So does anyone else miss baseball right about now?
I really do. I especially love, near the end of spring training, following the stories of the minor-league stars who suddenly get hot and rise into the major leagues. Is there anything more inspiring than watching a rookie who is 28, 29 or even 30 run down the red carpet on opening day and be introduced to The Show?
With that in mind, I would like to mix that story — tragically cut off this year, of course — with another ongoing story. That would be the evolving life and career of one Tim Tebow.
This MLB.com story ran quite some time ago, before our world turned inside out, but I filed it away since it managed to gracefully handle an interesting development in the Tebow story. I saw some other news reports that, as usual, were cranked out by journalists who seemed to go out of their way to turn this story into another chance to mock this man or ignore relevant facts about his life.
So here is a small dose of baseball news. Do you remember the news when this story broke? Here’s the MLB.com headline: “Tebow to represent Philippines in WBC qualifiers.” I am sure the lead-ups to the 2021 World Baseball Classic have been messed up — but let’s hope that our world is sorted out by next summer. Here is the overture:
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Calling the opportunity “a really cool thing,” Tim Tebow has agreed to play for the Philippines in 2021 World Baseball Classic qualifiers.
Tebow, a former Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback who has spent the past four years as a Mets Minor League outfielder, was born in the Philippines. When the country’s national baseball team invited him to participate in WBC qualifiers, Tebow ran it past Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen and manager Luis Rojas, who signed off on him leaving this year's Spring Training to play.
“I’ve just got such a heart for the Philippines,” Tebow said. “I’ve just really had a love for the people for a long time. To be able to represent them will be really cool -- really, really cool. You don’t get a lot of chances to represent people or places that mean something to you.”
Many journalists left it at that — Tebow was born in the Philippines. End of story. The implication was that he was some kind of baseball hired gun for a day.
Actually, his involvement in that culture is much deeper than that and it didn’t stop when he was a child. That’s where this MLB.com story added a wave of details that made it clear that this Tebow move isn’t about grabbing a few headlines with a baseball bat in his huge hands.
Let’s start with the facts that other news reports included:
Born in Manila to parents performing missionary work in the Philippines, Tebow remained in the country until just before his fifth birthday.
OK, what else? Why is this still relevant?
In the following, note the link to a key project by the Tim Tebow Foundation, which is known for its work with physically and mentally challenged children around the world.
[Tebow] grew up in Florida but returned frequently to the Philippines as he became active in missionary work himself, spending at least three weeks there annually for nearly 15 years in a row. He also speaks a bit of Filipino language.
In 2014, Tebow opened the Tebow CURE Hospital in Davao City to “meet the physical needs and provide spiritual healing for deserving children in the Philippines who could not otherwise afford care,” according to the hospital’s website. The facility treats children with physical disabilities such as cleft lip, clubfoot and bowed legs.
“I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve been back,” Tebow said, noting that his parents still have a ministry in the Philippines. “I’ve spent a lot of time. Love the people.”
Now that wasn’t hard, was it?
Most of this information was online and available with a few clicks of a mouse. Add that to a short chat with Tebow in training camp and the story is done.
It’s not that hard to get the faith details right. It just takes a little bit of journalism.