Here is the opening to my Thursday column about Tim Lincecum: SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. … kind of – Please notice the dateline on this column. It says Scottsdale, Ariz. kind of. I’ve been back from Arizona a week now but the scene I’m writing about took place outside the Giants’ clubhouse in Scottsdale Stadium, so I included the dateline even though I’ve been home and writing about the World Baseball Classic with a San Francisco dateline. I didn’t want you to… Read More »
Here is the opening to my Saturday column about Tim Lincecum and his new haircut: SAN FRANCISCO Friday. Giants Media Day. Tim Lincecum walks in with a new look. Call it a new head. Those long locks that used to hang down his back like laundry — forget them. Gone. Outta here. His hair is short and neatly combed with a sharp part on the left side. He’s wearing black-rimmed glasses. I’m thinking he looks like someone I ought to… Read More »
Here is the opening to my Thursday column about Tim Lincecum, who will pitch Game 4 of the NLCS: ST. LOUIS — Forget Game 3 of the NLCS, that drawn-out, drenched affair. Just know the Giants lost 3-1 and left a million men on base — 11, actually — and now they are down 2-1 in games and they will pitch Ryan Vogelsong in Game 6 and Matt Cain in Game 7, if there is a Game 6 and a… Read More »
Here is the opening to my column about Tim Lincecum, relief pitcher: CINCINNATI Tim Lincecum trotted in from the bullpen in the bottom of the fourth. It was still a game then, the Giants up 3-2 although they would win 8-3. This was no cameo appearance, no throwaway role, not garbage time. When Lincecum reached the mound, he kicked the rubber and dug his groove in the red dirt. He threw his practice pitches to Hector Sanchez, always working from… Read More »
Tim Kawakami did a good interview with Tim Lincecum which I will link to in a moment. We were in the Giants clubhouse in Cincy interviewing Barry Zito and Tim snuck over to Lincecum and got a fabulous one on one. Good for Tim. It was a miracle we were there in the first place, Tim, Dan Brown, Alex Pavlovic and I took a 6:10 am flight from SFO on Monday — not a lot of sleep Sunday night. We… Read More »
Here’s the problem with Lincecum — strictly my opinion. 1) You never know what you’re going to get with him this season. 2) He has had disaster innings too much of the time. It happens so fast that before Bochy gets a reliever warmed up, it’s too late. The Giants are reluctant to risk that in a short series.
Bruce Bochy announced Ryan Vogelsong will start Game 3 in Cincinnati on Tuesday. What a fall this is for Tim Lincecum, two-time Cy Young Award winner. One line of thinking is Lincecum could rise to the occasion. But clearly the Giants don’t think so. Either he or Zito could pitch Game 4. My guess is that it’s Zito. Bochy said Lincecum is available to pitch relief tonight. How do you feel about the Giants rotation in this series?
Tim Lincecum got the loss today. I know because I listened to the game on radio while driving — it’s amazing how far KNBR reaches. On Comcast on Monday, Barry Tompkins asked Dan Dibley and me if Lincecum is all the way back. Dibley said yes. I said I was still cautious. I guess I was right. This is not to put down Dan. I’m crazy about Dan. It’s just that I’m older and I’ve learned the virtue of caution.
Here is the opening to my column about Tim Lincecum’s Saturday start against the Houston Astros: SAN FRANCISCO When the worst pitcher in baseball takes on the worst team in baseball, something’s got to give. The worst team gave. You get the point. Giants starting pitcher Tim Lincecum had the worst earned run average of anyone who counted, and the Houston Astros, who really don’t count, had the worst record in the majors. And Lincecum shut them out over eight… Read More »
This may or may not be a story about Tim Lincecum. You’ll have to decide. It’s just that he’s pitching Saturday night and I’m covering the game, and I’ve been thinking about it for days. I mean, each of his starts is so interesting in good and bad ways. And that’s where this story comes in. First some background. As you know I grew up in Brooklyn. I spent most of my time until I went away to college in… Read More »
