Tebow Being Promoted To Mets' Affiliate In Florida
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Tim Tebow is moving up and heading south — to some very familiar territory.
Tebow has been promoted to the New York Mets' high Class A affiliate in St. Lucie, Florida. The 29-year-old Tebow led the University of Florida to two national championships in football and won the 2007 Heisman Trophy during his stellar career with the Gators.
Baseball has not been as easy for the 29-year-old outfielder. He entered his final game with the Fireflies hitting just .222 with three homers and 23 RBIs — numbers that usually don't lead to a promotion.
"For me, it's not something I have to answer," Tebow said. "There's a lot smarter, wiser people than me that make those decisions. I just try and show up and play hard every day."
Mets general manager Sandy Alderson announced the promotion prior to the major league club's game in San Francisco. He said Tebow's performance had trended positively the past two or three weeks and the Mets thought it was a good time for his promotion.
"Clearly, it's a step up," Alderson said. "I certainly think he can handle it."
Tebow has been a smash hit with fans the past three months in the South Atlantic League. The Fireflies are second in the league with an average attendance of 5,230 before Sunday, and Tebow's presence has led to sellouts and big crowds at nearly every road stop.
He is happy to be headed back to the Sunshine State, where he still has family, friends and many, many supporters in Gator colors.
"I obviously love Florida so this is nice," he said with a grin. "But the goal and focus is improving as a baseball player."
Tebow's first pro baseball stop had a storybook start with a home run in his first at-bat. He added another homer three games later, but he has been mostly inconsistent at the plate.
That's baseball, Tebow said. He went 0 for 3 during Saturday's win over Kannapolis, but drove in two runs.
"I know that my progress has led me to having three good at-bats, to bring in two guys," he said. "As an athlete you can't worry about those things. You have to focus on, 'Am I seeing the pitches? What am I doing with them? Am I doing damage with them?'"
Tebow certainly looked comfortable in the Fireflies' clubhouse, despite being a decade older than several of his teammates.
"We've said he's just one of 25 guys," Columbia president John Katz said. "At the end of the day, he really is. He wants to succeed. He puts in the work and hopefully, he'll have continued success at a higher level."
That's Alderson's wish, too, as Tebow continues a journey that he hopes ends at Citi Field in New York.
"I wouldn't say he has excelled" at Columbia, Alderson said. "But at the same time, what he's done there — given all the circumstances — justified the promotion."
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