Former Heisman Trophy winner and NFL quarterback Tim Tebow wowed fans and surprised critics with a solid performance Wednesday in his first Double-A All-Star Game, hitting a double in his first at-bat.
The thirty-year-old fan favorite was in the Eastern League team’s starting lineup and played all nine innings. He ended up going 1-for-4 with an opposite-field double and a strikeout, according to ESPN.
Tebow’s double was all the sweeter considering that the West’s pitcher, Beau Burrows, is considered one of the best in Double-A ball and is a top Detroit Tigers prospect.
“Tebow grounded out to shortstop in the fifth inning, flied out to left field in the seventh and, representing the go-ahead run in the bottom of the ninth, struck out swinging,” USA Today reported.
Despite the player’s performance, the Eastern League team lost after the game’s 4-4 tie was broken by a hitting competition between the two teams’ designated hitters.
The Eastern League team made a valiant effort with a rally in the ninth inning to bring the game to a tie leading to the hitting competition. Each team manager then chose their best hitter to hit as many balls as they could in two minutes. The hits were given scores for distance.
Once the tallies were made, the Western League’s Will Craig earned 305 points beating Eastern batter Zach Green’s 275 points handing the Western league the decision.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston.
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