Tim Tebow is valiantly coming back strong in his new career. The 2007 Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback is now making a name in Minor League baseball. At the age of 29, he is batting .250 with two home runs and 11 RBIs. Not only that, he has a .370 slugging percentage in 28 games.
Tebow made a lot of noise when he hit a home run last month, silencing critics who commented that his foray into baseball was a publicity stunt. Even though he had three strikeouts in that game, Tebow improved his statistics as he gains more experience in the new field. In fact, he is third in the team in total bases (33) and fourth in runs scored (14).
In an interview with The Star, Tebow said he is making progress each game. "I'm more comfortable and seeing the pitches better. The rhythm is better. I feel like I have been getting better," he added.
It is still unclear if we'll see Tebow in the major league, but his popularity is generating interest in the minor leagues and specifically the South Atlantic League. Whether people want to see him accidentally throw the ball into the stands or make another home run, they are coming to the games which is driving up the league's revenue.
A report from Sarrah Witten of CNBC, says Tebow is driving up the attendance of the Columbia Fireflies, his current team, by nearly 40 percent. On the road, his impact on the fans is even greater. The same report claims Fireflies road games attendance increased by a maximum of 120 percent. From April's attendance only, Baseball America estimated that Tebow increased the sales for road stadiums by about $44,200 per night.
On the other hand, the general haters ridicule Tebow for playing in minor league baseball. What they don't understand is sports is simply a conduit to Tebow's true calling of ministering through his foundation, according to Roy Higgins of NOLA.com. Tebow also has a strong religious background coming from his Christian missionary parents.
In 2010, he established the Tebow Foundation to bring help to children with life-threatening diseases. He also donated playrooms in children's hospitals and financed life-saving surgeries for children from the Philippines.
