Tim Tebow Hits 9 Homers In Batting Practice At Mets Workout
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PORT ST. LUCIE (CBSMiami/AP) — Tim Tebow could be rounding the bases at a ballpark near you sometime soon.
Tebow quickly got into the swing of spring training, hitting nine home runs in batting practice Monday during his first workout with the New York Mets.
The former Heisman Trophy winner and NFL quarterback is hoping to make to the majors as an outfielder. He signed a minor league contract last September.
The 29-year-old Tebow played in the Arizona Fall League, struggling against top prospects from other teams. He hit .194 and struck out 20 times in 62 at-bats for the Scottsdale Scorpions.
"It's so much about how you're able to handle things mentally, and that's not just the highs, it's also the lows," the lefty hitter said.
"Baseball can really exploit that if you're not ready for it — to be ready for the droughts and be able to handle the highs and lows. I think I was 0 for my first 13 (in Arizona), so I was like, 'OK, that's going to happen.' But I'm going to bounce back, and I think I was able to do that," he said.
Tebow said similar poor results as a member of the New York Jets in 2012 also were part of a learning process.
"I'm grateful for the highs there — which weren't really many — but for a lot of the lows," said Tebow, who was released after one season with the Jets in which he threw just eight passes and ran 32 times.
"It was not necessarily the most fun situation, but there were so many things I learned. Everything happens for a reason; that situation happened for a reason. I learned from it. I'm grateful for it. I can honestly say that," he said.
(© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
