LOS ANGELES -- The high point of Tim Tebow's 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.