Tim Tebow is hanging up his cleats for good — his baseball cleats, that is.
The former Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback announced his retirement from baseball Wednesday after four seasons as a minor leaguer in the Mets' system. His decision came only days after he had been invited to major league spring training.
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"I want to thank the Mets, [team president Sandy] Alderson, the fans and all my teammates for the chance to be a part of such a great organization," Tebow said in a statement. "I loved every minute of the journey, but at this time I feel called in other directions. I never want to be partially in on anything. I always want to be 100 percent in on whatever I choose.
"Thank you again for everyone's support of this awesome journey in baseball, I'll always cherish my time as a Met."
I want to thank the @Mets, Mr. Alderson, the fans and all my teammates for the chance to be a part of such a great organization. I loved every minute of the journey, but at this time I feel called in other directions...
— Tim Tebow (@TimTebow) February 18, 2021
I never want to be partially in on anything. I always want to be 100% in on whatever I choose. Thank you again for everyone’s support of this awesome journey in baseball, I’ll always cherish my time as a Met! #LGM
— Tim Tebow (@TimTebow) February 18, 2021
Tebow, who signed with the Mets as a free-agent outfielder in 2016, was an All-Star at the Double-A level in 2018 with a .273 average and six home runs in 84 games. He struggled at Triple-A the next year, though, hitting just .163 through 77 games as his season was cut short by a hand injury.
"It has been a pleasure to have Tim in our organization as he's been a consummate professional during his four years with the Mets," Alderson said. "By reaching the Triple-A level in 2019, he far exceeded expectations when he first entered the system in 2016 and he should be very proud of his accomplishments."
After the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the 2020 minor league season, the 33-year-old hinted at his possible retirement, but he had previously planned to at least attend spring training.
"It's not something that I want to do forever," Tebow told MLB.com's Anthony DiComo in November, "because there's a lot of other things that are in my heart that I want to pursue."
A first-round pick of the Broncos in 2010, Tebow played three seasons in the NFL before transitioning into his current role as a TV analyst with ESPN's SEC Network.
