Tim Tebow to the Las Vegas 51s? Don’t count it out
Could baseball’s most famous minor leaguer soon be calling Las Vegas home?
Mets assistant general manager John Ricco recently told reporters that the team wasn’t yet considering sending Tim Tebow to Triple A.
But if the Mets become sellers at the July 31 trade deadline, as is expected, and make call-ups from the Triple-A roster, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Tebow is promoted to Las Vegas. And if so, expect his presence to have a major impact on the 51s in ticket and merchandise sales as well as national exposure.
“I’ve done this long enough to know that after the trading deadline is typically a time when an organization will take a guy from Double A that they’re trying to get a good read on, he’ll come to Triple A and see how it pans out, and it potentially could lead to a September call-up to the big leagues,” 51s president Don Logan said.
Tebow, an outfielder for the Binghamton Rumble Ponies of the Eastern League, was named a Double-A All-Star and is hitting .273 with six home runs and 36 RBIs in 84 games. He has struck out 103 times, second most in the league, but has improved throughout the season.
The 30-year-old did leave Thursday’s game with discomfort in his right hand and is scheduled for an MRI on Friday.
“Tim Tebow would be great for ticket sales. Every team he’s at, home or road, he’s increased attendance,” 51s vice president of ticket sales Erik Eisenberg said. “I’m not sure what it’s been, but it’s been a huge success, so if we got him here, it’d be a great success for us, too.”
Single-A Columbia, where Tebow started last season, broke its single-season attendance record last August. The Fireflies averaged 4,773 fans last season, up from 3,785 per game in their inaugural season in 2016.
Tebow then jumped to Single-A Advanced to finish last season. The St. Lucie Mets averaged 2,005 fans, up from 1,420 the season before.
“We’ve had people like Andruw Jones, (Rafael) Furcal, Nomar Garciaparra down here, and it gives us maybe a 20 percent bump,” Eisenberg said. “I think Tebow would have maybe a 30 percent bump.”
At least initially.
“I would say the first couple games it would be very popular and then it would kind of tail off,” Eisenberg said. “The novelty would wear off, and Vegas is different than any other city. Many Ramirez going to Albuquerque, that’s the only game in town, but Tim Tebow coming here, it’s a big league city so there’s so many different things to do.”
Then there’s the effect he has on merchandise sales.
“They’re doing record sales everywhere else he is, and they bring in T-shirts with his name on it,” retail operations manager Jason Weber said. “They bring in jerseys with his name on it.”
If he gets promoted, the 51s probably wouldn’t have much notice, but they do have the infrastructure, from social media to marketing to ticket sales, to handle the onslaught of attention.
“I think there’s probably not a more high-profile player active in Minor League Baseball right now. He’s a guy who has a lure about him, he’s got a presence,” Logan said. “This is a very unique situation with a very special person.”
More 51s: Follow Las Vegas 51s coverage at reviewjournal.com/51s and @
Contact Betsy Helfand at bhelfand@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BetsyHelfand on Twitter.
Related
Tim Tebow holding his own in Mets farm system
Tebow to start at Double-A affiliate, one step from Las Vegas 51s
Mets GM says Tebow will play in majors; is Las Vegas on horizon?
