Tim Tebow makes friends everywhere he goes and the Christian athlete has a special place in his heart for those with special needs. Tebow was even able to get an opposing team’s bat boy with Down Syndrome to defect and join his team.
As a proud Christian, the Heisman trophy winner publicly lives his Christian faith and he consistently goes out of the way to include people. Tebow is as well known for his goodwill and Christian beliefs as he is for his athletic prowess.
When the Binghamton Rumble Ponies faced off against the Trenton Thunder in New Jersey, Tebow made an instant connection with Tommy Smith, the Thunder’s bat boy. Tebow tried to recruit the fan favorite bat boy to join his team for the night. The dedicated bat boy was torn between wanting to be in the dugout with Tebow and being loyal to the Thunder.
“He’s awesome,” Tebow said. “I was trying to get him to come over and hang with us and be our bat boy, and for some reason, he wouldn’t do it. … He even said yes and then after a minute he was like, ‘No, I gotta stay.’”
The beloved bat boy eventually put on a Rumble Ponies jersey but kept wearing his Thunder helmet. He even stood next to Tim Tebow during the National Anthem. These are two proud Americans!
Great shot by @kj_franko of Tim Tebow and @TrentonThunder bat boy Tommy Smith, who moved to Binghamton's dugout tonight at Tebow's special request. #Yankees #Mets pic.twitter.com/DjUv6PGDJd
— Greg Johnson (@gregp_j) June 20, 2018
Trenton coach Jay Bell toyed with the idea of trading Tommy to Tebow’s team.
“It’s pretty cool. He’s wanted to go to Binghamton. I may draw up some papers tomorrow, so we’ll see,” the coach said.
Tebow was impressed with the 27-year-old bat boy’s enthusiasm on the field. It sounds like he would be thrilled with Smith joining the Rumble Ponies.
“He’s really cool,” Tebow said about his new friend. “I love it every time he gets a bat and he starts putting his hands up and getting crowd hype. It brings me a lot of joy to watch that and also watch the crowd react to him.”
Tebow often draws in people with special needs. He takes time to recognize and appreciate them. Once, while preparing to bat, he stepped out of the on-deck circle to meet an autistic boy who was trying to get Tebow’s attention. This athlete is truly a class act and a terrific Christian!
Source: Western Journal