Advertisement

MLB Scouts on Tim Tebow tryout: 'complete waste of time', 'batting practice was impressive'

By The Sports Xchange

Tim Tebow's baseball tryout drew a big crowd and mixed reviews Tuesday.

Tebow, a former Heisman Trophy winner and NFL quarterback, is attempting an athletic comeback at age 29 in a different sport. Even though he last played baseball in high school, he attracted a total of 46 scouts from 28 major league teams to his workout Tuesday at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.

Advertisement

The consensus among the observers was that he showed some power potential and good speed, but his fielding didn't go as well. He batted against two former major league pitchers, David Aardsma and Chad Smith.

An unnamed veteran scout told ESPN.com, "The batting practice was impressive, and if he had carried it over into the simulated game, I think a lot of teams would have come away from this very interested. But it just didn't translate. He was out front a lot and he didn't recognize some pitches. He didn't take the same approach. It seemed like he was more interested in making contact, and his barrel was dragging."

Advertisement

One American League scout told USA Today, "It was a complete waste of time. It was like watching an actor trying to portray a baseball player.

"He tried. He tried. That's the best I can say. He is crazy strong, and could run well in one direction, but that's it. He only had one good throw of all his throws."

Yet an NL scout told USA Today, "I thought he was OK. Better than I expected, to be honest. For not having played as long as he had, I thought he did OK."

An AL scout told the Washington Post, "You look at him and go, 'Wow,'" while an NL scout told the Post, "He's a physical dude. He is chiseled beyond belief."

The next question to be answered is whether any team is interested in giving Tebow a minor league contract.

Tebow captured the 2007 Heisman Trophy as part of a stellar college football career at the University of Florida. The Broncos made him a first-round draft pick in 2010, and he led Denver to a playoff win after his second pro season. He also spent one season with the New York Jets.

Advertisement

He is currently a broadcaster for ESPN and the SEC Network.

Latest Headlines