With Lincecum's Angels deal official, it's going to be fun following him on his comeback - the signing doesn't seem like big money deal for the Angels and it may payoff if Lincecum can mimic some of the performances that made him a great pitcher in San Francisco.
It probably helps to have Madison Bumgarner emerge as your outright, no doubt about it ace - but it's kind of amazing the San Francisco Giants won the World Series last year despite Cain being injured and Tim Lincecum being up-and-down.
They were the Giants' one-two pitching duo for a long time, but both Cain and Lincecum have a lot to prove - looking to find the success that defined their careers as Giants.
Even when the Giants crashed in 2013, their front office has proven they can make some savvy moves with the money to make up for any mistakes in signing particular free agents that go bust - so they'll probably retool the pitching staff and try to contend with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks in 2014.
Starting pitcher Tim Lincecum was re-signed and has extended his stay in San Francisco - but may never get back into the superstar form that made him 'The Freak' and his numbers as he turns 30 maybe 'as is.'
Lincecum overpowered hitters in his prime - now it's about battling himself, battling his control and trying to keep things in check on a start by start basis.
The seemingly metronomic Matt Cain had an off year - though his numbers besides his wins/losses and overall ERA seem to indicate he didn't have such a terrible season, especially in the second half.
Out of some of the pitching woes the Giants suffered, soft spoken Madison Bumgarner emerged as their ace this past season - putting together a fine year with just over 200 innings pitched, with just about the same number of batters struck out while allowing only 146 hits.
While I can't ever feel like he does stepping onto the mound as a Major League starting pitcher, I guess I can emphathize with Tim Lincecum's struggles in 2012 - I keep thinking no matter how hard he wants to blow the ball past hitters and grind starts out, the pitches he is throwing are misfiring and he's getting smacked around.
Is this the beginning of the end for the two time Cy Young Award winner [?] - as much as Lincecum has been built up as a superstar over the last two or three years, it goes without saying that the reason we remember the name is because of all the work he's done to as a 'freakish' athlete who worked against the odds to be a master of his craft.
My parents have both become baseball fans, probably because of the Angels run to the World Series championship back in 2010 - as opposed to being completely oblivious to the sport [dad's favorite spectator sport is the NBA and the Los Angeles Lakers], now they have a passing interest in Major League Baseball, bandwagon fans or not.
My mother down on the couch to get a breather after work with Game 4 of the National League Division Series [San Francisco Giants vs. Philadelphia Phillies] on TV - I just rolled my eyes 100 times when she asked if Tim Lin-CACK-UM was pitching in the game or not.
It wasn't even the fact the game was in the late innings, but how my mother butchered saying Tim LIN-suh-come's name - I guess I pride myself in familiarizing the pronunciation of most names and maybe Lincecum isn't a common last name, but are you serious?
Maybe I have issues, but I would have been goofing all over my only friend in the world if he said Lincecum's name the way my mother had said it - it was a silly, cringe worth moment, though probably won't be remembered after the postseason is over.
San Francisco Giants vs. Atlanta Braves
The Giants should be poised to stick around in the playoffs - a starting trio of Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain and Jonathan Sanchez looks pretty impressive while the Giants' smorgasborg of castoff hitters may just give the lineup enough offense.
It has been no surprise, but catcher Buster Posey has been pretty impressive since taking over the No. 1 catching position for the Giants - he seems like a young guy who can explode with the bat, particularly in a short series.
The Braves made the playoffs despite pretty much some smoke and mirrors - Chipper Jones is hurt, Martin Prado is hurt, Nate McLouth had a terrible year and whipping boy Melky Cabrera is still penciled in as a guy who is going to play a lot, even though admittedly his bat falls short.
Braves rookie Jason Heyward has been a phenom and may give the Braves the sort of inspiring performance to boost them to the National League Championship Series - while Heyward seemed banged up for parts of the season, the 21-year old picked up 91 walks and had a .393 on-base percentage overall in 2010.
There is a story about 2010 being Bobby Cox's last hurrah in Atlanta - not to be a buzzkill, but it wouldn't bother me either way, if his Braves get dusted by the Giants in the Division Series, just to upset the 'feel good' narrative of beloved old-timey, fuddy-duddy skipper leading his team to one last shot of glory under his helm.
Philadelphia Phillies vs. Cincinnati Reds
The Phillies go one-two-three in the NLDS with Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels - general manager Ruben Amaro has been derided for trading off Cliff Lee, but his Phillies are the best team in the National League, with the best pitching staff and a balanced lineup with Ryan Howard, Jayson Werth, Chase Utley, Placido Polanco, Shane Victorino, et al.
While the Reds don't seem as good on paper as the Phillies - they have Joey Votto, Scott Rolen, Jay Bruce and Brandon Phillips among the cast of characters that make for a solid lineup.
Their bench strength should be great with Laynce Nix, Miguel Cairo, Chris Heisey, etc - look for one of these guys to contribute.
A key for the Reds is getting away from staying with a starting pitcher too long, finally making a move in haste to bring in a reliever and watching the reliever implode - the Reds have Aroldis Chapman, a 105 MPH throwing 'big gun' in the bullpen.
Dusty Baker and his coaching staff cannot stick with a starting pitcher who is going to be laboring into the late innings - basically they have to make deft moves and have to think outside the box, even if it means ruffling some feathers with some guys and their presumed roles i.e. Francisco Cordero.
It doesn't seem like the Reds will be able to stay with the Phillies - the Reds' chances of upsetting the Phillies in the NLDS however will depend less on talent, but whether or not Baker micromanages too much, particularly under duress.
Tim Lincecum was announced the 2009 National League Cy Young Award winner - being honored Thursday for the second straight season as the best pitcher in the National League.
Along with Zach Greinke in the American League being honored, it only punctuates the underlying story behind the headlines - Lincecum only had 15 wins and Greinke only had 16 wins but clearly were deserving because of their sheer dominance.
It seems kind of silly to think if a guy makes 30-35 starts and is good enough to pitch six, seven innings in the majority of those starts to win 18, 19, 20 or more games - he isn't as good as the guy who wins only 15, 16, 17 wins.
But for a starting pitcher, the evaluation of the quality of work has evolved and statheads or sabremetrically-inclined baseball fans/pundits are rejoicing - because they are the ones championing more sophisticated stats to be taken into account over merely being stupefied by the numbers of wins accumulated in one season.
It isn't no coincidence Lincecum and Greinke are acutely aware of the terms - and have seemingly been made poster-children for evaluating a pitcher's performance.
For Greinke - he likes the FIP.
For Lincecum - it is all about the WHIP.
In the end, Chris Carpenter or Adam Wainwright had more wins, pitched more innings and clearly demonstrated their value to their team - Lincecum simply had the more dominant season.
2008 All-Star Game - it is the fans who select the starting lineup and every year, there is a tendency to assume we the people will vote on who they we to see as opposed as who is sometimes more deserving. On the other hand, Major League Baseball gives fans so little these days - we need something like being able to vote for the all-star game starters to make us think we are more than just paying customers.
For the National League, I want these guys to start - Catcher - Geovany Soto, First base - Lance Berkman [Houston Astros], Third base - Chipper Jones [Atlanta Braves], Shortstop - Hanley Ramirez [Florida Marlins], Outfield - Ken Griffey Jr. [Cincinnati Reds], Ryan Braun [Milwaukee Brewers] and Aaron Rowand [San Francisco Giants].
At second base, I've flip flopped - Chase Utley was having a heck of a year, but he has slumped recently. I think I'd rather see Dan Uggla start for the National League, since he's more of an 'underdog' guy playing for a surprise team in the National League East.
Junior Griffey at times has been a guy who would rather spend time with family and basically do something else than attend an all-star game as a player - yet I think he should start this year, even he pulls out, just because he's done so much.
If I was picking a starting pitcher in the NL, the nod has to go to Tim Lincecum [San Francisco Giants]- I don't get to watch him often, but I've heard all about him. While some of the other National League starting pitchers [Edinson Volquez, Brandon Webb and Carlos Zambrano] are great, Lincecum represents the future realized with an 8-1 record and a 2.21 ERA, for a mediocre Giants team. In 97 innings, he has struck out 95 and walked 38 and I'd rather see him on the mound as a young up-and-coming stud.At first base - I think Morneau has been having a solid season, though Jason Giambi [who is having a renaissance season of sorts] will probably get the nod, especially with the game in New York.
There is no way Bradley is going to start the game - but he's gone through a lot in his career and while he doesn't get the same sympathy for his own troubles as Hamilton does [for his troubles], Bradley has been killing the ball as well as anyone in the American League.
If I was picking a starting pitcher in the AL, the nod has to go to Cliff Lee [San Cleveland Indians]- I would have given the nod to Joe Saunders [Los Angeles Angels], since Saunders is from my local Major League team. On the other hand Lee has been a little better in the first half, coming back from an ineffective season in 2007. In 88 innings pitched so far, the Indians' lefthander has struck out 76 and walked only 14, giving the Tribe someone to lean on when C.C. Sabathia wasn't doing so well.