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Fennelly: Even opponents fall victim to Tim Tebow's charm

 
St. Lucie Mets outfielder Tim Tebow (15) high fives third baseman J.C. Rodriguez (22) after his three run home run in the seventh inning of the game between the St. Lucie Mets and the Charlotte Stone Crabs at Charlotte Sports Park in Port Charlotte, Fla. on Sunday, July 29, 2017.
St. Lucie Mets outfielder Tim Tebow (15) high fives third baseman J.C. Rodriguez (22) after his three run home run in the seventh inning of the game between the St. Lucie Mets and the Charlotte Stone Crabs at Charlotte Sports Park in Port Charlotte, Fla. on Sunday, July 29, 2017.
Published Aug. 5, 2017

PORT CHARLOTTE — They like what they see.

Tim Tebow's baseball odyssey in the minor leagues isn't lost on anyone in the Florida State League. That goes for players, managers and anyone else counting heads in the crowd.

That went for a recent series between Tebow and the St. Lucie Mets and the Charlotte Stone Crabs at Charlotte Sports Park.

"It's more fans," said Stone Crabs infielder Peter Maris. "Who doesn't like playing before people?"

And another thing …

"Everything I thought and heard about him was true," Maris said. "We played them at their place and he was the nicest dude ever. He was on first base and we started talking. He kept asking about me. He was more interested in me."

And another thing …

"I like his swing," Maris said. "His pitch selection is surprising. He was laying off some good pitches. Guy hasn't played in 10, 12 years. He's not bad."

"When he first started, everybody kind of said something, that maybe he didn't belong here," said Stone Crabs pitcher Brandon Lawson. "But he's a decent hitter. He has good tools. I pitched to him a couple of weeks ago. He got me,. A little dink single down the third-base line. Fastball, 3-2 count."

RELATED: Tebowmania headed to Tampa Bay

Until he began pursuing a professional baseball career about a year ago, his last experience had been as a high school player at Ponte Vedra Nease High School. Stone Crabs manager Michael Johns grew up in and coached in the Jacksonville area.

"I have the unique perspective of seeing him in high school," Johns said. "I coached high school in Jacksonville (at Orange Park). He hit a three-run homer to beat us in the conference championship. Oh, I remember him."

Johns thought about the Tebow Experiment.

"He hasn't played baseball for 12 years. For him to be able to compete, it's pretty extraordinary. This is not an easy game. It's a skill game. You can't just go in the weight room and get bigger and stronger and think you'll be successful.

But Tebow's age works against him, Johns said.

"That's the issue. Certainly, Father Time is not on his side."

He added: "Part of me pulls for him, a Jacksonville kid. I got a chance to talk to him the last time we played him. He told me he was going to stay with it until the season ends, not go back to (ESPN College) GameDay until after the season. That's important to me. If you leave a team for a weekend, one foot in, one foot out … it seems like he's pushing all his chips in. You've got to respect that."

Tebow's baseball journey was initially ridiculed, but he has stuck with it. People have noticed.

"I saw (Michael) Jordan when he played baseball," one baseball scout said before the Mets-Stone Crabs game played last Saturday. "Tebow might have something. He has some things I like. Everybody I talked to in the (Arizona) Fall League thought he'd be embarrassed and quit. But he has gotten better. His timing is better. He's getting his foot down. I still think he's trying to lift the ball too much.

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"But it's not a joke. It's an interesting deal at this point."