MLB Scout Who Was 'Rooting Against' Tebow Notices How the New Tim Tebow Is Different
While it’s hard to understand why, it’s not exactly a secret that New York Mets prospect Tim Tebow has some of the most vocal and hateful critics you’ll ever find.
It seems that no matter what Tebow does or says, he won’t win over those critics.
To his credit, he has handled those detractors with aplomb.
“You’re always going to have critics and naysayers and people that are going to tell you that you won’t, that you can’t, that you shouldn’t,” Tebow said at a news conference ahead of spring training. “Most of those people are the people that didn’t, that wouldn’t, that couldn’t.”
“You’re always going to have critics and naysayers and people that are going to tell you that you won’t, that you can’t, that you shouldn’t. Most of those people are the people that didn’t, that wouldn’t, that couldn’t.”
Baseball aside, there’s no doubt he’s an inspirational guy pic.twitter.com/FDTwUuKXI2
— Steve Gelbs (@SteveGelbs) February 16, 2019
When Tebow was reassigned from the Mets’ spring training roster to minor league camp Tuesday, it would’ve been little surprise had Tebow’s critics come out in droves to derisively attack the 31-year-old prospect.
Instead, something funny happened.
Tebow’s perseverance and work ethic, even in the face of a baseball demotion, seemed to win over some of those hardened critics.
“You know what, I was rooting against him at the start three years ago, but I have to say he has improved and just as importantly, he has said all the right things and done the right things,” an anonymous baseball scout told the New York Post’s Kevin Kernan. “As an extra guy he might be the kind of good because he is not a negative force.”
It’s noteworthy that someone who “was rooting against him” was won over despite Tebow not quite making the majors yet.
His baseball accomplishments have been confined to varying levels of minor league baseball, and he is still winning over critics.
Of course, that’s not to say that Tebow has nothing to work on.
“I will say this, he’s gotten a lot better on the offensive side,” another scout told Kernan. “His defense is still too much like a football player in left field.”
In addition to winning over scouts, Tebow is also impressing his peers.
“All I see is that he is getting better, better and better, and I think he will get a chance one day,” Mets infielder and eight-time All-Star Robinson Cano told the Post. “It’s not going to be an easy road, but the way he works is amazing, and he is going to make it work. I love his last two at-bats against lefties.
“I see real progress.”
New York infielder Todd Frazier expressed similar thoughts.
“If he can just understand a little plate discipline and understand situational baseball, like swinging 2-0. He’s ready to rock 2-0 instead of being like, ‘I have to get my pitch.’ Just little stuff like that,” Frazier told the Post. “He’s right on the tip there, man, I think he has a good shot.
“It’s going to be exciting when he does get the call.”
Tebow will always have his fair share of critics, whether because of jealousy or disdain for his strong Christian faith. Leave it to Tim to quietly win at least some of them over.
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