Tim Tebow … Filipino?
The NFL quarterback turned New York Mets minor-leaguer tweeted on Wednesday that he will play for the Philippines in next month's World Baseball Classic qualifiers, played at Kino Stadium.
Grateful and excited to play for team Philippines 🇵🇭 in the @WBCbaseball... the country I was born in and somewhere that is near and dear to my heart!
— Tim Tebow (@TimTebow) February 26, 2020
Tebow and the Philippines will play in a modified six-team tournament featuring the Czech Republic, Great Britain, New Zealand, Panama and Spain between March 20-25, with the top two teams advancing to next year's WBC. Tebow's team will play its first game March 20 at 12:30 p.m. against the Czechs.
Tebow was born in Manila, where his parents were Baptist missionaries. The Tebows moved to Florida when Tim was 3.
“I’ve just got such a heart for the Philippines,” Tebow told MLB.com's Anthony DiComo. “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.”
Tebow played both baseball and football in high school, but gravitated toward the gridiron. He won two national championships and a Heisman Trophy at the University of Florida, and was a first-round pick of the Denver Broncos in 2010. Tebow played in the NFL until 2015; a year later, he announced that he wanted to pursue a career in pro baseball.
The Mets signed Tebow to a minor-league deal in September 2016; he has spent the last three-plus years in their system, advancing to Triple-A last season. Tebow is one of minor-league baseball's biggest draws, known as much for his Christian faith and time as an ESPN commentator as anything he has done on the baseball diamond. Tebow, an outfielder, is hitting .233 with 18 home runs and 107 RBIs over 287 minor-league games. He is currently in the Mets' big-league camp at spring training.
Tim Tebow
Tucson — and Kino Stadium — was chosen last month as host site for the first-ever WBC qualifiers. France, Brazil, Germany, Nicaragua, Pakistan and South Africa will play in a tournament from March 12-17, with the top two teams advancing to next year's WBC.
The four teams that advance will join the 16 countries that have automatically qualified for next year's WBC: Australia, Canada, China, Chinese Taipei, Colombia, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, The Netherlands, Mexico, Puerto Rico, the United States and Venezuela.
Reenie Ochoa, the Pima County Stadium District director, called the qualifiers "a huge plus for baseball in general in Pima County."
Tebow isn't the only celebrity expected at the WBC qualifiers: World Series champion manager Bruce Bochy will manage France. He, like Tebow, was born overseas.
The full WBC qualifier schedule is below:
Pool 1
Participating teams: Pakistan, Brazil, Germany, France, Nicaragua, South Africa.
Schedule (all games at Kino Stadium):
March 12: Game 1: Pakistan vs. Brazil, 12:30 p.m.; Game 2: Germany vs. France, 7:30 p.m.
March 13: Game 3: Game 1 winner vs. Nicaragua, 12:30 p.m.; Game 4: Game 2 winner vs. South Africa, 7:30 p.m.
March 14: Game 5: Game 2 loser vs. Game 3 loser, 12:30 p.m.; Game 6: Game 1 loser vs. Game 4 loser, 7:30 p.m.
March 16: Game 8: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 12:30 p.m.; Game 7: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 7:30 p.m.
March 17: Game 9: Game 8 winner vs. Game 7 loser, 6 p.m.
Pool 2
Participating teams: The Philippines, Czech Republic, Spain, New Zealand, Panama, Great Britain
Schedule (all games at Kino Stadium):
March 20: Game 1: The Philippines vs. Czech Republic, 12:30 p.m.; Game 2: Spain vs. New Zealand, 7:30 p.m.
March 21: Game 3: Game 1 winner vs. Panama, 12:30 p.m.; Game 4: Game 2 winner vs. Great Britain, 7:30 p.m.
March 22: Game 5: Game 2 loser vs. Game 3 loser, 12:30 p.m.; Game 6: Game 1 loser vs. Game 4 loser, 7:30 p.m.
March 24: Game 8: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 12:30 p.m.; Game 7: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 7:30 p.m.
March 25: Game 9: Game 8 winner vs. Game 7 loser, 6 p.m.
