliders from here on out.
I saw Trouble With the Curve too, John. A pretty good movie.
He was also an excellent college football player; didn't translate to the bigs.
How fun is that?
gnorance is Bliss said...
Just instructional league
So is that Tebow playing Tee-Ball?
Baseball is something you assume every American knows how to play. Watching kids play T-Ball dispels that notion in a hurry. It is great to watch them run the wrong way and do crazy stuff, all while having a good time.
Anybody who has that kind of athletic talent already has a better than average chance, regardless of how much he played baseball before. In Tebow's case, he hasn't played organized baseball since high school. He's 29 now, which is a bit late to start, but if he gets it, he should pick it up faster than if he was 18. I guess we'll know more come March.
FullMoon said...
"Baseball is something you assume every American knows how to play."
Used to was, for anyone over age ten. I'm proud to say my son has never played the game.
Gotta love Tebow -- how and why he became "controversial" was a huge, crummy joke. True, his throwing mechanics were not so hot for an NFL QB. But, the barrels of ink wasted on him for his "other" activities (hint - Christian beliefs) became quite irritating.
Good for Tim.
The temptation is to compare him to Kirk Gibson. (Gibson was an All American wide receiver at Michigan State.) But Kirk Gibson played on a high school baseball team that went to the state finals, and he hit .390 in the year that the football staff allowed him to play baseball for the Spartans. (Until I looked him up, I'd have sworn that he played baseball for three seasons at MSU. At the same time that he was playing quarterback for Michigan, Rick Leach was an All-American in football and baseball and won a Big Ten batting title.) Anyway, Gibson was something of a known baseball prospect when he came out of college after having been a star football player.
Tebow hasn't played baseball since he was a junior in high school.
Here's a great headline:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fancy-stats/wp/2016/08/23/tim-tebow-wants-to-play-baseball-this-wont-end-well/
The east/liberal sports writing cabal sure loves to knock Tebow.
Oh, my, that NYT web site has gone big-time annoying with the you need a subscription attitude. Wouldn't even let me close the stop, I got it box.
More and more news sites are doing that. They're all gonna die soon.
Char Char Binks said...
I'm proud to say my son has never played the game.
My sons each played a little baseball, but switched to lacrosse as soon as they could. In lacrosse you get to hit people with your sticks. That's frowned upon in baseball.
FanGraphs did an article on Tebow's chances. In the plus column, he does have excellent raw power, scoring 70 on a 20 to 80 scouting scale. However, there have been lots and lots of players with a 70 on raw power that became a 20 in game power since they cannot hit major league pitching. It is difficult to hit home runs when striking out every at bat. It does look nice in batting practice.
Tebow's chances are very long. Still, it may be fun!
He also never took the ball under center. A big problem in the pros.
Nice young man -- I hope he does well.
dang, I should have added that the additional reason I brought up Gibson was because this is Vin Scully's last week calling baseball, and he is forever linked with that Gibson homerun in the World Series. Gibson was 30 or 31 when he hit that bomb. Older (and having consumed a few more cocktails) than Tebow.
"saw Trouble With the Curve too, John. A pretty good movie"
Loved that movie. Of course it's difficult to imagine not liking anything that Amy Adams is in.
I'm proud to say my son has never played the game.
Strange thing to be proud of, but to each his own.
@EMD
You're right. I should have said HAPPY instead of proud. I really don't like baseball.
Tim Tebow to professional baseball will be what Tim Tebow was to professional football. He ain't gonna make it. Good for him for trying.
The new Great White Hope!
So far he's ahead of Michael Jordan in the baseball department. Can't do better than a homer in the first at bat.
How did the other at bats go? My guess is not as well since they are not mentioned in the story.
It's really too bad he wasn't a mediocre gay player, then the press would be touting his AWESOME TALENT endlessly.
You have all these a-hole sports writers arrayed against Tebow, which forms a good perspective of how generalized leftism works.
Tebow was a great college QB.
Tebow had only 1 "good" NFL season (the Bronco run, where they beat the Steelers in OT)
Tebow did not have a good NFL career.
Tebow may or may not make it in baseball, but at age 29, the odds are greatly stacked against him
But he's vocal Christian, so for some reason, he is viewed as a pinata.
Oh well. Another reason to vote Trump, I reckon -- it will invariably piss off the type of sportswriters who don't like Tebow.
Philippians 4:13 is a basic thought when facing Major League pitching. Without it, just sit back down now.
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