New York Mets Sign Tim Tebow

The New York Mets announced on Thursday that they have signed former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow to a minor league contract. Tebow – who was identified as an “outfielder” in the Mets’ Twitter post - will begin his professional baseball career with the organization’s Instructional League team in Port St. Lucie, Florida.

Tebow, a former Heisman Trophy winner, has played for the Denver Broncos, New York Jets, New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles.

He made national headlines and appeared as the background of countless Internet memes in 2011 when he sparked the phrase “Tebowing” after a photograph of him kneeling on the gridiron in prayer after an overtime victory against the Dolphins went viral.

The 29-year-old recently announced his desire to play professional baseball and was given the opportunity to participate in a workout in front of more than 40 Major League Baseball scouts on Tuesday. During his workout, Tebow hit five home runs in batting practice and recorded an “above average” time in the 60-yard dash. He focused on showcasing his outfield skills during the workout and also faced live pitching from former Major Leaguers David Aardsma and Chad Smith.

According to the Mets’ website:

“The goal would be to have a career in the big leagues," Tebow said after the showcase. "That's the goal, right? And then the pursuit of it is to give everything you have and be the best you can and give everything. I want to be someone that pursues what I believe in and what I'm passionate about, and a lot of people will say, 'Well, what if you fail? What if you don't make it? Guess what? I don't have to live with regret. I did everything I could. I pushed it. So I would rather be someone that could live with peace and no regrets than the what-if or being scared of if I didn't make it."

Tebow hasn’t played organized baseball since his junior year in 2005 at Nease High School in Ponte Vedra, Florida, the Mets stated in a news release.

The Mets’ offer wasn’t the first baseball deal that was handed to Tebow. Last month, the Connecticut-based Bridgeport Bluefish minor league baseball team offered the former NFL player a contract to play for the team during the 2016 season.

• See related article: Bridgeport Bluefish Offer Baseball Contract to Tim Tebow

While news of Tebow’s signing quickly started making its way around the internet on Thursday, not all of the reactions were optimistic about the contributions that he may be able to offer the team.

Photos: Wikimedia Commons, Ed Clemente Photography