Written by Gabe Lacques at USAToday.com
The Atlanta Braves are interested in signing Tim Tebow after meeting with the former Heisman Trophy winner and NFL quarterback, a union that would prove symbiotic for both parties.
Tebow, 29 and a budding outfielder, and the Braves met after an open tryout in Los Angeles on Tuesday that drew 28 of 30 major league teams, Braves general manager John Coppolella told USA TODAY Sports.
“If we sign him,’’ Coppolella said, “its because we think he has a chance to help us at some point.’’
Five clubs indicated interest after the workout, during which he flashed some power potential and decent speed, but struggled against live pitching and displayed a below-average throwing arm.
There figures to be greater upside for the Braves, however, whose interest was first reported by ESPN.
The parent club is located in the heart of Southeastern Conference country, less than a five-hour drive from where Tebow played his college football at the University of Florida.
What’s more, the club’s minor league affiliates are sprinkled throughout SEC country — where Tebow remains a popular figure as an analyst for the ESPN-owned state network of Southern football.
One of the Braves’ rookie league clubs plays on the Disney-owned Wide World of Sports complex near Orlando, from which Tebow could begin a journey to the major leagues that would keep him exclusively in the South.
Its low-Class A affiliate is located in Rome, Ga., 70 miles from Atlanta, while its AA squad is in Pearl, Miss.
And the Braves’ Class AAA club is located in Gwinnett County, and the Gwinnett Braves stadium is a mere 35 miles from Atlanta.
The real kicker: The Braves and their parent company, Liberty Media, own both of their rookie league clubs (the other is in Danville, Va.), their Class AA club and their AAA club. In short: No franchise would directly profit from Tebow’s barnstorming tour through the minor leagues more than Atlanta.
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