Hundreds of Minor League baseball players are being released this week due to the current pandemic. One of them, who has been with the New York Mets organization since 2013, is named Andrew Church. Church, a pitcher with mediocre career stats, ripped into the Mets organization in a lengthy Instagram post, which included the mention of a “celebrity signing,” who we all know to the be the fromer Hesimann Trophy winner and NFL Star, Tim Tebow.
Regarding the Mets and the Tebow signing, Church wrote:
“The Mets made a mockery of our team by putting a celebrity on it to sell more tickets,’’ Church wrote, an apparent reference to the 2016 signing of Tebow. “I saw players lose their jobs because of it. We weren’t playing to win, we were playing to make everyone else money. Not the players. We never saw a cut. Well, allegedly one player did.”
Andrew Church, former Mets Minor League Pitcher
As a lifelong fan of Major League Baseball, I respect the talent and worth ethic it takes to get to the top. I dreamed of becoming a professional baseball player, but never made it. It takes a combination of ridiculous talent, hard work, and usually a little luck as well. For this reason, I have never been a fan of celebrity singings, whether it be Garth Brooks, who embarrassed himself during a few Spring Training performances or Michael Jordan, who actually hit over .200 in Double A, which is pretty impressive for a man who hadn’t played baseball in 15 years.
Unsurprisingly, the Tebow signing was a bit annoying - an obvious attempt to cash in on the celebrity, who likely thought he could become a good professional baseball player. He couldn’t.. and didn’t. Last season in Triple A, he was by far the worst player in the league, hitting .163 with 98 strikeouts in 239 At Bats and only 4 home runs. That unfathomably earned him an invite to 2020 MLB Spring Training Camp with the New York Mets. Unbelievable.
This move by the Mets proves that all along it was what it appeared to be - a complete mockery of professional baseball, a celebrity signing for money and not in the spirit of winning games at all. Tebow did not develop into the talent they hoped yet still got a Spring Training invite in 2020. It is about time another player spoke out about this, and I appreciate Andrew Church doing so.
Tim Tebow with Syracuse (Triple A International League)
As for Tebow, he may be a great guy and a hard worker and incredible athlete. However, as long as he holds a roster spot with an affiliated team, he takes one away from a player who is deserving, who has a chance to play at the Big League level. Tebow has already lived the dream - he has played at the highest level of professional football, won the Hesimann Trophy, become a gigantic celebrity, earned a ton of money, and has played professional baseball for 3 years. Retire, Tim.
It’s especially the time to give it up, because of this pandemic.. how many Minor Leaguers need to be cut before Tebow is? He was the worst player in Triple A last season… he will never be a contributor on a big league time. Having faith in Tebow is is not like having faith in Tiger Woods, who was once the greatest golfer in the world. Tebow was never a great baseball player and never will be…at least not at the big league level. If the Mets won’t release him, I believe he should retire… this is the time.