MLB

Former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow announces retirement from professional baseball

Bret Gibson
By Bret Gibson
2 Min Read Feb. 17, 2021 | 5 years Ago
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Tim Tebow is hanging up the helmet. Again.

Tebow, the former Broncos and Jets quarterback announced his retirement from professional baseball after five years in the New York Mets organization on Wednesday.

The former Heisman Trophy winner at the University of Florida returned to baseball in 2016 for the first time since his junior year of high school and reached Triple-A Syracuse.

Tebow, who works for ESPN’s SEC Network as a football analyst during the offseason, played 77 games at baseball’s highest minor league level in 2019, batting .163 with four home runs. He finishes his career with a .223 average over 287 games.

“I want to thank the Mets, [current team president Sandy] Alderson, the fans and all my teammates for the chance to be a part of such a great organization,” Tebow said in a statement. “I loved every minute of the journey, but at this time I feel called in other directions.”

Tebow, 33, did not play in 2020, as the minor-league season was canceled because of the covid-19 pandemic. This spring, Tebow had been invited to major-league camp with the Mets.

“It has been a pleasure to have Tim in our organization as he’s been a consummate professional during his four years with the Mets,” Alderson said. “By reaching the Triple-A level in 2019, he far exceeded expectations when he first entered the system in 2016 and he should be very proud of his accomplishments.”

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About the Writers

Bret Gibson is a TribLive digital producer. A South Hills resident, he started working for the Trib in 1998. He can be reached at bgibson@triblive.com.

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