Tim Tebow’s home run creates more false hope

Tim Tebow gave fans more than reason to cheer Wednesday when he hit a home run on the first pitch of his professional career. He gave them false hope, too.

His legion of fans is loyal and loud, and they won’t pay much attention to the fact Tebow, 29, hit the homer in an instructional league game. Or that the homer came off of a pitcher who was 12 years old when Tebow won his first football championship at the University of Florida. Or that he finished the day 1-for-6. Or that the New York Mets seemed as eager to put Tebow’s jersey for sale as they did about Tebow wearing the jersey after the club signed him to a minor-league contract this month.

The home run he hit to left center is less telling than the showcase/tryout Tebow held Aug. 30. I saw it with my own eyes in Los Angeles.

Mets' Tim Tebow homers in first professional at-bat

During batting practice that day, Tebow crushed eight balls over the fences at the University of Southern California's baseball stadium. But let me repeat the operative words: batting practice. Against two former major-league pitchers that day, he was overmatched. And his arm and fielding skills underwhelmed most of the scouts, with 28 of Major League Baseball’s 30 teams represented.

As an American League scout told USA TODAY Sports’ Bob Nightengale, “It was a complete waste of time. It was like watching an actor trying to portray a baseball player.’’

(The scout requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about his assessment.)

There’s no shame in Tebow trying baseball if he is serious about the words on the home page of his website: “True success is not measured in physical possessions, but in the amount of lives you change.’’

He has changed lives not just because of his athletic prowess, but because he is thoughtful, intelligent, philanthropic and passionate. And in time his most ardent fans, including the ones convinced Tebow’s home run Wednesday is evidence he can play baseball at the highest level, will have to acknowledge the truth.

Tim Tebow is a big-league inspiration, but not a big leaguer.

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