Tag: baseball

Tim Tebow still chasing MLB dream, participating in Mets spring training

Tim Tebow turned down offers from the AAF and XFL to continue pursuing his dream of playing in MLB.

Tim Tebow’s football career might be over but he’s not giving up on his dream of becoming a Major League Baseball player.

The former Gators Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback played for the Mets’ Triple-A affiliate in 2019 and had a .163 batting average with four home runs and 19 RBIs in 77 games before his season was prematurely ended by a hand injury.

The 32-year-old baseball prospect is now healthy again and he’s attending New York’s spring training in Florida. Tebow, who was selected by the Broncos in the first round of the 2010 NFL draft, has had opportunities to return to football but he has remained committed to baseball.

Two years ago, Steve Spurrier offered Tebow a roster spot with an Orlando-based team in the Alliance of American Football. Tebow turned down the ex-Gators coach and the AFF didn’t even last a full season before folding.

More recently, the XFL approached Tebow about playing quarterback again. He turned them down, too.

“[Baseball] is what I wanted to do and pursue it and be all-in,” Tebow told the Associated Press earlier this week. “When I’m 50, I can’t come back and do this. This is part of a season and a time, and I feel I’m in that season. I don’t know when I’ll feel like I’m out.”

Tebow helped Denver win a Wild Card playoff game against the Steelers following the 2011 season. After losing to the Patriots in the divisional round of the playoffs that year, Broncos general manager John Elway signed Peyton Manning during free agency and traded Tebow to the Jets.

Tebow lasted just one year in New York before brief stints with the Eagles and Patriots. He hasn’t been on an NFL roster since 2015. In 2016, Tebow signed with the Mets. This season marks his fifth year pursuing baseball.

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Diamond Vols score 42 runs in final two games against Western Illinois

2020 Tennessee baseball.

KNOXVILLE — The Diamond Vols opened their 2019-20 season with a three-game sweep of Western Illinois.

Tennessee, which won the opener against the Leathernecks, 3-0, Friday afternoon, saw its bats come to life over the weekend.

The Volunteers (3-0) combined to score 42 runs in the final two games of the series. Tennessee won 19-0 on Saturday and 23-4 on Sunday.

In Sunday’s tilt, UT pounded out 19 hits in front of 1,470 fans. The Vols had five extra-base hits, including home runs from Max Ferguson and Austin Knight. Luc Lipcius, Jake Rucker and Zach Daniels recorded doubles for Tennessee.

Daniels, Ferguson and Jordan Beck each had two hits and catcher Connor Pavolony scored three runs for the Vols.

On Saturday, Daniels and Knight both homered for Tennessee while Pete Derkay, Drew Gilbert and Landon Gray each doubled, for the Big Orange, which finished with 13 hits.

On the mound, Chase Wallace started and recorded six strikeouts in 5.2 innings.

Elijah Plesants, Kody Davidson, Mark McLaughlin and Gilbert all threw scoreless relief for Tennessee.

The Diamond Vols host Charlotte at 4 p.m. Tuesday.

Diamond Vols use long ball, solid pitching to nab victory in opener

2020 Tennessee baseball.

KNOXVILLE — The University of Tennessee baseball team opened its 2020 season on a winning note Friday afternoon at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.

Jake Rucker and Connor Pavalony both clubbed home runs to lead the Volunteers to a 3-0 victory over Western Illinois on a chilly afternoon.

Pavalony, Tennessee’s catcher, clubbed a two-run blast in the bottom of the second inning to open the scoring in the game against the Leathernecks and the campaign. Evan Russell scored ahead of Pavalony with the contest’s first run.

Rucker added a solo shot in the bottom of the eighth for Tennessee, which managed only four hits on the day.

Tennessee received singles from Russell and Max Ferguson.

Chad Dallas started on the mound for the Big Orange. He and reliever Sean Hunley combined on a two-hit shutout. Dallas hurled five innings, surrendering just one hit and two walks while striking out four. He also nabbed the win.

Hunley gave up a hit and fanned two in four innings en route to recording his first save of the season.

How many games will the San Francisco Giants win in 2020?

Analyzing San Francisco Giants projected wins for the 2020 MLB season.

The once perennially contending San Francisco Giants are coming into 2020 finishing below .500 for their third consecutive season. They were third in the National League West division and are looking to make the postseason for the first time since 2016. Today, we focus on the Giants’ 2020 regular season win totals and World Series odds. Does the Giants have what it takes? Let’s analyze:

San Francisco Giants 2019 wins

San Francisco’s 77-85 record in 2019 was a four-game improvement from their 2018 performance. But 2019 was still a departure from the reputation the Giants nucleus built in the 2010s where the Giants won an MLB-high three World Series titles.

The Giants did make a slight push for a Wild Card berth—going two games above .500 on August 17—but were never contenders for the NL West crown, finishing 29 games back of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

San Francisco Giants offseason

The 2019 offseason served as the beginning of the end of an era for the Giants. Four-time All-Star and three-time World Series Champion, Madison Bumgarner, signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Bruce Bochy retired after a 13-year Giants managerial stint. San Francisco’s big offseason moves were replacing Bochy with Gabe Kapler and welcoming back Hunter Pence, who was an All-Star and two-time champion with the Giants.

Baseball season is right around the corner! Get some action on this season with an MLB futures bet at BetMGM. Bet now!

San Francisco Giants odds to win NL West division

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list.
Lines last updated at Friday at 3:45 p.m. ET.

It’s hard to fathom the Giants (+10000) contending in an NL West featuring a rich Dodgers team that got richer this offseason and three other rosters that are more talented than the Giants. 10,000-1 is juicy but not juicy enough to gamble on the Giants taking the NL West from the Dodgers, who have won the previous seven division titles.

San Francisco Giants World Series odds

You can never say impossible in professional sports, but the Giants winning the 2020 World Series is the next closest thing to impossible. The last team to win the World Series after finishing below .500 the year before was the 2014 Giants. But that core had already proven itself—winning two World Series titles in 2012 and 2010—and should the 2020 Giants prevail, there wouldn’t be a more Cinderella Story in the MLB since who knows when.

How many games will San Francisco Giants win in 2020?

BET UNDER GIANTS 68.5 (-110) REGULAR SEASON WINS. There isn’t a single Giants starting pitcher in the projected rotation that finished above .500 in 2019 and no hitter finished above a .275 batting average. BaseballAmerica.com ranked the Giants’ farm system 14th, which is to say the Giants probably can’t bank on call-ups making a difference in 2020. 

Want some action on the MLB season or other sports? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

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Golfweek’s Best Courses You Can Play mix well with spring training baseball

What’s better than spring training baseball? How about a little golf on top courses before catching a game in the Cactus or Grapefruit leagues? Both Arizona and Florida, the annual homes to Major League Baseball’s spring training, are full of great …

What’s better than spring training baseball? How about a little golf on top courses before catching a game in the Cactus or Grapefruit leagues? Both Arizona and Florida, the annual homes to Major League Baseball’s spring training, are full of great courses.

Arizona might have an upper hand, as so many of the state’s top courses are clustered near the Phoenix area, the hub of spring training there. It’s entirely possible to play a quick, early-morning round, then catch a game in the afternoon.

The baseball is more spread out in Florida, with games stretching from the Tampa area, down the southwest coast and all the way across to the Atlantic coast. Some of the best golf, such as TPC Sawgrass, isn’t very close to spring training, but for fans driving south to catch a few games, there is plenty of great golf along the way.

Yankees pitcher Luis Severino throws a bullpen session during spring training at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida. (Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports)

Check out the top-ranked courses in each state to see where golf might best mix with any baseball plans. The members of our course-ratings panel continually evaluate courses and rate them based on our 10 criteria. They also file a single, overall rating on each course. Those overall ratings on each course are averaged to produce a final rating for each course. Then each course is ranked against other courses in its state to produce the final rankings.

Spring training games begin Feb. 21.

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Information on beer sales, upgrades to Lindsey Nelson Stadium

2020 Tennessee baseball.

KNOXVILLE — The 2020 NCAA baseball season opens Friday and the University of Tennessee baseball team is coming off a breakout 2019 campaign that saw it win 40 games and make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2005.

New to Lindsey Nelson Stadium in 2020 is beer sales. Below is a UT press release with information on beer sales and upgrades to Lindsey Nelson Stadium.

UT press release:

Beer sales at Lindsey Nelson Stadium highlight several fan experience enhancements in place for the 2020 Tennessee baseball season.

The Volunteers open the season with a three-game home series against Western Illinois this weekend. Tickets remain available at AllVols.com, and game times are set for 4:30 p.m. ET Friday, 2 p.m. ET Saturday and noon ET on Sunday.

Earlier this academic year, Tennessee thoughtfully implemented beer sales at home football, soccer, volleyball and basketball events with positive results.

In keeping with established protocol at other UTAD venues, sales procedures will remain consistent at baseball games:

A maximum of two alcoholic beverages may be purchased per transaction, and fans are asked to be patient while waiting in line.
Per Southeastern Conference policy, each alcoholic beverage must be poured into a clear cup upon purchase.
Alcohol will not be allowed to leave the stadium. Personnel at the gates will ensure that all cups containing alcohol are poured out and empty as patrons exit the venue.
Regardless of age, everyone will be required to produce a valid photo ID each time alcohol is purchased. Accepted IDs include valid driver’s licenses (cannot be paper), military ID cards, passports, and government-issued photo ID cards.
Individuals consuming alcohol must be able to produce a valid photo ID at all times.
Individuals will be ejected from the venue and are subject to prosecution if they pass off alcohol to a minor, attempt to use a fake ID, or are intoxicated.

Beer sales will conclude each game at the middle of the seventh inning.

Points of sale for beer at Lindsey Nelson Stadium are located along the first-base line on the plaza, as well as in the members-only MVP Room premium area.

The MVP Room received a facelift in the offseason and now also features new countertops, graphics and televisions.

In an effort to keep fans safe from foul balls this season, the stadium’s safety netting now extends farther down the first- and third-base lines.

Fans visiting Lindsey Nelson Stadium for SEC series this season will notice new and improved food options offered by food trucks located along the third-base line. Additional beer options also will be available in that area during league games.

Groups interested in hosting gatherings in the outfield porch or third-base line patio areas now have the option of adding heaters to their reservation for games in February and March.

Fans interested in enjoying a Tennessee baseball game from a porch or patio are encouraged to inquire early at AllVols.com, as those spaces are already sold out for several games.

Big 12 Baseball Tournament Moving Location in 2022

Since 1997, the Big 12 baseball tournament has been hosted in OKC in all but three years. Beginning in 2022, it will be at Globe Life Field.

Since the creation of the Big 12 baseball tournament in 1997, it has been hosted in Oklahoma City in all but three years. While it will remain that way until 2021, beginning in the 2022 season, it will be in a new location.

It will now be held in the brand new Globe Life Field, the future home of the Texas Rangers. The ballpark is not officially open, as the first games will be held in late March for the Rangers.

This is not the first time the tournament has been held in Arlington, as the 2002 and 2004 tournament was also held in what was then The Ballpark in Arlington. The Longhorns won the tournament in 2002, winning three games in a row after losing their opener against Texas A&M. Outfielder Dustin Majewski was the tournament MVP for Texas.

The last time it was held outside of Oklahoma City was in 2015 when it was moved to Tulsa. The Longhorns also won the tournament that year, making them champions of two out of the three Big 12 tournaments held outside of Oklahoma City.

Hopefully, that tradition continues as it will be held in the Dallas Fort Worth Area for the foreseeable future, beginning in 2022.

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