This has the making of a very special team.Going in

LOS ANGELES -- The high point of Tim Tebows big audition came during batting practice, when he pulverized a fastball high and deep to right center field, through a grove of trees and off an adjacent building. An audible gasp or two could be heard from the third base dugout at Dedeaux Field. This was what the 46 scouts representing 28 major-league teams had come to see.Tebow and his representatives wanted to make the showcase as authentic as possible, so they added a wrinkle for another round. David Aardsma and Chad Smith, two pitchers with major-league experience, threw a simulated game to Tebow, with balls and strikes, changeups and breaking balls mixed in with heaters, and an ever-present surprise element: One pitch after the next, Tebow had no idea what was coming.Tebows willingness to hang in the box and keep swinging away said a lot about the enthusiasm and seriousness he has for his quest. But on an oppressively hot, blazingly sunny Southern California day, his performance in the extra session sucked some of the air out of the workout. It also drummed home a lesson: He has a lot of ground to cover, in a brief window of time.The batting practice was impressive, and if he had carried it over into the simulated game, I think a lot of teams would have come away from this very interested, a veteran scout said. But it just didnt translate. He was out front a lot and he didnt recognize some pitches. He didnt take the same approach. It seemed like he was more interested in making contact, and his barrel was dragging.I can still see a team being interested, but he has a long way to go.Roy Hobbs in the novel The Natural was 34 when he reached the big leagues, but Tebows non-fictional approach to reinventing himself doesnt afford him that big a window. Hes 29 years old and hasnt played organized baseball since his junior year of high school in Florida. He needs to absorb a lot of subtleties that he missed while focusing exclusively on football for a decade.Tuesdays showcase was Tebows coming-out party after three months of working out with former big-league catcher Chad Moeller in Scottsdale, Arizona. Tebow showed up on the main field at 11 a.m., wearing a black Lycra shirt that accentuated his muscles, along with orange socks and an orange compression sleeve on his right arm.You look good, you feel good, Tebow said. You feel good, you play good.Tebow stuck to a tightly-scripted menu of activities. First he ran a 60-yard dash that scouts timed at 6.6 to 6.8 seconds -- a better than average grade on the 20-80 player evaluation scale. The next round of activities, shagging balls in the outfield and making throws, didnt go as well. Tebow looked mechanical at times, had a misstep or two with his footwork, and showed a throwing arm that one scout gave a 40 grade.Two things everyone agreed on: 1) Tebow is a gifted athlete; and 2) hes a world-class competitor. Moeller, his mentor, half-jokingly says that its hard to wrestle the bat out of Tebows hands because of the pronounced size difference between them. When Tebow refused to say uncle amid temperatures in the high 80s, Moeller finally had to walk onto the field and obstruct his view for the workout to end within two hours.I thought Tim threw the ball well, Moeller said, and he obviously ran well. Hes a special athlete. As hitters, do we always think we can do something a little better? Sure. But I liked what I saw. He showed he can obviously hit a baseball a long way. He has great opposite-field power, and I thought the live at-bats went well. Theres no question David Aardsma was out here today looking to find a job for next year. That makes it more real.When asked to cite major-league comparables for Tebow, scouts strained for names. Tebow stands 6-foot-3, weighs 255 pounds and has 7.3 percent body fat. Even perennial MVP Mike Trout doesnt have that kind of physical presence.How about a poor mans Kirk Gibson? a scout said. Hes just a big, strong football player who plays the game hard.Another scout mentioned Ryan Klesko and Laynce Nix, muscular lefty sluggers who had a lot of power and some significant swing-and-miss in their portfolios. A third scout, while stumped for comps, made it clear that Tebow definitely has the raw materials.As an open-field runner, hes what youre looking for, the scout said. And his raw power is an (80). The biggest questions are, what level does he compete at early, and how long is he willing to give it? Hes got every tool youre looking for. But how does he make the adjustments as a hitter?So what comes next? After Tuesdays workout, five or six teams met with Tebow privately, which was a positive sign. Brodie Van Wagenen, Tebows representative at CAA, said the ideal scenario would be for a team to sign Tebow and get him in uniform by the instructional league in late September. The development plan might include a stint in the Arizona Fall League or in winter ball, possibly in Latin America.Theres been a lot of skepticism and a lot of criticism, and naturally everybody comes with a little bit of hesitation when they get to see what this euphoria is all about, Van Wagenen said. I think teams have been very pleasantly surprised with Tims talent and his commitment. Theyre viewing this with a whole new appreciation of him as a baseball player -- not just a celebrity or a needle mover.As scores of teammates and others can attest, no one states the case for Tebow better than Tebow himself. During a 15-minute give-and-take with reporters after his workout, Tebow spoke with fervor, humor and not a shred of doubt that he will do everything in his power to become a baseball player. Hes willing to handle the drudgery and make whatever sacrifices are necessary.This is something I love and Im passionate about it, but its not my identity, Tebow said. Its not my foundation. I have that in so many bigger things -- my faith, my family and all my relationships. When you have that mindset, it lets you be free to go out there and compete. You dont have the fear of failure and what other people say about you. You can just go out there and go after what you believe.Long story short: A rough batting practice session here or a few hiccups there arent going to dissuade Tebow from the task at hand. He has made up his mind that hes going to play baseball, and hell keep trying until everyone tells him no. Carolina Hurricanes Gear . -- The Portland Timbers and Real Salt Lake played to a 0-0 tie Saturday night that left the top of the Western Conference standings unchanged. Wholesale Hurricanes Jerseys .Y. -- The Buffalo Sabres have placed centre Cody Hodgson on injured reserve and recalled two players from their AHL affiliate in Rochester. https://www.cheaphurricanes.com/ . The nimble-footed quarterback got his wish, dashing through the snow and a weary defence all the way into the NCAA record book. Hurricanes Jerseys 2020 . -- Devin Hester is done returning kicks in Chicago. Custom Carolina Hurricanes Jerseys . First off, the fans ripped the Cubbies introduction of a fuzzy new kid-friendly mascot named "Clark". Big Blue Nation is going to love this edition of Kentucky basketball.The Wildcats are deep, quick, can score in transition, defend well and will get better and better. John Calipari lost so much talent from last season: Tyler Ulis, Jamal Murray, Skal Labissiere, Alex Poythress. Calipari is a recruiting machine and he has reloaded.You couldnt tell how his team would respond to playing in Madison Square Garden against a ranked team Tuesday night. Kentucky passed its test against Michigan State, 69-48.Remember, this squad has been together for about a month. It is young, but oh so talented. They play well as a team and Michigan States size advantage was a small factor.This Wildcats club can run, baby, run! They have tremendous athletic ability and go from the defensive end to the offensive end so fast. This has the making of a very special team.Going into the game Tuesday, there were questions about Malik Monks shooting ability. My friends, what I saw on Tuesday was star ability as Monk hit trifecta after trifecta. He had rhythm, touch and range.I was really impressed by the improvement shown by Isaiah Briscoe. He has become a much better shooter from the field and is a different player on the foul line. His hard work in the gym over the summer has paid off.dddddddddddd I also love his toughness.Bam Adebayo is tough on the boards. DeAaron Fox runs the offense and is a superb passer. Then there are veterans like Derek Willis and Isaac Humphries who help out up front.Kentucky has the quickness and length to be a very good defensive team. Holding the Spartans below 50 points proved that. A young team has bought into Caliparis defensive philosophy.Michigan State is 0-2, but both losses came against ranked teams (Arizona and Kentucky). Miles Bridges had a rough shooting night, but the high-riser will be a special talent. Cassius Winston has to learn to stay out of foul trouble. The Spartans are undersized with Ben Carter and Gavin Schilling hurt, and it is possible that neither will return this season.Tom Izzo is a teacher and his kids will take these two losses and learn from them. Michigan State is doing a lot of flying during the first month of the season and that will also be a challenge.Kentucky has so much talent across the board and Calipari loves his team. They have all of the ingredients to make it to the Final Four. ' ' '