OAKLAND - How could the idea of Tim Tebow playing baseball get any wackier?
Maybe if he was tutored by Jose Canseco.
No, the Bash Brother isn't coaching up the former Heisman Trophy winner. But Canseco would indeed love to work with Tebow as he tries to get his baseball career off the ground.
The A's honored Canseco on Saturday with his own bobblehead night to commemorate the 30th anniversary of his Rookie of the Year season. And Tebow came up among several topics that Canseco addressed in a group session with reporters.
He recently sent a tweet Tebow's way challenging the former quarterback to a home run hitting contest.
"I want to work with him," Canseco said Saturday. "I want to teach him the art of power hitting, the psychology behind the game, because I have a lot of experience with that. I kind of put an open challenge to him, ‘If I beat you in a home run derby, you have to let me train you.' So I'm hoping he calls me."
Oakland Athletics
Canseco, 52, said he's watched video of Tebow's tryout for major league clubs and was impressed with his hand speed while hitting. The Atlanta Braves are said to be very interested in signing Tebow, who hasn't played baseball since high school but is trying to make it as an outfielder.
Canseco brushed off reviews that Tebow's defensive skills in the outfield might not cut it.
"There's below-average outfielders playing," he said. "I was a below-average outfielder, and I played out there. I believe he can make it. I believe he just has to get some at-bats. He has to get his start somewhere."
The owner of 462 home runs during a 17-year playing career that ended in 2001, Canseco thinks the pitching is much more dominant now than when he was playing. Pitchers are taller, lankier and better equipped to blow up the radar gun, he believes.
"I think today they're throwing harder," he said. "The pitching is amazing. You see every other starter throwing almost 100 miles per hour. Back then, we didn't have that. Back then a good quality fastball was 92, 93 mph. Now, it's almost 100."
