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Tim Tebow is baseball’s chance to make up for Michael Jordan
New York Post ^ | August 9, 2016 | Joel Sherman

Posted on 08/10/2016 11:38:21 AM PDT by TBP

The grander point was missed then. The most popular athlete in the world wanted to play baseball. If he defied all odds and succeeded, great, then the most popular athlete in the world was playing baseball. And if he failed, he a) brought attention to the game; b) used his very loud megaphone to profess his love for the sport to his millions of fans around the world; and c) accentuated just how tough it is to play major league baseball, because the greatest athlete in the world would have failed at it.

But even if it was a publicity stunt, so what? It was a valuable one.

If he moves a bunch of kids to want to play or attend a game who otherwise wouldn’t, great. If he makes it, great, another terrific/popular athlete in the sport. If he fails, great, a reminder of just how skilled you have to be to make the majors.

I felt this way about Jordan. I felt this way in the spring of 2014, when I spoke to Tracy McGrady about his post-basketball attempts to make the majors. I felt this way when Jameis Winston and Russell Wilson have indulged their baseball passions. Heck, I felt this way in spring 2015 when Will Ferrell was allowed to play 10 positions for 10 teams in one day of Arizona spring training.

This is a moment when lots of parents are questioning whether they want to let their children participate in football because of potential damage to the body and to the brain. Here is a popular ex-quarterback shifting to baseball. It is a moment for the institution of the game to embrace.

(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: athletes; baeball; baseball; tebow
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The title in the paper is "Tebow is good for baseball" and I agree with Joel Sherman that he is.

But way too many people literally hate the guy.

If I were running a team like the Rays, I'd give him a shot.

1 posted on 08/10/2016 11:38:21 AM PDT by TBP
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To: TBP

I had a scholarship to play baseball at a Div 1 school. Michael Jordan wasn’t even close to being good enough to be a major league baseball player, or actually, even a college player. The only reason he got a chance was because he drew a crowd. That is the fact. Maybe the Rays will, one of my teammates is a scout for them still!

I watched the video of Tebow, and he definitely has a hell of a lot better swing than Jordan, but so do a lot of people.


2 posted on 08/10/2016 11:44:19 AM PDT by nobamanomore
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To: TBP
But way too many people literally hate the guy.

I can't for the life of me figure out why. He's unerringly polite and respectful. He goes out of his way to do all sorts of things for charity. He does not cheat, chemically enhance, drink or do drugs, and he never ends up on the police blotter. Even John Elway says he's the kind of guy you want your daughter to marry, and he sure made believers out of the Steelers in that playoff game.

If he's hated it's due to some demonic element that hates the Lord.


3 posted on 08/10/2016 11:45:00 AM PDT by Buckeye McFrog
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To: TBP

Tebow should take Romo’s place.


4 posted on 08/10/2016 11:46:25 AM PDT by rjsimmon (The Tree of Liberty Thirsts)
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To: Buckeye McFrog
I can't for the life of me figure out why. He's unerringly polite and respectful. He goes out of his way to do all sorts of things for charity. He does not cheat, chemically enhance, drink or do drugs, and he never ends up on the police blotter.

He is everything the prince of this world hates, and the prince of this world has a pretty good hold on most of the populace these days ...
5 posted on 08/10/2016 11:46:32 AM PDT by Scythian_Reborn
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To: nobamanomore

I have a brother who was 20 times the ballplayer I was.

He played two years on a semi-pro team after high school. After that experience he came home and told me that “we had two guys on our team who washed out of organized ball at the Class A level. And they were WAY better than any of the rest of us! I was going to make the show? Yeah, right. What was I thinking??”

Climbing that hierarchy of minor leagues to make it to the show is one of the most incredibly hard things a guy could do in this country.


6 posted on 08/10/2016 11:47:33 AM PDT by Buckeye McFrog
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To: Buckeye McFrog

“If he’s hated it’s due to some demonic element that hates the Lord.”

That would be most of the media.


7 posted on 08/10/2016 11:47:35 AM PDT by Rennes Templar (President Trump: It's all over but the counting)
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To: nobamanomore
There was an ESPN story about it, I think a 30 for 30, and when you see Jordan at the start of his baseball adventure, he did look terrible. His swing was a mess. By the end of it, you could see a lot of improvement, and he was hitting in the mid .200s with a lot of power. His defense in the outfield was good.

No one knows what would have happened, but it is possible that if he stuck with it, in maybe 2 more years he might have made it to the majors. It is also very possible he never would have. Who knows?

I don't think Jordan had played since little league. Tebow played at a high level in high school. He has a much better chance to get to a professional level than Jordan did.

8 posted on 08/10/2016 11:54:29 AM PDT by Defiant (After 8 years of Chump Change, it's time for Trump Change.)
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To: Buckeye McFrog

[Climbing that hierarchy of minor leagues to make it to the show is one of the most incredibly hard things a guy could do in this country.]

Yep, you could be the greatest player in the world in the minors and it still comes down to the subjective judgment of someone else to send you upstairs.


9 posted on 08/10/2016 11:58:56 AM PDT by headstamp 2 (Fear is the mind killer.)
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To: TBP

“...way too many people literally hate the guy...”

And I betcha way more love Tim Tebow and that’s the truth! Why do the haters, mainly atheists, get to wag the Dog so easily???


10 posted on 08/10/2016 12:00:31 PM PDT by Sioux-san
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To: TBP

Tebow getting a shot is more than most. Baseball has to be the hardest sport to make the pros. I don’t know how many “can’t miss” five tool players have never made the bigs. But alas, whatever Tebow does should help baseball. Deion Sanders and Bo Jackson made it.


11 posted on 08/10/2016 12:04:03 PM PDT by Karliner ( Jeremiah 29:11, Romans 8:28- 8:38"...this is the end of the beginning."WC)
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To: TBP
Tebow is an all-around athlete and nice guy.

Good luck to him!

12 posted on 08/10/2016 12:07:49 PM PDT by PROCON (Americans First or Terrorists First - Choose in November)
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To: nobamanomore; TBP
Michael Jordan wasn’t even close to being good enough to be a major league baseball player, or actually, even a college player. The only reason he got a chance was because he drew a crowd.

When Jordan was playing baseball the Indians had spring training in my town, and I used to go to most of the games. The day he played, the usual crowd of 4000 went to 9000, and every time he came up to bat the crowd stopped whatever they were doing and watched closely. (He generally struck out.) When he was pulled in the 6th inning, 7000 of the 9000 left.

Maybe the Rays will, one of my teammates is a scout for them still!

As a hardcore Rays fan: for everyone's sake including his, I hope not. The Rays are finally about to get rid of dead wood and build a good young team, with a decent infield, a killer outfield, back to good pitching, and enough bats to take the pressure off the pitchers. It won't be the Cubs, but it won't be this year's debacle either.

13 posted on 08/10/2016 12:08:17 PM PDT by chajin ("There is no other name under heaven given among people by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12)
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To: Buckeye McFrog

Actually, Jesus stated that this would happen to any who followed Him.

We are seeing Satan taking over all institutions because they had the curricula in public schools since the 60s and satanic Hollywood to program the beliefs/desires of satanism into little children in America, so, of course, a true Christian is reviled because cockroaches can’t stand light. We used to encourage Christanity with our “Just” Laws, but since 1950s we started to BANN the only ethic system which created our Justice System to promote satanism (Marxism/Socialism which are slavery). Vice creates slaves only.


14 posted on 08/10/2016 12:08:55 PM PDT by savagesusie (When Law ceases to be Just, it ceases to be Law. (Thomas A./Founders/John Marshall)/Nuremberg)
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To: chajin

Maybe the Atlanta Braves. They’re a team with all sorts of holes to fill. Lousy attendance, moving into a new ballpark. Plus a lot of their fan base is in the Bible Belt and likely they’d take to Tim. He could be Dale Murphy 2.0.


15 posted on 08/10/2016 12:11:53 PM PDT by Buckeye McFrog
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To: TBP
So let me see if I've got this straight. Tebow has sent an invite to 31 baseball teams to come to him for the honor of being allowed to watch him work out after which they can enter into a bidding war for the priveledge of adding him to their team?

Can anyone spell 'hubris'?

16 posted on 08/10/2016 12:13:19 PM PDT by Lower Deck
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To: TBP
Like me, Tebow will never, ever, see a major league diamond unless he pays for a ticket.

But he does a heck of a job trying to remain relevant.

17 posted on 08/10/2016 12:14:09 PM PDT by gdani
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To: TBP

At age 29, it would be a bad team that wanted some excitement and publicity. Might be a good promo for a minor league team, but they wouldn’t pay Tebow very much. Very few teams would have any interest at all.

The few players who spend very short times in the minors are guys who are fresh from high level play in college or foreign/independent leagues.


18 posted on 08/10/2016 12:22:48 PM PDT by jjotto ("Ya could look it up!")
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To: Buckeye McFrog
Maybe the Atlanta Braves

If Tebow can actually play at MLB level, this might be a very good fit. I genuinely wish him well; I have prayed for him over the years, as have many others, I am sure.

19 posted on 08/10/2016 12:24:47 PM PDT by chajin ("There is no other name under heaven given among people by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12)
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To: TBP
Tim Tebow is not only an unabashed follower of Jesus Christ but he also was featured in the ad that thanked his mom for allowing him life (a pro-life promo) and THAT cannot be tolerated in a world consumed with "intolerance!"

In my part of the US, Kansas, the worst thing that can be uttered about you, if you seek public office, is that you are genuinely pro-life!

Sure, there are some pols that seek the Kansans For Life, endorsement come election time and will even use their membership in certain religions as proof that they are pro-life but vote in favor of embronic stem cell "research" when votes are cast.

Liberal leaders and donors will give such pols a pass for stating their "pro-life" credentials at election time because they know in fact it is not true!

Tim Tebow - he's to be destroyed and never allowed to be seen again succeeding in any sports team - ESPN (and other Jesus Christ haters) won't allow it!

20 posted on 08/10/2016 12:35:43 PM PDT by zerosix (native sunflower)
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