Seemingly, the New York Mets have very little to talk about these days in terms of making moves to strengthen their team for the upcoming season. So when the opportunity arose for GM Sandy Alderson to divert attention away from that, he was locked and loaded when a reporter asked him a question that he could spin for a dose of Tim Tebow drama and a splash of humor.
The question was routine and simple enough. Would there be any advantage to having Tim Tebow in the major league camp during spring training as opposed to the minor league camp? Alderson’s answer:
"“No,” the Mets’ general manager said. Then came the proper pause for full comic effect. And then: “Except for advertising purposes.”"
There is no way that Alderson answered that question on the fly and extemporaneously. He had to have that one in his back pocket so he could use it the first time the opportunity arose.
And if that wasn’t enough, Mets manager Terry Collins also got into the comedy skit in the same New York Post story:
"“Maybe he’s got some fancy cars he can drive to camp,” Collins said of Tebow, humorously making the point that the Mets already own their share of diversions. The manager also spoke of his veterans’ desire to learn a quarterback sneak."
Tim Tebow Fans Are Hardcore
So what can be made of this? Are the Mets backtracking on Tim Tebow now, or are they simply admitting what the rest of the baseball world already seems to know. Which is that the idea of Tim Tebow ever earning an at bat in the major leagues is simply not likely.
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The key word in the sentence above, though, is earning. Because the Mets can do whatever they want with Tim Tebow. He could be their leadoff hitter on Opening Day if they want. Or they could start him at Double-A instead of Single-A where he belongs, letting him twist in the wind as the so-called “experiment” dies a very slow and painful death.
The last time I mentioned Tim Tebow in a story, I found out very quickly that there is a hardcore faithful out there that doesn’t like their boy touched or blemished in any way. One of the tweets back to me even suggested what I might do with “my pen” that I can’t repeat here.
Go Tebow, Go!
And let’s face it, because they might have a point. Tim Tebow is good fodder for satirical news and any time his name pops up, the gravitational pull can be overwhelming. But the fact remains that Tim Tebow and the Mets are going through with the idea that a 29-year-old man who hadn’t played baseball since high school, can play (someday) in the major leagues.
The story has Hollywood written all over it. But as long as Tim Tebow is willing to put in the work necessary for that to happen, and everything we hear says that he is, then maybe everyone should take a seat in the back (me, too) and just watch the show as it develops.
Next: Bautista Destined to Be Last Man Standing
Because in all likelihood, even though we know the punchline that’s coming at the end of the joke, we should at least be a good audience and let the comedian tell the joke.