Red Sox will be represented at Tim Tebow workout

Red Sox will be present when former Florida Gator Quarterback Tim Tebow, 29, holds a workout as he endeavors to earn a contract as a major league outfielder.

At age 29, Tim Tebow, arguably one of the greatest college football players of all-time, intends to play Major League Baseball.

In fact, in an August 23 article by Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe, it is stated that Tebow will be holding an August 30 workout in Los Angeles and 20 teams are anticipated to be in attendance, including the Boston Red Sox.

In the same article, Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski is quoted as stating, “Sure, we’ll have somebody there.”

The article also states that Tebow has been working out with the hope of being signed as an outfielder.

According to the following article by ESPN news services, Tebow has not played baseball with full-time regularity since 2005, when he was an all-state baseball player in Florida and hit a robust .494, helping Nease High School reach the semifinals of the Florida championship.

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Outside of Tebow’s representatives, the general consensus is that Tebow does not have a snowflake’s chance in “you know where” to reach the Major Leagues strictly on his baseball aptitude. However, if the motivation is marketing and ticket sales, Tebow has some realistic possibilities.

In an article written by ESPN’s Darren Rovell, he states that Tebow would be the biggest minor league draw since Michael Jeffrey Jordan was playing for the Chicago White Sox’s AA-affiliate, the Birmingham Barons. A little known fact is that former Red Sox and current Indians manager Terry Francona was Jordan’s manager at the time.

Rovell goes on to list five teams that would be interested for business reasons alone. First on his list are the Florida Marlins, who struggle with game attendance. They are the organization that would benefit the most regarding the marketing of Tebow.

Clearly, Tebow may never reach the major leagues so it logically follows that the minors will likely be the site of any increased revenue attracted by Tebow’s signing. The Marlins have spring training in Florida along with two minor league clubs, including one in Jacksonville where Tebow attended high school.

Rovell also lists the Rockies, Braves, Padres, and Tampa Bay Rays as those baseball organizations that would likely be interested in Tebow for marketing reasons alone.

In another article, ESPN Writer Jim Bowden voices his opinion that Tebow deserves an opportunity to prove if he can play Major League Baseball.

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He discusses the scouting reports from Tebow’s high school days in which the former Gator star is identified for his, “great arm and speed, natural power, athletic outfielder who takes good routes to the ball, etc. There are also a few intangibles: competitive, high-character, good baseball IQ, and instincts.”

Bowden goes on to mention that the tool of “hitting” is noticeably absent from those reports and it is the most important tool, for if Tebow cannot hit with regularity, he will not have a future in pro baseball. Bowden wonders aloud if Tebow can hit the high velocity pitches and the off-speed and breaking pitches. He also expresses concern that Tebow is already 29 years old and the odds are against him.

Then Bowden, a former GM with the Cincinnati Reds, bucks the nearly unanimous trend exhibited by those associated with baseball by stating that nobody knows whether or not Tebow can play this game and that he is deserving of a chance to prove himself. With so many critics claiming Tebow will simply embarrass himself, Bowden presents a refreshing wait-and-see approach.

Nearly unanimously, those associated with the game, from writers to players, have mocked Tebow for his belief that he could just show up and play in the Big Leagues.

Bowden does not believe that this is a marketing ploy, as Tebow would not attempt anything at which he did not believe that he could be successful. While teams are hoping that he can succeed at pro baseball, there is enormous marketing value to signing him.

Bowden sums up his opinion by stating that while the odds are very much against him, “anything is possible given his tools and drive.”

In a piece written by Jason Stark of ESPN, many discouraging and skeptical thoughts regarding Tebow’s future as a major league ballplayer are expressed. One longtime scouting director is quoted as saying, “He’s missed 11 years in the batter’s box. Nobody overcomes that. I know Josh Hamilton missed four years and he came back. But he was the No. 1 pick in the draft. You’d have to be a guy like that and just have stupid ability. And nobody ever thought of Tim Tebow like that.”

In Stark’s article, he mentions that no one in the history of baseball has ever missed 11 years of baseball and then made it to the Majors as a position player. Occasionally, one will hear about a player who has surfaced as a baseball player in an independent league and then makes it to the Majors; however, those cases have been reserved for pitchers, never position players.

In an article by ESPN.com, reactions to Tebow’s attempt to play pro baseball are opinionated and largely derisive.

Gary Sheffield, an in-the-minority Tebow-believer had this to say:

Orioles centerfielder Adam Jones with some sarcasm:

Here are a couple of tweets with a marketing slant:

I am extremely skeptical about Tebow reaching the Majors, or even finding success in the minors. He is already 29 years old and has been away from the game for more than a decade, time that can never be regained. Sure, he might be able to launch bombs in BP but hitting a 98 mph fastball or hitting an 83 mph curveball when one is cheating to catch up to a 98 mph fastball, is a very special proficiency.

In terms of the Red Sox sending a scout to observe his workout, I cannot believe that they are expecting much. In addition, by all that I have read, it is just a workout, live pitching is not on the agenda. I surmise that the only things that the Red Sox will learn about Tebow are what they already know: he can run, throw, hit BP fastballs, and is a great athlete. Until anyone sees him hit live Major League caliber pitching, no one will know whether he has a future in pro baseball.

Next: Red Sox: Aaron Boone Talks Benintendi, Royals, and Tebow

To place my opinion in its proper perspective, the greatest athlete that I have ever seen, Michael Jordan, hit .202 and slugged .262 for a AA team. I understand that people who have never played the sport are incapable of realizing that baseball is less about athleticism then basketball and football, and more about anticipation, reflexes, pitch recognition, mechanics, and eye-hand coordination. Superior athletes can master other sports that are more dependent on athleticism quickly; however, the skills mentioned above take time and repetition to develop, regardless of how skilled an athlete one may be.

As for the Red Sox, I suppose we could use a left fielder.