I was wrong

 

I couldn't wait to get on the air when I heard the news.

It was 2016 and the Mets had signed Tim Tebow to a minor league deal.

I reveled in it. I destroyed the whole thing.

Ugh.

Tebow retired from baseball today. He played in 287 games, batted .223, and belted 18 home runs. The numbers are literally meaningless.

Yes, there's no question he took up a roster spot that could have gone to someone else. That really can't be debated.

Yet, baseball, well, #ItsABusiness, amirite? To that end, Tebow accomplished a goal for the Mets. He was good for business. People bought merchandise with his likeness. He said every right thing. He posed for every picture and he signed every autograph.

It's literally impossible to dislike the guy. He represented the Mets, his teammates, his family, and baseball with charm and grace and dignity.

In the end, I'll admit I goofed. I misread it. No, he wasn't going to make the majors, at least not legitimately. He had the advantage of being Tim Tebow, likable college athlete. He spent time playing in Columbia, SC. Hello, Bible Belt.

The cash registers rang. It was irresistible.

Maybe he should have gotten an at bat in MLB, though admittedly that might not have been the best look. But, honestly, in a sport that once had Eddie Gaedel walk on four pitches would it really have hurt anyone to have Tim Tebow strike out or bounce to second in a meaningless game?

Yes, there would have been outrage. I might have even screamed about it on "Doubleheader." But, when baseball is desperate for good marketing, what would the harm have been if -- heaven forbid -- he got a base hit in a game with nothing on the line? 

So, I'm sorry, Tim. You had the means to live out the dream of taking a stab at playing professional baseball and you did it for all the right reasons.

I'm sure there are many tonight happy that a so-called "sorry sham" is over. But I'm actually thinking you sort of accomplished a lot. You made people smile. People cheered the home runs. Heck, they even cheered the outs.

You were a bit of a circus, but not in a bad way. You never disgraced the game.

What I'm saying is, you did good and you were harmless.

And I applaud it.

(And I still don't forgive you for burning the Steelers in overtime in that playoff game but time moves wounds around)