Tim Lincecum News: Pro Sports Daily

Lincecum wins 2009 Cy Young Award

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November 19

San Francisco Chronicle

"Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum has won the 2009 National League Cy Young Award in a historic and close vote of the Baseball Writers Association of America. Lincecum becomes the first pitcher since the writers created the award in 1956 to win it in each of his first two full seasons in the majors and the first starting pitcher to win with as few as 15 wins in a nonstrike year. Lincecum went 15-7 with a 2.48 ERA and 261 strikeouts in defeating Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright of the St. Louis Cardinals for the top pitching honor in baseball. Lincecum becomes the fourth National League pitcher to win consecutive Cy Youngs, joining Sandy Koufax (1965-66), Greg Maddux (1993-95) and 2009 Giants ..."

Tim Lincecum not Cy Young favorite this time

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November 18

San Jose Mercury News

"Giants right-hander Tim Lincecum improved in almost every statistical category from his Cy Young Award-winning season in 2008, but he is not the favorite to repeat when the National League winner is announced Thursday. If he does beat out St. Louis Cardinals co-aces Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright, though, it will be one heck of an interesting conference call with members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America. That's because Lincecum still hasn't commented publicly since he was slapped with two misdemeanor counts after a highway patrolman seized 3.3 grams of marijuana and a pipe during a traffic stop Oct. 30 for speeding on Interstate 5 near the Washington-Oregon border. ..."

Lincecum will plead guilty to lesser charge

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November 7

San Francisco Chronicle

"Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum has agreed to plead guilty to one charge related to his possession of a marijuana pipe in return for his drug charge being dropped, in a plea agreement that still must be approved by a judge in Clark County, Wash. Prosecuting attorney Grant Hansen said Friday that Lincecum's lawyer has signed off on the deal, which requires the 2008 Cy Young Award winner to pay $372 in fines. The judge could accept the deal with a signature but could also order Lincecum to appear in court at a hearing scheduled for Dec. 22. Hansen said Lincecum's celebrity had nothing to do with this disposition, which is standard for a first-time offender for misdemeanor pot possession who ..."

Prosecutor recommends drug charges be dropped against San Francisco Giants ace Tim Lincecum

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November 7

San Jose Mercury News

"A prosecutor recommended that two misdemeanor drug charges be dropped against Giants ace Tim Lincecum, who was cited Oct. 30 for marijuana possession while speeding on Interstate 5 roughly four miles north of the Washington-Oregon border. Lincecum would pay a $250 fine for possession of drug paraphernalia, a Class A infraction in Washington, if his plea deal is accepted by a judge Monday. The 2008 Cy Young Award winner received no preferential treatment, said Grant Hansen, the deputy prosecuting attorney for Clark County, Wash. "This is the protocol for a first-time offender who is cooperative with police," said Hansen, adding that Lincecum would not face probation or jail time. The ..."

San Francisco Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum faces pot charges in Washington

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November 6

San Jose Mercury News

"Giants ace Tim Lincecum faces misdemeanor charges for marijuana possession after he turned over a small amount of the substance during a traffic stop near the Washington-Oregon border on Oct. 30, Washington State police said. The 2008 Cy Young Award winner also was cited for driving his 2006 Mercedes 74 mph along a 60 mph stretch of Interstate 5 near Hazel Dell, Wash., police said. After an officer detected the smell of marijuana, the two-time All-Star complied with a request to turn over 3.3 grams of the substance and a pipe from the car's center console. Because the officer did not judge Lincecum to be impaired, he cited him and allowed him to continue. Lincecum, 25, entered a plea of ..."

Lincecum cited for having pot in his car

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November 6

San Francisco Chronicle

"Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum was cited for possession of marijuana one week ago in the state of Washington. Though he faces misdemeanor charges in the state, it is unlikely he will receive any punishment from Major League Baseball. The 2008 Cy Young Award winner was stopped for speeding at 8:23 a.m. on Oct. 30 while driving on Interstate 5, 4 miles north of the Oregon state line, according to Trooper Steve Schatzel of the Washington State Patrol. Lincecum was cited for driving 74 mph in a 60-mph zone. The police report said the motorcycle officer who stopped Lincecum smelled marijuana in the car and asked him to produce any drugs that he had. Lincecum acknowledged that he did have drugs ..."

Carpenter is Lincecum's Cy Young pick

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October 2

San Francisco Chronicle

"Tim Lincecum's choice to win the Cy Young Award? "I would like to see (Chris) Carpenter because of his comeback," Lincecum said. "He's put up pretty crazy numbers." Carpenter, who missed more than a month this year with an oblique injury and most of 2007 and 2008 with an elbow injury, is 17-4 with a league-low 2.24 ERA for the St. Louis Cardinals after throwing five scoreless innings and driving in six runs (four on a grand slam) against the Reds on Thursday. The Cardinals have two Cy Young candidates, including Adam Wainwright (19-8, 2.58). Lincecum, after outdueling Dan Haren on Thursday, is 15-7 with a 2.48 ERA. His ERA is lower than last year's 2.62, and his strikeout total (261) is ..."

Lincecum open to long-term deal

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September 25

San Francisco Chronicle

columnist John Shea

"Tim Lincecum answered the question exactly how Giants fans wanted him to. For the first time, the ace will be eligible for arbitration, meaning his salary will skyrocket, and he was asked if he'd be open to a long-term deal. "Yes," he said Thursday. Lincecum, who'll make his penultimate start of 2009 tonight, said, "I definitely like San Francisco. I've seen nothing but positive things as far as my personal experiences. It's where I see myself being for awhile." Lincecum makes $650,000 this year and could set an arbitration record. The biggest salary for a pitcher who was an arbitration-eligible first-timer was $6.25 million: Jonathan Papelbon, who settled to avoid arbitration last winter. ..."

Wolf outduels Giants' Tim Lincecum

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September 21

Los Angeles Times

"You don't win a Cy Young Award without a sharp knowledge of the hitters you face. So when Tim Lincecum was asked before Sunday's game which Dodgers batters most gave him pause, he quickly replied: Andre Ethier. Sure enough, Ethier belted a two-run home run and the Dodgers chased a wobbly Lincecum in the fifth inning on their way to beating the San Francisco Giants, 6-2, at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers, in turn, enjoyed another strong outing from veteran Randy Wolf, even though the left-hander gave up two home runs to Andres Torres. The loss dropped the Giants to 4 1/2 games behind the Colorado Rockies in the National League wild-card race with 13 games to play."

Giants wary of overtaxing Lincecum

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September 19

San Jose Mercury News

"The Giants remain ultra-concerned with Tim Lincecum's health and welfare toward the end of another taxing season, which is why they resisted the temptation to move his start up a day. Lincecum will pitch with an extra day of rest Sunday. He threw off a bullpen mound Friday with no problems, but his lower back continues to worry pitching coach Dave Righetti. "That's a major concern, no doubt about it," Righetti said. "We know we're behind (the Colorado Rockies), but unless it's desperation time, you're not taking any risks with his health." Lincecum missed a start Sept. 8 because of back spasms. Righetti said the defending Cy Young Award winner needed a break anyway and confirmed what the ..."

Giants' Lincecum returns, shuts down Rockies

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September 15

San Jose Mercury News

"Pablo Sandoval burst out of a pregame hitter's meeting and excitedly pointed to his new T-shirt. It pictured the Joker from "Dark Knight" holding up a wild card with the Giants' logo on it, and a one-word slogan below: "Believe." If a healthy Tim Lincecum can't inspire belief, what can? His long, black hair limp with sweat, the 165-pound Cy Young winner put the Giants on his shoulders and validated a summer's labor in a 9-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies. Lincecum struck out 11 in seven innings, showing no effects from the back spasms that forced him to skip his previous turn in the rotation. Bengie Molina, moved out of the cleanup spot for the first time in the post-Barry Bonds era, ..."

Lincecum returning for Wild showdown

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September 14

MLB.com

"Tim Lincecum believes that the Giants need added motivation as they cling to the fringes of postseason contention. "We've been pretty lax the last couple of days," Lincecum said on Sunday, after the Giants lost the first two games of their critical series against the Los Angeles Dodgers by a combined score of 19-4. "I think it's time for something to kick us in the butt. ... We have to turn something on. This is where it counts." Lincecum might help provide that spark. The right-hander, who missed his last start with back spasms, will start Monday night's series opener against the Colorado Rockies, who lead San Francisco by 4 1/2 games in the National League Wild Card race. "I just keep ..."

Lincecum gets start tonight

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September 14

San Francisco Chronicle

"Tim Lincecum's back issues cost him only one start - the Cy Young winner will be back at work tonight against the Rockies as the Giants try to claw their way back into a playoff spot. "I felt like I want to be out there, I want to be out there really badly," Lincecum said of being out of action last week. "I feel like I let my teammates down and people in general. But it's not like we missed much - Madison Bumgarner did an awesome job." Bumgarner started Tuesday in place of Lincecum and went 51/3 innings in the Giants' 4-3 loss to the Padres. Manager Bruce Bochy waited until after Sunday's game to confirm that Lincecum will go tonight. The team wanted to make sure Lincecum was absolutely ..."

Lincecum indicates he'll return Monday

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September 13

MLB.com

"Tim Lincecum believes that the Giants need added motivation as they cling to the fringes of postseason contention. "We've been pretty lax the last couple of days," Lincecum said on Sunday, after the Giants lost the first two games of their critical series against the Los Angeles Dodgers by a combined score of 19-4. "I think it's time for something to kick us in the butt. ... We have to turn something on. This is where it counts." Lincecum might help provide that spark. The right-hander, who missed his last start with back spasms, is expected to start Monday night's series opener against the Colorado Rockies, who began Sunday leading San Francisco and Florida by 5 1/2 games in the National ..."

'Close to normal,' Lincecum likely to start Monday

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September 12

San Jose Mercury News

"Lincecum is 'close to normal,' likely for Monday Tim Lincecum said he is back to feeling "as close to normal as I can," and appears set to start Monday when the Giants begin their final three-game series with the Colorado Rockies. Lincecum, who was scratched from his start Tuesday because of lower-back spasms, played catch and convinced trainers to let him stretch it to a 120-foot long toss session. He's scheduled to throw off a mound today. "It felt nice to stretch it out," he said. Lincecum threw from his spine-twisting delivery on flat ground with no problems. He said trainers cautioned him he would feel 100 percent before the injury had healed, so he remained cautiously optimistic. ..."

Lincecum better, hopes to face Rockies

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September 10

MLB.com

"An upbeat Tim Lincecum said Wednesday that his ailing back has steadily improved, leaving him confident that he'll be able to pitch soon.Exactly how soon remains unclear.Lincecum, who was scratched from his Tuesday night outing against San Diego with back spasms in his lower left side, said he felt "pretty confident" that he would make his next scheduled start Monday against the Colorado Rockies. He also refused to rule out pitching this weekend against the Los Angeles Dodgers.But the right-hander emphasized that receiving clearance to rejoin the Giants starting rotation is not his decision. That call belongs to the Giants' medical staff and manager Bruce Bochy, who remained ..."

Lincecum's back issues could be a big pain

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September 9

San Jose Mercury News

columnist Mark Purdy

"Every pitcher has back problems at some point in his career. Tim Lincecum is not every pitcher. And this is not a good point in his career for his back to go "ouch." Let alone a good time in the Giants' wild-card chase that is gradually becoming much less wild. Sorry. I can't help it. I have a difficult time buying the Giants' implication that Lincecum's lower-back issues — which caused him to miss his scheduled start Tuesday night against San Diego — will be just a minor speed bump for him and for his team. That's the official spin, however. Before the Giants' 4-3 loss, manager Bruce Bochy sat in the home dugout and tried to maintain an "all is well" façade. He was moderately successful. ..."

Lincecum misses start with sore back

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September 9

San Francisco Chronicle

"The lower-back injury that forced Tim Lincecum to miss a start for the first time as a Giant on Tuesday is not deemed serious, and manager Bruce Bochy said the 2008 National League Cy Young winner might rejoin the rotation as soon as this weekend against the Dodgers. "Really, we want him as soon as he's available," Bochy said. "It's important for us, the sooner he gets out there and to get as many starts as he can get." The Giants are describing the injury as a muscle spasm on the left side of his lower back, which suggests it is not a disk issue. He will undergo treatment and rehabilitation today and Thursday and will be re-evaluated Friday, making it unlikely he can pitch before Sunday. ..."

Correia ready for his friend 'The Freak'

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September 8

San Diego Union-Tribune

"There's less envy and more curiosity and respect in Kevin Correia's voice. Indeed, his wish could've been spoken by a majority of pitchers in the major leagues. "Just once, I'd like to go out there with his stuff," Correia said. "Just to see." "His" refers to Tim Lincecum, aka "The Freak," the reigning Cy Young Award winner and a Correia staff-mate with the San Francisco Giants until this season. Tonight, for the second time in 2009, Correia will start for the Padres in a matchup against Lincecum."

Pedro schools Giants

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September 4

Oakland Tribune

"When Pedro Martinez won his first Cy Young Award in 1997, Tim Lincecum was a 13-year-old high school freshman still learning his way around campus. Now Lincecum is the defending NL Cy Young Award winner. But for as well as he pitched Thursday night, he and the Giants were hazed like underclassmen by a smart and seasoned opponent. Martinez dominated the Giants for seven innings, yielded nothing after Eugenio Velez's leadoff home run and struck out nine while pitching the Philadelphia Phillies to a 2-1 victory at Citizens Bank Park. "It's ridiculous how good his stuff still is," said Lincecum, who grew up admiring Martinez as a fellow undersized pitcher. "He's not just winging it up there. ..."

Lincecum-Pedro duel delivers, but bats don't

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September 4

San Francisco Chronicle

"What a perfect and succinct commentary on the state of the Giants' pitching and hitting in 2009. In three games at Citizens Bank Park, a pinball machine for offense, the Giants held the Phillies to three runs in 25 innings and still lost twice. Thursday night's 2-1 defeat was excruciating because the Giants not only wasted another Tim Lincecum gem, they squandered a chance to tie the Rockies for the National League wild-card lead, which would have made their trip to Philly an unqualified success. "It's no harder than any other time this happened this year," Randy Winn said. "We've still got a month full of games. It would have been nice to win the series. It would have been nice to pull ..."

Martinez outduels Lincecum as Phils edge Giants

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September 4

Philadelphia Inquirer

"The conditions were far from ideal in the last two starts at Citizens Bank Park for Pedro Martinez.It rained after three innings against Arizona. It rained again after two innings against Atlanta. Each time, his desire to show the hometown fans there's still fuel in his 37-year-old tank was dampened.Last night, another disturbance stood to spoil Martinez's effort: Tim Lincecum, the San Francisco Giants' ace and reigning National League Cy Young Award winner.This time, Martinez's pride and guile came into play as he outpitched Lincecum in a taut 2-1 win over the Giants.And on a night when the Phillies announced Brett Myers would be activated from the disabled list today and could work his ..."

Giants Leaning Heavily on Skinny Ace

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September 3

New York Times

"There will be a different vibe when Tim Lincecum pitches for the San Francisco Giants on Thursday night. There always is. The Giants say the feeling in the clubhouse, in the dugout, on the field and in the stadium is more frenetic, all because of Lincecum. He is the skinny pitcher with the long black hair and the catapulting motion. Lincecum uses his whole body, an unintimidating 170 pounds, to unleash baseballs that zoom in at 98 miles per hour. His mechanics are unconventional, but they are incredibly smooth, too. "I guess that's why we call him the freak," his teammate Rich Aurilia said. Lincecum is nicknamed the freak because it does not seem that he should be doing what he is doing. ..."

Lincecum solid as a rock

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August 29

San Jose Mercury News

"The scoreboard radar readings were turned off at AT&T Park on Friday night, but Tim Lincecum was definitely turned on. In a game for the Giants that was as close to essential as could be possible at this stage of the season, their ace clocked the Colorado Rockies with eight shutout innings in a 2-0 victory that did much to re-energize the National League wild-card race. The Giants pulled to within two games of the Rockies, with Barry Zito slated to pitch tonight followed by Matt Cain on Sunday. But that would not have meant a whole lot had Lincecum not brought his "A" game to the mound. He did, and this time his focus was on Rockies hitters as opposed to the radar-gun readings he admitted ..."

Rockies top Giants, Lincecum

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August 24

San Jose Mercury News

"On a sweltering Sunday afternoon, the Colorado Rockies found a way to slow down Tim Lincecum. More than one way, actually. Seth Smith hit one of Lincecum's few mistakes, a hanging changeup, for a two-run home run in the seventh inning that put the Colorado Rockies ahead to stay in a 4-2 victory over the Giants. Afterward, Lincecum stopped just short of accusing the Rockies of monkeying with the stadium radar display, which showed his fastball in the 88-90 mph range. "Whether they're messing with it or doing something, I don't feel I was throwing 88-90," said Lincecum, whose pitches registered closer to 93 mph on the local TV broadcast. "I'll say this: They weren't putting 90 mph swings on ..."

Lincecum can't stop Rockies

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August 24

Oakland Tribune

"On a sweltering Sunday afternoon, the Colorado Rockies found a way to slow down Tim Lincecum. More than one way, actually. Seth Smith hit one of Lincecum's few mistakes, a hanging changeup, for a two-run home run in the seventh inning that put the Colorado Rockies ahead to stay in a 4-2 victory over the Giants. Afterward, Lincecum stopped just short of accusing the Rockies of monkeying with the stadium radar display, which showed his fastball in the 88-90 mph range. "Whether they're messing with it or doing something, I don't feel I was throwing 88-90," said Lincecum, whose pitches registered closer to 93 mph on the local TV broadcast. "I'll say this: They weren't putting 90 mph swings on ..."

Lincecum looks lost against Rockies

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August 24

Denver Post

"Maybe it's the purple that puts Tim Lincecum in a haze against the Rockies. Lincecum, your basic back-to-back Cy Young Award candidate, couldn't find his rhythm Sunday afternoon. Couldn't put all the working parts together. Couldn't find the plate, much less paint the black. "I was battling myself today," Lincecum said. "I was erratic, kind of all over the place." No surprise there. He was facing the Rockies, a team that, if it weren't for that giant lettuce patch on his head, would make him pull his hair out. Lincecum lost five games in 2008 en route to winning his first Cy Young Award, with two of the five coming against the Rockies. Sunday marked his first start against them in 2009, ..."

Rockies to face Lincecum for first time in '09 today

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August 23

San Jose Mercury News

"The Colorado Rockies have earned everything they've gotten while rescuing a lost season, but they've been lucky in one respect. They managed to miss Tim Lincecum in each of their first three series against the Giants. That will change today, when Lincecum takes the mound against hard-throwing Ubaldo Jimenez in what should be blazing hot conditions at Coors Field. The Rockies aren't intimidated — maybe because Lincecum is 3-2 with a 4.40 ERA in eight career starts against them. "We're not expecting to lose tomorrow just because he's pitching," Rockies star pinch hitter Seth Smith said. "We've got Jimenez, so that's six of one, half a dozen of another as far as we see it." Said left fielder ..."

Lincecum uses speed readings

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August 23

San Francisco Chronicle

columnist John Shea

"Tim Lincecum's velocity was down in his last start in Cincinnati, the radar gun at Great American Ball Park clocking his fastball several miles per hour lower than normal. Lincecum felt it. He also read it. "I'll look up," he said, admitting to peeking at radar readings. "I'm not going to every pitch. If it's there, you can take advantage of it. Some days, you'll have that fastball you'll get by hitters. Some days, you won't. You've got to change your approach sometimes based on that. It helps if you know the difference." Lincecum was drained in the second inning in Cincinnati, giving up four runs. He prefers cool weather, but it was hot and humid. Lincecum struck out just two batters in ..."

Lincecum masters the mound with unconventional form

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August 23

Denver Post

"San Francisco Giants pitching coach Dave Righetti carries an image of Tim Lincecum in his head. The vision is not of Lincecum's curious, powerful, pinwheel delivery with the ridiculously long stride. Nor the memory of the near-perfect, two-hit shutout the right-hander spun in St. Louis on June 29. Or of Lincecum strolling into the clubhouse with his black knit cap pulled down low, looking like a 5-foot-11, 170-pound, 17-year-old wannabe rocker. Rather, Righetti flashes back to Lincecum getting upended at home plate by the Royals' David DeJesus in a June 22, 2008, game in Kansas City. Lincecum pitched poorly that hot Sunday afternoon. He lacked focus, looked close to wilting. "A big lead ..."

This time, Giants bats bail out shaky Lincecum

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August 19

Contra Costa Times

"You didn't need to be a lip reader to catch Tim Lincecum's words in the second inning Tuesday night. He did some very un-Timmy things: A four-pitch walk with the bases loaded, a two-run single to the opposing pitcher that nicked first base, then spouting an off-color version of, "Surely, good sirs, you must be joking." For once, Lincecum's game was forgettable. For once, the Giants' comeback effort was not. No joke here, good sirs. With Ryan Garko carrying the flag, the Giants erased a four-run deficit for the first time all season while bailing out Lincecum and grabbing an 8-5, 10-inning victory over the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Maybe Garko can settle in now. He had ..."

Lincecum denied 13th win

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August 8

San Francisco Chronicle

"Entrusted with a 5-3 lead in the eighth inning at AT"

Lincecum, Giants quiet the Phillies

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August 2

San Jose Mercury News

"It was bring-your-dog-to-the-ballpark day at AT&T Park, and before the first pitch Saturday, the Giants clubhouse was a virtual pound as well. A group of players laughed when Tim Lincecum's white bulldog, Cy, chased Brian Wilson's little yip-yip pinscher down the hallway and into Manager Bruce Bochy's office. As it turned out, both dogs had their day. Lincecum used his devastating change-up to shut out the Philadelphia Phillies through eight innings and Wilson didn't allow a runner in the ninth as the Giants resumed their playoff push with a 2-0 victory. It was the Giants' major-league-leading 15th shutout this season. They already are within five of matching the franchise record in the ..."

Tim Lincecum says he'll be ready this year

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July 14

Seattle Times

"Late Sunday night, Tim Lincecum received a text message from a major-league executive informing him that he was going to be starting the All-Star Game for the National League: "Good news, you're starting. Bad news, there's a press conference at 10 o'clock in the morning." At that press conference, in which Toronto's Roy Halladay was named his American League counterpart, the former University of Washington standout poked fun at himself for missing last year's game. Lincecum attended all the festivities on the Monday before the game last year, but came up ill on Tuesday and never left his hotel room. "First off, this is a great accomplishment for me," he said. "I think tomorrow, the big ..."

Gooden sees self in Lincecum

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July 14

Bergen Record

columnist Bob Klapisch

"Dwight Gooden can't help but smile whenever he sees a clip of Tim Lincecum's curveball. Big and aggressive, with a looping 12-to-6 trajectory, the pitch is practically extinct in the major leagues - which is why Gooden feels such kinship. "You know, that's the way I used to throw my hook," Doc was saying on the telephone Monday afternoon. His links to Lincecum go deeper than that. The Giants' right-hander will be the NL's starting pitcher in tonight's All-Star Game - a hard-throwing kid matched up against a heavy-hitting American League lineup. Sound familiar? It was 25 years ago that Gooden became the youngest player to participate in an All-Star Game. He was only 19, barely two years out ..."

Lincecum is NL's first choice

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July 14

Contra Costa Times

"Tim Lincecum planned for a nice, quiet Monday night. "Try to load up on a bunch of liquids, stay hydrated," Lincecum said. "And I'm going to have (teammate Matt) Cain put a leash around my neck and keep me in my room. "Other than that, that's all I have planned." Anything to get to the Busch Stadium mound to start for the National League in the All-Star Game tonight. Toronto's Roy Halladay will start for the American League. NL manager Charlie Manuel indicated the Giants' Lincecum was a clear choice for the start. Lincecum is 10-2 with a 2.33 ERA, is tied for the NL lead in complete games (three) and shutouts (two) and No. 1 alone in strikeouts (149). He also has been dominant recently: ..."

Lincecum is NL's first choice

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July 14

Contra Costa Times

"Tim Lincecum planned for a nice, quiet Monday night. "Try to load up on a bunch of liquids, stay hydrated," Lincecum said. "And I'm going to have (teammate Matt) Cain put a leash around my neck and keep me in my room. "Other than that, that's all I have planned." Anything to get to the Busch Stadium mound to start for the National League in the All-Star Game tonight. Toronto's Roy Halladay will start for the American League. NL manager Charlie Manuel indicated the Giants' Lincecum was a clear choice for the start. Lincecum is 10-2 with a 2.33 ERA, is tied for the NL lead in complete games (three) and shutouts (two) and No. 1 alone in strikeouts (149). He also has been dominant recently: ..."

Lincecum gets NL nod over Haren

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July 13

Arizona Republic

"Tim Lincecum and Roy Halladay were selected Monday as the starting pitchers for the All-Star game. Last year's NL Cy Young Award winner, Lincecum is 10-2 with a 2.33 ERA for the San Francisco Giants. Diamondbacks right-hander Dan Haren (9-5. 2.01 ERA) also was considered a candidate as the NL's starter, but Lincecum gets the ball first Tuesday night at Busch Stadium, NL manager Charlie Manuel announced. Lincecum made the All-Star team for last season's game at Yankee Stadium but was unable to pitch because he was ill. "This is a great accomplishment for me," Lincecum said, his long, shaggy hair protruding from under a black knit cap. "I think tomorrow the big thing is going to be just ..."

Haren deserves to start All-Star Game

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July 13

Arizona Republic

columnist Paola Bolvin

"Miguel Montero calls him nasty. Doug Davis calls him scary. Charlie Manuel should call him an All-Star Game starter. With half-hearted apologies to Tim Lincecum, Diamondbacks right-hander Dan Haren deserves the nod. He is cursed by one of the game's more misleading statistics - win-loss record - blessed by one of the better repertoire's in baseball. He made a heck of a final push Friday night with a performance that was vintage Haren: 10 strikeouts and one walk in an 8-0 complete-game victory over Florida. "There are a lot of great pitchers in the National League," Diamondbacks manager A.J. Hinch said. "I'll take Dan Haren over any of them." Like Haren, San Francisco's Lincecum, 25, has ..."

Anything's possible, Lincecum says

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July 11

San Francisco Chronicle

""That record will not be broken" are six words that apparently will not pass through Tim Lincecum's lips. Lincecum had a 29-inning scoreless streak snapped in Thursday night's win. Impressive as that was, he still had not reached half of Orel Hershiser's record of 59 innings, set in 1988. Asked on Comcast's "Chronicle Live" show Friday whether he or anybody else could break that record, Lincecum shrugged and said why not? "I think it is possible," he said. "That's just one of those unexplainable rolls." Based on research by Elias, the Giants initially reported that Lincecum's streak was the third-longest in San Francisco history, behind 40- and 39-inning streaks by Gaylord Perry. On ..."

Lincecum, Cain: Vote for Pablo

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July 6

San Francisco Chronicle

"Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain were obviously ecstatic about being named to the National League All-Star team Sunday, but they seemed even more excited about the prospects of getting Pablo Sandoval a trip to St. Louis. Less than two hours after hearing of their selections, Lincecum and Cain were planning the campaign for Sandoval, who is one of five candidates for the final spot on the roster. "It will be mandatory texting on the bus," Cain said. "In between at-bats, we'll probably be voting. Any way we can get him in there, we're going to do it." Sandoval is running against Los Angeles' Matt Kemp, Philadelphia's Shane Victorino, Washington's Cristian Guzman and Arizona's Mark Reynolds in an ..."

Giants' Lincecum, Cain chosen as All-Stars

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July 6

San Jose Mercury News

"Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain are All-Stars, and Pablo Sandoval could be joining them. To no one's surprise, both members of the Giants' dynamic pitching tandem received invitations to the All-Star Game on Sunday. Sandoval was caught in a numbers crunch at the National League corner infield spots but can make the team as part of the "Final Five" fan vote that runs through Thursday. Sandoval, who is fourth in the N.L. with a .333 average and leads the Giants with 12 home runs, said simply being considered for an All-Star spot in his first full season is "too much for me" to believe, adding, "I'm so happy." The Giants figured to be well-represented at the July 14 game in St. Louis. Relievers ..."

Giants' Lincecum pitches two-hit shutout against Cardinals

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June 30

San Jose Mercury News

"Giants pitching coach Dave Righetti already counted the boxes on his pocket schedule: If the National League wants Tim Lincecum to start the All-Star Game, he'd be fully rested for the assignment. After Monday night, how could N.L. Manager Charlie Manuel pick anyone else? Climbing the same bump where the All-Stars will converge next month, Lincecum gave the Giants what might have been the most masterful start of his young career. Combining classic power with Madduxian precision, Lincecum needed just 95 pitches to finish a career-best two-hitter in a 10-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. Last year, Lincecum became the first Giants pitcher to lead the majors in strikeouts and he ..."

When Radar Gun Hits 100 M.P.H., Theres More Than Meets the Eye

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June 21

New York Times

"In every obvious way, Randy Johnson and Tim Lincecum are the polar opposites of pitching. Separated by 20 years in age, nearly a foot in height and 270 victories, they embody contrast: Johnson as the older, taller, surly left-hander; Lincecum as his younger, shorter, right-handed, more personable counterpoint. Yet for all their differences, these San Francisco starters and Cy Young Award winners have each flung fastballs in excess of 100 miles an hour, a rarity even in the rarefied air of the major leagues. The question, then, is how? How can Johnson, the towering lefty with the intimidating scowl, and Lincecum, the marvel of motion who has been mistaken for a batboy, accomplish the same ..."

Cain, Lincecum can't mask team's weaknesses

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June 18

San Francisco Chronicle

columnist Gwen Knapp

"Ever since the Giants crept into the wild-card hunt over the last few weeks, the prospect of playing in October with two young aces on the mound grew more tantalizing with every start they made. Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain promised to camouflage a lot of flaws elsewhere on the roster, offering hope that they could take the Giants to the playoffs and then to an upset, past a team that seemed vastly superior in every other way. Wednesday's 4-3 loss to the Angels, and the eighth inning in particular, stifled a lot of that hope. For seven innings, Lincecum appeared to be putting the brakes on the Angels' winning streak, which reached five games after they pummeled Barry Zito and Jonathan ..."

Mazzaro hip to take on Giants' Lincecum

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June 12

Contra Costa Times

"Starting pitcher Vin Mazzaro had a flock of reporters surrounding him after Thursday afternoon's game. Funny in that he wasn't throwing Thursday. His turn comes tonight against the Giants at AT"

Giants ace Lincecum is dealing against Braves

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May 27

Contra Costa Times

"Tim Lincecum hasn't given up many big leads during his brief major league career, and the Giants ace wasn't about to add to that list Tuesday night. Staked to a four-run lead in the second inning, Lincecum didn't allow a runner past second base and efficiently carved up the Atlanta Braves in the Giants' 4-0 victory at AT"

Giants notebook: Lincecum may miss Seattle

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May 15

Contra Costa Times

"The Giants do not plan to use Monday's off-day to alter their rotation, which more or less ensures that Tim Lincecum will not pitch in next weekend's rare interleague series at Seattle. No big deal, the reigning Cy Young Award winner said. "I guess I'll have to enjoy Seattle in a different way," said Lincecum, who was born and bred in the region and won the Golden Spikes award at the University of Washington. "I'm just looking forward to being home when the weather is nice." Lincecum watched the Mariners as a kid but didn't attend many games. He was too busy competing in summer leagues. He has a good idea what to expect when Randy Johnson takes the mound May 22, though - especially if the ..."

Lincecum unlikely to start in Seattle

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May 15

San Jose Mercury News

"The Giants do not plan to use Monday's off-day to alter their rotation, which more or less ensures that Tim Lincecum will not pitch in next weekend's interleague series at Seattle. No big deal, the Giants' reigning Cy Young Award winner said. "I guess I'll have to enjoy Seattle in a different way," said Lincecum, who was born and grew up in the region and won the Golden Spikes award at the University of Washington. "I'm just looking forward to being home when the weather is nice." Lincecum watched the Mariners as a kid but didn't attend many games. He was too busy competing in summer leagues. But he has a good idea what to expect when Randy Johnson takes the mound next Friday — especially ..."

Lincecum, Giants cruise to victory

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May 6

San Jose Mercury News

"Tim Lincecum loves pitching at Wrigley Field for its history and atmosphere — and because it was the setting for a movie about a 12-year-old big leaguer with a 100 mph fastball. As you might imagine, that film spoke to him. "Yeah, in high school people used to call me Rowengartner and all that stuff," said Lincecum, referring to the main character from "Rookie of the Year." Lincecum spoiled the matinee for the Chicago Cubs and their fans Tuesday. Staked to a three-run lead on catcher Bengie Molina's home run in the first inning, the undersized right-hander fired seven solid innings and the Giants won 6-2 to split the series. Aaron Rowand snapped an 0-for-20 skid with a two-run double in ..."