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LOS ANGELES -- Tim Tebow began indulging his baseball fantasy as a do-it-yourselfer. For the better part of a year, between his TV work for ESPN and a short-lived comeback attempt with the Philadelphia Eagles, Tebow puttered around on the side with the vague notion that a former Heisman Trophy winner might be able to reinvent himself as a professional outfielder at age 29.When the thoughts in his head morphed into something closer to an obsession, it was time to seek professional help.On Memorial Day weekend, former big league catcher Chad Moeller received a call from CAA agent Brodie Van Wagenen with a proposition: Tebow was serious about playing baseball and needed help putting his dream in motion. Moeller was skeptical. But when he met Tebow at the Chad Moeller Baseball school in Scottsdale, Arizona, he saw the potential in Tebows swing and heard the passion in his voice, so he shed his reservations and joined the cause.Twice a week, Moeller would unlock the doors to his facility at 9 a.m. and secretly put Tebow through the paces several hours before school let out and all those teenagers showed up to hit at 2 or 3 p.m. The frequency of the meetings gradually increased, until Moeller spent about 80 hours working one-on-one with Tebow on hitting, fielding and talking the nuances of baseball.Over the past three months, Moeller has seen enough commitment from Tebow to know this isnt a lark or a vanity project. The former football star turned him from a skeptic into a believer, one callus at a time.Youre around him, and its infectious, Moeller said. Hes upbeat 100 percent of the time. I mean, I have to take the bat away from him because he doesnt want to stop. His hands might be bleeding and hes like, No, were not done yet. And Im like, Yes, were done. This isnt football. More isnt always better.Sometime Tuesday afternoon, Pacific time, Moeller and Tebow will discover if major league scouts share in their enthusiasm.As Tebow has been preparing to hold a two-hour tryout for 20-plus teams in Los Angeles, the pro and con camps have begun to form.Some veteran talent evaluators -- people with real baseball chops -- take Tebows quest seriously and are rooting for him to succeed. They talk about his competitive nature and the dangers of shortchanging a dedicated athlete who pours his entire being into proving something.Personally, I think its awesome that he wants to try baseball, said Boston Red Sox scout Eddie Bane, the man who chose Mike Trout with the 25th pick in the draft as Los Angeles Angels scouting director in 2009. We can use all the great athletes, leaders and super personalities we can get in this game. I say, let him take a shot and we can look at it down the road and see what kind of progress he has made.An alternate, more cynical segment of the baseball fraternity is amused, bemused or offended by the idea that a big-name personality can waltz in and get a tryout in front of 20-plus scouts when his signature achievement was hitting .494 for the 2005 Nease High School Panthers in Ponte Vedra, Florida. Baltimore outfielder Adam Jones poked fun at Tebows big baseball adventure on Twitter, and Orioles manager Buck Showalter made it clear hes not a fan of the idea.?Skeptics strain for comparisons on what a colossal waste of time this is. While conceding that Tebow is probably better than Garth Brooks (who attended the San Diego Padres 1999 spring training camp), an American League scout thinks a 63-year-old former professional wrestler is a more fitting comparison.I know we just contacted Ricky The Dragon Steamboat to see if he was interested in trying out for one of our clubs next spring after we found out he OPSd .975 in middle school gym class, the scout said. And Im working out for the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday.Moeller understands that Tebows audition is widely perceived as a publicity stunt thats likely to die a quick death or end with a few token appearances to help sell tickets in the minor leagues or independent ball. Tebow has always been a polarizing figure. Its only fitting that of the numerous interview requests that Moeller has received, one came from the celebrity muckraking site TMZ. (He took a pass.)People love to throw darts at him, thats for sure, Moeller said. People complain about him more than Ray Rice. I say that jokingly, but Im like, Really? This guy is helping starving kids in the Philippines. And this is the guy were going to throw darts at?The great unknownTebow will audition for teams in a format similar to the workouts that Yoenis Cespedes, Yasiel Puig and other Cuban players have held for teams before signing professional contracts.Hell begin with a 60-yard dash then show his arm before shagging fly balls from a fungo bat and throwing to bases from the outfield. Then hell take batting practice in a cage before graduating to live BP against professional-level pitching. The fastballs will be 90 mph-plus, and Tebow will face an assortment of breaking balls and changeups with no warning of whats coming.It wont require a major financial commitment for a team to sign Tebow. Hes classified as a 2016 post-draft free agent, and because most teams already have spent most of their draft bonus pools, theyre limited to the $100,000 that MLB grants teams for selections after the 10th round. If a team has the latitude to stretch to $200,000 or $300,000, it might be the winner.If Tebow signs, the next step could be sending him to the instructional league with a bunch of kids 10 years younger. If he shows some promise there, a stint in the Arizona Fall League could come next.Theres an air of mystery surrounding Tebows tryout. The MLB Scouting Bureau has no report of Tebow on file, a spokesman told ESPN.com. Tebow enrolled at Florida in January 2006, so he didnt play baseball as a high school senior. And unlike John Elway, Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston, Archie Manning and so many others, he did not attempt the challenging double of playing quarterback in the fall and baseball during the spring in college.Scouts who watched Tebow at Nease High in 2005 share their recollections through a time-induced haze. Tampa Bay Rays special assistant Bobby Heck was working as an East Coast supervisor for the Milwaukee Brewers when he scouted Tebow in suburban Jacksonville.I saw enough to know he was a follow of some sort for the next year just due to his size, strength and athleticism, Heck said in a text message. He looked like a football player trying to play baseball, but he would have been scouted like a real prospect as a senior if he had played and not enrolled early at Florida.Cincinnati Reds scouting director Chris Buckley caught a similar glimpse of Tebow 11 years ago while working for the Toronto Blue Jays. Buckley continued to follow Tebow on the football field, and he saw enough to suggest that some of Tebows skills were readily transferrable to baseball.A lot of people didnt think he would be a quarterback in the NFL, but hes worked really hard on his arm, Buckley said. Im sure hes thrown a ton over the last 10 years. And hes a good athlete. He was running away from guys in the Southeastern Conference, so I would imagine he could play left field.The most glowing endorsement of Tebow comes from a man with a close personal connection. Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer watched Tebow play two sports at Nease High during recruiting trips before Tebow went to Gainesville and helped Meyer win two national titles for the Gators.Incredible baseball player, Meyer told ESPN.coms Austin Ward. I drank the Kool-Aid when I watched, because I kept hearing Tebow, Tebow, Tebow. You got a little tired of it. I went and watched him play in spring baseball. Hes playing the outfield. Ive never seen a guy change a game, motivate, lead and do everything. I walked away and said, That guy is one of the most unique players Ive ever seen.Im very biased, and everybody knows that, but dont count him out.One major challenge for Tebow: Football players are trained to play once a week, and Tebow will have to deal with the daily, routine achiness thats unique to baseball. He stands 6-foot-3 and weighs somewhere in the neighborhood of 260 pounds, according to Moeller. Its all muscle, but scouts fret that Tebows thick, tightly wound frame could leave him vulnerable to a wide range of pulls and strains if hes not careful.The solitary, back-field drudgery of baseball is another potential obstacle. Baseball is a repetition sport, and scores of aspiring big leaguers whove washed out after eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and sniffing bus fumes in the minors can attest that talent isnt the only factor in the games attrition rate.Handling the failure rate in baseball will probably be the hardest thing for Tim, Bane said. If he completed 30 percent of his passes, they would boot him out of the league. If he shot 30 percent from the field in the NBA, hes released. If he does good with the bat in baseball 30 percent of the time, hes in Cooperstown. I remember Michael Jordan getting a bunt base hit in the Arizona Fall League. The smile on his face looked like he won the NBA Finals.The stage awaitsA video of Tebow taking swings in a batting cage is available on YouTube, and last week Moeller posted a Facebook video of Tebow crushing a fastball at the end of a workout.An AL scout offered his take for ESPN.com.Its a strong, one-plane swing, the scout said. Theres some tension in the body, and it looked like theres more strength than bat speed. But I thought his upper body rotated freely -- better than I would have expected. That being said, its easy to find guys that can take batting practice and throw bullpens. The game is what really matters.Moeller, keenly aware of that perception, has subjected Tebow to a self-esteem-busting array of challenges. He has enlisted the help of six to eight former professional pitchers and tried to simulate actual game conditions. Teacher and pupil will pretend theres a runner on third base with no one out, and Tebow will try to elevate the ball. Or the scenario could be man on second, nobody out, and Tebow will try to pull the ball to the right side to advance the runner.Moeller isnt the only one gushing over Tebows progress. Former big league closer David Aardsma, who is pitching in Tuesdays showcase,?raved about Tebow in an interview with the New York Daily News, and 500-homer man Gary Sheffield gave Tebow a major endorsement on Twitter.The personnel people wholl watch Tebow on Tuesday have to make their own determinations. A veteran National League scout ticked through the potential pluses and minuses and was surprisingly optimistic.Hes a very good, strong athlete, the scout said. He runs and throws well. He has a big heart and work ethic, and he has God on his side. So he may have a chance to figure things out.Playing devils advocate, he hasnt seen a good fastball, curveball, slider or changeup in his lifetime, and hitting a baseball may be the hardest athletic thing to do. Michael Jordan failed at baseball. So Im going to say analytically, never having seen him, its 65-35 he will never play in the major leagues.That 35 percent estimate is about 34 percent higher than a lot of evaluators have in mind. As one American League scout observed, Ive heard good things about the person. But theres no chance he can play.Still, the curiosity factor alone is enough for most teams to attend Tebows audition. MLB clubs all have area scouts in Southern California who wont need to buy a plane ticket or make a hotel reservation. When the only thing at stake is gas money, whats the downside?Moeller, who hit .226 over 11 seasons with Arizona, Milwaukee and five other clubs, admits to having doubts about Tebows mental staying power. He constantly reminds Tebow that baseball is tough on the brain. But one day they were chatting at the cage, and Tebows answer to the question made him see the challenge in a new light. Tim told me, Think about this: I won the Heisman Trophy. I was Athlete of the Year. Sports Illustrated, etc. Two years later I didnt have a job, and everybody was consistently telling me what I cant do, Moeller said. And I thought, You know what? You actually have had to deal with that mental side a lot. The fact that he still has this outlook gives me confidence he can handle it.A big stage isnt going to be an issue. If you followed his career, he performs better on the big stage. The first quarter might not be so pretty. But if you put him in the fourth quarter, at the end of the game, its gonna be pretty darned good.Tim Tebows latest stage -- a private workout with an audience of maybe 60 scouts and reporters -- is big only in the context of where it might lead. Moeller, his teacher and baseball mentor, has made the pitch. Now its up to Tebow to close the sale. Air Max Plus Ireland . -- Five former Kansas City Chiefs players who were on the team between 1987 and 1993 filed a lawsuit Tuesday claiming the team hid and even lied about the risks of head injuries during that time period when there was no collective bargaining agreement in place in the NFL. Air Max Plus Outlet Ireland . 10 VCU 85-67 on Thursday night at the Puerto Rico Tip-Off. The Seminoles (4-0) have scored at least 80 points in each of their games. http://www.airmaxplusireland.com/ . John Tavares, Thomas Vanek and Kyle Okposo were also being counted on to slow down sizzling Rangers forward Rick Nash. That plan didnt go so well early. Cheap Air Max Plus Wholesale .25 million option on reliever Jose Veras. Air Max Plus Outlet Online . Manuel was offered a position the day he was fired. He accepted earlier this week and the team made the announcement Friday.Sky Sports Paul Merson is back to look ahead to another crucial round of Premier League fixtures. Eight points off a maiden top-flight crown, Leicester, without the suspended Jamie Vardy, host Swansea on Super Sunday as they look to stretch the gap between themselves and Tottenham.Second-placed Spurs will be waiting, ready to pounce if the Foxes slip up when they entertain West Brom on Monday Night Football. Before all of that, the race for survival takes centre stage as Sunderland look to move out of the relegation zone when they face Arsenal at the Stadium of Light in Sundays early kick-off.There is also the little matter of the FA Cup semi-finals, where Crystal Palace, Everton, Manchester United and Watford jostle for a place in the Wembley showpiece.Read on to see who the Magic Man is backing... Last weeks predictions Result Merses prediction Norwich 0-3 Sunderland 1-1 Everton 1-1 Soton 2-2 Man Utd 1-0 Aston Villa 3-0 Newcastle 3-0 Swansea 2-1 West Brom 0-1 Watford 2-0 Chelsea 0-3 Man City 2-1 Bmouth 1-2 Liverpool 1-2 Leicester 2-2 West Ham 2-1 Arsenal 1-1 Palace 3-0 Stoke 0-4 Spurs 0-4 Leicester v Swansea - Super Sunday, 4.15pm This game was a gimme for Leicester last week, now Jamie Vardy is suspended its not. I dont think Vardy is a great player but without him how are Leicester going to open up the game? He stretches defences and creates space for midfielders on the ball and I cant see who will be able to replace that pace.I just dont see Leicester winning without Vardy, he is a massive, massive miss. Swansea will just play around halfway, suffocate the Foxes and come away with a point which will blow the title race wide open. PAUL PREDICTS: 1-1 (Sky Bet odds 5/1)Tottenham v West Brom - Monday Night Football, 8pm Fair play to West Brom, they got their 40 points on the board early doors ahead of an atrocious final run of fixtures. It starts with Spurs, who were outstanding at Stoke. It doesnt even pain me to see Spurs where they are at the moment, they are a very good team. Hopefully their success kicks Arsenal into gear. If this Tottenham team stays together and they get a couple more players theyll be favourites for the title next season. PAUL PREDICTS: 3-0 (Sky Bet odds 11/2)Sunderland v Arsenal - Super Sunday, 2.05pm I watched Arsenal on Sunday and it was one of the flattest performances Ive seen, they just went through the motions. It was so quiet at the Emirates that I heard Petr Cech shout keeper when clearing a ball. How is that possible in front of 60,000 people? Arsenal beat West Brom on Thursday, but they should have beaten Palace too. Sunderland, meanwhile, have picked up under Big Sam, winning at Norwich last week. I fancy them to edge closer to safety with a point, but they do need to score first. PAUL PREDICTS: 1-1 (Sky Bet odds 11/2)Man City v Stoke - Saturday, 12.45pm The problem with Man City is that you dont know which team is going to turn up. Will it be the one that won 3-0 at Chelsea or will it be the team that came off the pitch lucky to have earned a 1-1 draw with Newcastle? Stoke are on holiiday and you cannot play football with flip-flops on! Theyve done their hard work, though, theyre safe and you can understand that, particularly when a few players will be at the Euros.dddddddddddd I suspect Sergio Aguero will be rested as City will have one eye on the Champions League semi-final with Real Madrid, but I still expect them to win.PAUL PREDICTS: 2-0 (Sky Bet odds 5/1)Aston Villa v Southampton - Saturday, 3pm What score do you want? I cant see anything other than a Southampton win. I felt sorry for Joleon Lescott in the week because his comments about relegation being a relief were not meant like that. He meant the club could concentrate on bouncing back next season, so a lot of the criticism he received was unwarranted. Villa should give the kids a chance and see what theyre like ahead of next season - see who can be kept and who cant.PAUL PREDICTS: 0-2 (Sky Bet odds 5/1)Bournemouth v Chelsea - Saturday, 3pm This is a hard game. Chelsea could have conceded six against Man City on Saturday, their season is over, theyve got players going to the Euros and they cant win a game. Im not sure which way the game will go but I expect a game full of goals, with Bournemouth needing to bounce back from their defeat to Liverpool.PAUL PREDICTS: 2-2 (Sky Bet odds 12/1)Liverpool v Newcastle - Saturday, 3pm I was impressed with Newcastle against Man City, they were good. Liverpool keep on getting better and better under Jurgen Klopp and they put Everton to the sword in the derby. I fancy Liverpool here but, with a Europa League semi-final with Villarreal coming up, they may rest players - that said they still turn in decent performances when they do change their team. This is where luck in the relegation fight comes in because if Liverpool were challenging for the top four they would play a full-strength side, and that may help Newcastles cause. I expect Liverpool to just earn the win but I wouldnt be surprised if its a draw.PAUL PREDICTS: 2-1 (Sky Bet odds 7/1) Midweek predictions Result Merses prediction Newcastle 1-1 Man City 0-2 Liverpool 4-0 Everton 3-0 Arsenal ?-? West Brom 3-0 FA Cup semi-finalsEverton v Man Utd - Saturday, 5.15pm I dont see how Roberto Martinez can last if he loses at Wembley. He has got things horribly wrong this week. He should have played his strongest team and won against Southampton and then told fans he had to rest everyone against Liverpool in preparation for the semi-final. Instead he rested everyone against Southampton and got booed off and then played his best team against Liverpool and got battered. For the first time he looked lost on the sidelines, the fans have turned and I dont see how he can hold on if they lose. I felt sorry for him but its a situation of his own making, this is a good team that is nowhere. United will win at Wembley, I cant see Everton stopping them. Marcus Rashford is some player and his goal against Villa was as good as it gets - hell be a top-drawer player. Three months ago you would have backed Everton to win this game all day long, not now.PAUL PREDICTS: 1-2 (Sky Bet odds 15/2)Crystal Palace v Watford - Sunday, 4pm I fancy Palace here, theyve just got the edge over Watford. Deeney, who missed a penalty at West Ham, and Ighalo have gone quiet recently and confidence at the club cant be great. When the game starts to open up Palace have got more match winners for and I expect them to just edge a tight contest.PAUL PREDICTS: 1-0 (Sky Bet odds 6/1)PLAY SUPER 6!Theres another £250,000 jackpot up for grabs in the latest round of the Soccer Saturday Super 6 game. All you have to do is predict the scores of the six selected matches. Its free to play so get your entries in before 3pm GMT on Saturday for the chance to win.PLAY NOW... 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