On the same day the New York Post runs a cover asking “Why does God hate the Mets?”, they have this extremely related story claiming that Tim Tebow could be in for a promotion.
There’s not much to the report beyond a claim from a team source that “there has been discussion” among Mets brass about moving Tebow up the Class A Columbia Fireflies, but that such a move wouldn’t occur for at least a couple months—not until after the All-Star Break, according to the Post.
But it’s a good reminder that Tebow’s doing pretty all right! He’s not hitting for power—two home runs in 100 at-bats and a .370 slugging percentage—but a .250 average and a .330 OBP puts him solidly in the middle of the pack on the Fireflies. Yeah, it’s coming against pitchers a decade younger than him, but it’s definitely not an embarrassment. And ESPN is cool with him playing baseball even as he re-upped his TV deal.
It’s also a good reminder that Tebow’s baseball adventure was coldly conceived as a way to keep him famous. From an MMQB feature earlier this month, his agency called a meeting to decide what was next for the football player whom no NFL team wanted:
[H]e was in a conference room at the Creative Artists Agency offices in the Chrysler Building in New York. He was there with his inner circle: family, friends, agents—all the people who ran his professional life. The agency had called the meeting because it typically schedules regular state-of-the-union sessions with its biggest clients. But this one felt particularly momentous.
Tebow had been sitting idle as an NFL free agent for 18 months, and no team had shown interest in signing him as a quarterback. He seemed to finally be accepting that his NFL career was over. Now his team was asking openly: What’s next for Tim Tebow?
They went around the room throwing out ideas. What about movies? Politics? Books? Someone even suggested that he lead a religious crusade of sorts, traveling the country with pastors and musicians, putting on speaking events and preaching the word of God.
Tebow suggested baseball, and it was a good call. We’re writing about him, aren’t we? The Mets sold a bunch of jerseys and the Fireflies a bunch of shirtsies, didn’t they? A-Advanced St. Lucie and AA Binghamton want to sell stuff too, right? May as well ride this as far as it’ll go. God will always be there when he’s done.