Dan Connolly

For what it’s worth, O’s will have a rep at Tebow’s workout

By Dan Connolly

Posted on August 29, 2016

Let’s not make a big deal about this.

It barely qualifies as news. It’s nothing more than a blip in your afternoon.

But I’ve been asked about it by several readers, so I looked into it.

Yes, the Orioles will have a representative in Los Angeles on Tuesday to watch Tm Tebow’s baseball showcase, according to an industry source.

The Orioles won’t be alone. According to MLB.com’s Jon Morosi, roughly half of the 30 MLB teams will watch Tebow run, participate in outfield drills and hit live batting practice.

The former Heisman Trophy winner and NFL quarterback is attempting to make a pro sports comeback, hoping to be signed to a minor league deal as a 29-year-old outfielder.

A tremendous athlete, he hasn’t played baseball competitively since he was a prep star as a high school junior in Florida. He’s been working out with former Oriole catcher Chad Moeller at Moeller’s baseball academy in Arizona in his bid to play pro ball.

So it’s the longest of longshots. But since it is Tebow, one of the more celebrated – and criticized — athletes of the last two decades, I suppose it’s worth passing on.

Of course, after I mentioned it on Twitter, it was met with the usual responses of whether Tebow can pitch, whether the Orioles should print the playoff tickets, etc.

The bottom line is it doesn’t hurt to look. And Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette has made a career of working beyond the margins to help build an organization’s depth.

But it would be a major surprise if Tebow ever played Major League Baseball – for any team.