Mariners minor league affiliate clarifies interest in Tim Tebow

The Mariners have survived the fanfare surrounding Ken Griffey Jr., Ichiro, and Felix Hernandez. But could they manage Tebowmania?

Tim Tebow, the lightning-rod Heisman Trophy winner who spent five seasons in the NFL, is actively pursuing a career in professional baseball and plans to hold a workout for MLB teams later this month, according to ESPN. Tebow, 29, has reportedly been honing his hitting and fielding skills for most of a year but hasn’t played competitively since being an all-state baseball player in Florida as a high school junior in 2005.

TMZ reported that Mike Candela, the general manager for the Mariners Single-A minor-league affiliate Bakersfield Blaze, said his team is “definitely interested in Tim Tebow.”

Of course, Mariners officials make signing decisions for their affiliates, not the other way around. Candela clarified his comments with KIRO Radio’s Dori Monson, noting that minor league teams have no control over the talent — players signed by the Mariners are assigned to their affiliates.

“How it works in baseball, you can’t just walk on,” Candela told Dori. “You have to try out through the actual major league teams. So he would actually have try out through the Mariners or Reds, Yankees, Mets — whoever it is — hold an open tryout and hopefully they sign them from there.”

Candela said he has had no contact with Mariners officials to know if the team has any interest in Tebow. The GM made it sound like there was a misunderstanding with TMZ.

“I said simply, he can’t play for us but we’re OK with him coming to the stadium, taking BP with the team — that’s something that he’s allowed to do, and talk with the coaches and players. … even hitting on the field, shagging balls and that kind of stuff. He’s welcome to do that.”

Candela said he’d never seen Tebow play and that the celebrity would not receive any special treatment. However, he pointed to the movie “The Rookie,” a Disney film based on the true story of high school science teacher Jim Morris, who made the majors as a 35-year-old.

“It’s kind of tough, but (Tebow’s) an athlete,” he said. “I’ve seen things happen. … You never know.”

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