Dear Mr. Tebow, This morning I heard on the radio you are planning on holding a workout for every Major League Baseball team by the end of the month. The report, from respected ESPN?NFL reporter Adam Schefter on the Mike and Mike Show, said you’d been working out for baseball for the last 10 months, and are serious about playing in the big leagues. Schefter said you were an All-State high school baseball player in Florida, and led your team to the state semifinals your senior year (2005). You hit .494. So you’re no slouch on the diamond. You had skills enough that the then-California Angels were interested in you before you felt led to spend your college years in Gainesville as a Florida Gator quarterback. Your career there suggests that was a good choice. You have fans that honestly believe you were screwed out of the NFL, that there wasn’t a place for you at quarterback in spite of your record of success in Denver. Let’s face it; some of those wins were pulled out of your ... fire. But you’ve been successful enough, and blessed enough, to parlay your experiences into a broadcasting career that shows plenty of promise. As long as America exists, the media will always be there, but that doesn’t mean they’ll hold a job open for you indefinitely. Before you hold your baseball audition, I’m sure you at least considered what Michael Jordan went through around 20 years ago. But what Michael had to fall back on is greater than your Plan B, or anyone else’s at this point. I’ll give you props for one thing; the realization that if you’re going to explore what you can do for baseball, you’re going to have to get it done now. Your 29th birthday is Sunday, and quite frankly there have been scores of professional baseball players who, after failing to make it to the big leagues by age 29, have hung their spikes up for good. There can be no doubt you’ve prayed over this decision; if you said you felt the call of God for you to do this, I’d believe you. I think God can use this for good, because we can’t throw Him for a loop. But if a team signs you, you will have a Jordan-like effect on minor-league ticket sales, and maybe expand your platform to speak for Christ in that way. Other than that, my doubts are every bit as large as Thomas’. You know if you’re doing this for the payday, that would be a mistake. I’m sure you have people advising you who believe you can do that. Just remember that there’s a difference between a doubter and a hater. I wish you well. Good luck! You’re going to need it. Sincerely, Mark Howe
P.S. If you happen to somehow, someway become a teammate of Alex Rodriguez in 2017, be sure to Google “Bill Veeck.” He’d have loved a circus like that.
