Well, it didn't take long to find out, No Tebowing.
He hammered the first pitch he saw oppo HR over LCF.
Typical celebration at the plate, except that pretty much the entire team emptied out of the dugout to congratulate him. Whether or not forum posters like him, it's been pretty much agreed by anyone who's been on a team with him that he's well liked and respected. His teammates response today seems to continue that trend.
Those guys probably grew up watching him. He's like a hero to them.
He hammered a mistake pitch. We play summer league with a bunch of kids committed to major SEC programs and they don't do that to mistake pitches. Occasionally, yes. However, often not.
I think the guy grooved the pitch on purpose. More hype for the machine. And his teammates response to the dinger was completely fake. I bet they each got $50 bonus to be that excited.
Teaching Elder posted:Those guys probably grew up watching him. He's like a hero to them.
He hammered a mistake pitch. We play summer league with a bunch of kids committed to major SEC programs and they don't do that to mistake pitches. Occasionally, yes. However, often not.
I am not sure this is true. Son plays in a JC Conference, and he said if you get your pitches up, you are going to get hammered! He said not like high school, where you can get away with pitches up.
Hard to say it's deliberate when everybody at every level leaves some pitches up. I'm just one of several SFG fans on this forum crying in our beers ever since the All Star break over the hanging curves our former "closer" consistently throws in the 9th with the game on the line. Heck, the great Madison Bumgarner has given up 26 HR this season so far.
You're correct, Ryno. However, I have found it surprising, that high level high school hitters don't mash even 60% of mistakes. Of course those guys could end up washing out and not being as good as advertised. Who knows.
We can tell you from direct experience, though, that one of those guys can punish a mistake left up and over the inner half.
smokeminside posted:I think the guy grooved the pitch on purpose. More hype for the machine. And his teammates response to the dinger was completely fake. I bet they each got $50 bonus to be that excited.
WOW.....Negative Nacy reporting for duty!
smokeminside posted:I think the guy grooved the pitch on purpose. More hype for the machine. And his teammates response to the dinger was completely fake. I bet they each got $50 bonus to be that excited.
Yep, a 91mph gopher ball on purpose from a fairly high draft pick trying to make a name for himself as a legit player. Alex Jones should be all over this. We've seen this kind of set up before! Or don't you guys remember when the Clintons had poor Vince Foster killed or when George W. Bush orchestrated the 9/11 attacks! Someone needs to look into this immediately!
If that was the case wouldn't every swing in BP be a HR. It's not that easy or clearly you've never played the game.
roothog66 posted:Or don't you guys remember when the Clintons had poor Vince Foster killed or when George W. Bush orchestrated the 9/11 attacks! Someone needs to look into this immediately!
My father in law is pretty sure the Clintons had Foster killed because he helped them orchestrate 9/11. I don't argue the point because he makes some pretty good bar b que, and you know how hard that is to find these days.
No tebowing, no pointing to the sky, wonder if he stood for the national anthem. Tebow "tine"! Wonder what domingo will do now!? Too funny. One good hit will keep everyone coming back for more. Hope he keeps it up, if not we'll all know real soon. The microscope is on him.
It was the first pitch. The guy probably didn't think much of Tebow and just tried to blow one by him for the first strike. He clearly likes the ball up high. I would've whiffed on that one.
No matter what we might think, when a 30 year old man hasn't played since he was 16 years old and his first swing against an active professional pitcher is a home run... That is either really lucky or real amazing. I mean what would the odds be that that would happen? Even if people want to think the 91 mph pitch was grooved on purpose, what are the odds that Tebow would hit it out of the park? And it was a LHP at that.
BTW! Anyone want to critique that swing again?
Typically instructional is for many of the organizations top young prospects. I would bet that they are enjoying the Tebow experiment.
I do expect this experiment to fail, but it will be interesting to follow while it lasts. And this is not some ordinary 30 year old man.
roothog66 posted:smokeminside posted:I think the guy grooved the pitch on purpose. More hype for the machine. And his teammates response to the dinger was completely fake. I bet they each got $50 bonus to be that excited.
Yep, a 91mph gopher ball on purpose from a fairly high draft pick trying to make a name for himself as a legit player. Alex Jones should be all over this. We've seen this kind of set up before! Or don't you guys remember when the Clintons had poor Vince Foster killed or when George W. Bush orchestrated the 9/11 attacks! Someone needs to look into this immediately!
You forgot 32 NFL teams conspiring to keep Tebow from playing football.
Tebow, regardless of what some people might think of him personally, is a big time athlete. Not average ,. Not above average. Very above average. Speed power size strength.
Baseball is a skilled sport but if you have an above average athlete who has developed the skill to play baseball you can have a special player. I dont know if Tebow will develop the skill to be special in baseball but it will be interesting to watch unfold. I find it unbelievable that he can take that much time off and see a 90 plus fast ball and smash it over the fence this early in his comeback campaign.
Tebow did not hit that home run. That was his agent, who reps three other mets players. He also paid the pitcher to groove him one and gave a little walking around money to the other teammates to act excited. The fans got a little less cash as there were so many of them. Tomorrow Tebow is going to pitch a no-hitter.
actually a pitch up can be very effective if fast enough.
good pitchers are groomed to pound the bottom of the zone and mlb batters have adjusted to that. I read a fangraphs article that for the first time last year the league slugged better low in the zone than up. mike trout is famous for murdering low pitches but struggling with pitches up.
mlb batters have adjusted by having big uppercut swings and getting the Bat below the ball early which sometimes make them more vulnerable to high heat. there actually is a small trend of pitchers trying to throw "rising" 4 sealers above the loop of low ball hitters. http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs...uchholz-on-evolving/
good start by tebow but of course it only was one swing and I still think he will not make it to the majors, just missing fundamentals and time is running out at his age. however it should be clear that this is a serious attempt and not some kind of joke.
Didn't Derek Jeter get a "grooved" pitch during the 2014 All Star game? I believe the comment then was that he still had to hit it and not get out. Great player gets a grooved pitch and hits a.........double. There is something weird about hitting the very first pitch in competitive play for a home run. He may not hit another one and may wash out quickly, but you got to give him some credit for that display.
PGStaff posted:No matter what we might think, when a 30 year old man hasn't played since he was 16 years old and his first swing against an active professional pitcher is a home run... That is either really lucky or real amazing. I mean what would the odds be that that would happen? Even if people want to think the 91 mph pitch was grooved on purpose, what are the odds that Tebow would hit it out of the park? And it was a LHP at that.
BTW! Anyone want to critique that swing again?
Typically instructional is for many of the organizations top young prospects. I would bet that they are enjoying the Tebow experiment.
I do expect this experiment to fail, but it will be interesting to follow while it lasts. And this is not some ordinary 30 year old man.
certainly some luck was involved and pitch was not ideal but if tebow was a total joke he could not turn on 90 even down the pipe. people act like he is a beer league softball player but you need some batspeed to square up 90.
he has his flaws and they will likely keep him from making the big leagues but he has some skills too.
roothog66 posted:smokeminside posted:I think the guy grooved the pitch on purpose. More hype for the machine. And his teammates response to the dinger was completely fake. I bet they each got $50 bonus to be that excited.
Yep, a 91mph gopher ball on purpose from a fairly high draft pick trying to make a name for himself as a legit player. Alex Jones should be all over this. We've seen this kind of set up before! Or don't you guys remember when the Clintons had poor Vince Foster killed or when George W. Bush orchestrated the 9/11 attacks! Someone needs to look into this immediately!
That's what I'm talking about!!
smokeminside posted:I think the guy grooved the pitch on purpose. More hype for the machine. And his teammates response to the dinger was completely fake. I bet they each got $50 bonus to be that excited.
The pitch was grooved on purpose
The teammates faked their emotion
They got $50 each to fake the excitement
I'm neither a Tebow supporter nor detractor, but this one has even me shaking my head....WOW 
I'm sure Kilichowski was being serious.
Humor and cyberspace are like Harper and Papelbon.
smokeminside posted:Humor and cyberspace are like Harper and Papelbon.
Just so you know, I got it.
roothog66 posted:smokeminside posted:Humor and cyberspace are like Harper and Papelbon.
Just so you know, I got it.
So, humor needs to run out his fly balls, huh? LoL
Humor has lost his way
Tebow is strong. He's going to hit a few homers. But I'll bet by 100 at bats in the minors (not instructional) he will be below .200 with one third K's.
Daniel Nava hit a grand slam in on the first MLB pitch he saw. He's not in the Hall of Fame. In fact he's had seven trips to the minors since that homer.
RJM posted:Tebow is strong. He's going to hit a few homers. But I'll bet by 100 at bats in the minors (not instructional) he will be below .200 with one third K's.
Daniel Nava hit a grand slam in on the first MLB pitch he saw. He's not in the Hall of Fame. In fact he's had seven trips to the minors since that homer.
I agree. I think he is going to hit below 200 with tons of Ks and not advance past his first MILB Level but People acted like he was a total joke basically being worse than even an average HS Player embarrassing himself on the field.
He is very flawed as a Player and Age Plays against him but you gotta give him credit for being able to turn on a 90 mph FB. If he was a total joke he could not do that even occasionally (sure some luck was involved in that HR).
Domingo Ayala weighs in: https://www.youtube.com/watch?...amp;feature=youtu.be
Domingo is a nut!! I love his mustache.
Dominik85 posted:RJM posted:Tebow is strong. He's going to hit a few homers. But I'll bet by 100 at bats in the minors (not instructional) he will be below .200 with one third K's.
Daniel Nava hit a grand slam in on the first MLB pitch he saw. He's not in the Hall of Fame. In fact he's had seven trips to the minors since that homer.
I agree. I think he is going to hit below 200 with tons of Ks and not advance past his first MILB Level but People acted like he was a total joke basically being worse than even an average HS Player embarrassing himself on the field.
He is very flawed as a Player and Age Plays against him but you gotta give him credit for being able to turn on a 90 mph FB. If he was a total joke he could not do that even occasionally (sure some luck was involved in that HR).
I've seen several news stories of Boston athletes taking BP with the Red Sox and jacking several pitches over the fence. So I'm not impressed with Tebow hitting one homer.
After Julian Edelman took BP and infield with the Sox John Farrell said if he wasn't 28 he could be a legit baseball prospect. Plus Edelman makes millions playing football.
I would guess that very few, if any, give Tebow any chance of making it. At some point he will realize it himself, if he doesn't have what it takes.
In the meantime he has a lot of people that are big football fans, but don't follow baseball, interested in baseball. This whole thing is a popular topic and really... What exactly is it hurting? If he doesn't succeed, so what, that was expected. If somehow he does succeed, what an underdog feat, it would be one of the greatest sports stories ever.
The one thing I do understand, is if his name wasn't Tim Tebow this wouldn't be happening. I've seen some very good 30 year olds that are out of the game and can't get a sniff. Though there is Jim Morris who started his career at an even later age. Of course, he had an upper 90s fastball. If you have upper 90s, age don't count.
Luckily Morris got the movie deal, otherwise I'm not sure his journey would have paid off, at least not in financial terms. Though I have to say, if someone said "come pitch in the major leagues," I'd chuck my desk in a hurry!
Sign me! I'm available!
Tebow continues into fall.
I have mad respect for Tebow because he's putting his self in a situation where lots of people don't think he will make it but he does demonstrate some skills especially when it come to hitting. I watch him online and was impressed for someone to have been out the game so long. Grind until you make it !!!
After Tebow's HR in his 1st AB, he went hitless in his next 5 plate appearances that day. How has he hit since that first day? I tried to look for his numbers but can't find any. Just curious.
USA Today
"Tebow wrapped up a stint in the Mets' instructional league team in Florida by going 4 for 14 (.286) with a home run - in his first at-bat - and two walks."
Given Tebow's potential has a very short time line I would look at his mechanics and how correctable they are within that timeframe than game stats. 99% of the players he playing with and against will never get a whiff of a MLB stadium. Most of them will never see AA ball. It's not like fall instructional is AA (still a long way from MLB).
