New York Mets: Tim Tebow Brings Attention, Question Marks

At first glance, the signing of Tim Tebow by the Mets defies logic. But maybe they’re on to something here, and it has nothing to do with what will happen on the diamond.

As reported by ESPN’s Adam Rubin , the New York Mets have signed Tim Tebow to a minor league deal. He will report for duty to the Mets instructional league, and the team will take it from there as to exactly what they do with him.

Wherever he goes, Tebow is sure to attract a lot of attention and media coverage. In fact, it’s already beginning in places like this.

The Tebow story will have legs that go far beyond what he actually does on a baseball field. More than anything, he carries a human interest story that you simply can’t escape from.

From a roller coaster football career during which he defied all the naysayers, and there were many, he catapulted himself to the classic role of the super overachiever only to spin downward at the same breakneck speed.

His outward displays of his religious beliefs and practices while on the field of play were met with admiration or scorn, depending on a person’s politics. But Tebow was always front and center stage no matter what.

Now, the Tebow story turns to baseball. His baseball talent has yet to be determined. Several teams passed on him following his much-publicized workout at USC. But apparently, the Mets saw some things they liked and maybe they figured, “Hey, what the heck. What can we lose?”

The short answer is that they have absolutely nothing to lose. Tebow obviously possesses an athletic skill set that should be transferable to baseball. However, do you remember a guy named Michael Jordan who arguably was the best athlete in the world when he decided to give baseball a whirl? It’s not that easy.

It has often been said that hitting a baseball is the most difficult thing to do in all of sports. If he is going to survive, Tebow is going to have to master that skill and a host of others. Jordan could not hit a baseball. He knew it, his friends knew it, and everyone connected to baseball knew it. For him, the experiment ended quickly, and it was back to basketball.

For Tebow, there is no going back to football. He either makes it or he goes home.

But as much as this ongoing saga will be about Tebow, it will also be about the Mets. To begin with, does anyone even know what position he’s going to play? And where in their system will he be placed to begin next season? Class A Brooklyn would seem a likely choice. At this point, I don’t think anyone with the Mets really knows. In the end, just as Tebow is a work in progress, his status with the Mets and how they handle this whole thing is just as much a work in progress for them.

Which brings to mind a question. How much of a distraction is Tebow going to be and how much energy is it going to take on the part of the Mets to handle what is bound to be a handful of media and fan attention. And then, the question no one wants to ask right now, will it all prove worth it?

The element of distraction is legitimate because even now the spotlight should be focusing on the 25 men who are fighting for their lives in trying to bring a meaningful game in October to its fans, and perhaps even beyond. But there’s been a slight hiccup in that scenario and a lot of attention is already being given to Mr. Tebow.

Beginning tonight in Atlanta, let’s put the Tebow thing to bed for a while. There’s a lot of baseball left to be played, and the Mets are in the thick of it.

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