If Tim Tebow’s stat line has not justified even his meager salary, his drawing power sure has.
The former Heisman trophy winner was paid $10,000 this season while playing for the Single-A Columbia Fireflies and St. Lucie Mets and contributed to the largest rise in minor league baseball attendance in 23 years, according to ESPN.
Attendance for Fireflies games increased by 54,000 fans (21 percent) over last season during Tebow’s tenure in Columbia, and the effect was more pronounced when he joined St. Lucie at the end of June, contributing to a 37 percent rise in visitors to the ballpark.