Tim Tebow loves the highs, the lows, all of it. So despite experiencing the worst stretch of his professional baseball career, the ex-football star doesn't care if there's a negative headline. It's not why he's still playing.

"It's never as good as it seems, it's never as bad as it seems. That's something I learned a long time ago in sports," Tebow said. "I didn't do it for the praise of it. I did it cause it was a passion and I wanted to fulfill it and do something that I love."

The latest stop of the Tebowmania tour was in Louisville for a three-game series between his Syracuse Mets and the Louisville Bats. It went pretty much how the 2019 season has gone for the 31-year-old quarterback-turned-outfielder.

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He went 1-for-7 with a walk and an RBI, actually raising his batting average to .131, as his Mets took the series. The fans flocked to Slugger Field — 21,886 of them, some wearing his football jerseys, others holding Sports Illustrated covers in the hopes of snagging an autograph.

The fans show up, not for his .376 on-base-plus-slugging percentage and 34 strikeouts in 26 games, but for his perfect-for-television personality, his outspoken Christian faith, and the work he's done through his charity, the Tim Tebow Foundation.

The Pawtucket Red Sox (+10.9%), Rochester Red Wings (+19.3%), Scranton/Wilkes Barre RailRiders (+33.8%), Lehigh Valley IronPigs (6.5%) and Louisville (21.1%) have all had significant attendance bumps with Tebow in the stadium.

"You're always trying to do good and the best you can," Tebow said. "I don't think I put extra pressure on myself to do better because more people would show up."

Louisville native David Brightwell was at Slugger Field on Tuesday and Wednesday — admittedly the only Bats games he'll attend this season. He's a fan of the Denver Broncos, where Tebow had his most NFL success in 2011-2012. He brought his jersey in hopes of again getting him to sign it.

Brightwell's struck out three times, the other at a Tebow radio appearance during the 2012 Super Bowl. He keeps trying because Tebow is a "great guy," not for his play. Brightwell said he's been better than expected as a baseball player when he batted .244 with 14 home runs and 88 RBIs in his first two professional baseball seasons.

"I think if he stays with it, he'll probably be here a little while," Brightwell said. "I don't know if he'll ever make the big leagues, but he's exceeded my expectations."

Tebow said he's still adjusting to the minor league baseball lifestyle — especially the long bus rides.

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His trip to Louisville was at least to a familiar place as he's spoken several times at Southeast Christian Church and played games in college in Lexington when his Florida Gators took on the Kentucky Wildcats.

He admitted he misses football, which he last played in 2015. It especially hits him around Thanksgiving time, when college football teams are playing their rivalry games, and the NFL teams are fighting for a playoff spot.

He called baseball a "funny game." Sometimes you don't get rewarded when you play well and sometimes you do when you don't.

That's why he's here.

"It's about having patience, following a process and really, truly trying to improve every day," he said. "Not just focusing on just what happens in the game and results of it."

Justin Sayers: 502-582-4252; jsayers@courierjournal.com; Twitter: @_JustinSayers. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: courier-journal.com/justins.