- November 26, 2024
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The pest control man at my Hawthorne Village apartment complex knocked on my door last Friday afternoon.
His name was Rudy, and he was coming in to do a routine spray for palmetto bugs, which I’m thankful for, but this story is about what we talked about while he was doing it.
He saw my New York Mets hat on the kitchen counter. My family is originally from New York, so I’ve always been a fan of the team, and this is the first thing he says to me once he sees it:
“You see Tim Tebow hit that walk-off home run last night?”
I had, and due to it I decided I was going to attend the St. Lucie Mets game later that night since they were playing the nearby Daytona Tortugas. I went on to ask Rudy, a fellow Mets fan and Port Orange resident, what it was about Tebow that he thought made him such a polarizing figure, and someone that people talk about.
Rudy talked about being a Mets fan in the 1960’s, and particularly in 1969 when they won the World Series in just their seventh year of existence.
Tebow reminded him of that era.
“Tebow brings an integrity to the sport and to the team like people haven’t seen since then,” he said. “I think that’s why people are so into him and think it’s such a good thing.”
Now that’s just Rudy’s opinion, of course, but there is no doubting the attention that Tebow brings. There are plenty of people who agree with Rudy, like the hundreds of fans at the game on Friday night who waited along the third base line before the game with baseballs, copies of his book “Shaken," and Florida Gator hats for him to sign.
He didn’t come out to sign, but it was OK. Whenever he took a ball, whether it was one inch outside or three feet, he would get cheers.
“Good eye, Timmy!” and “great discipline!” were just a few words of encouragement fans provided. He makes the mundane seem exciting.
But there are also people who don’t like the hoopla.
Tebow’s existence in Minor League Baseball has been a sideshow, and some argue that it takes away opportunities for other prospects to excel because there is a lot of focus placed on a former Heisman Trophy winner and NFL quarterback.
Baseball purists shouldn’t worry too much though. Although Tebow is tearing up high-A St. Lucie to the tune of a .308/.392/.523 slash line in 20 games, Mets general manager Sandy Anderson further elaborated this weekend that Tebow is unlikely to be called up to the major leagues.
But when it comes to Tebow, nothing he pulls off should surprise anyone.
