The Future of the NL is here
His frame does not overwhelm you. In fact, if he were to walk down the street, you would more than likely mistake him for someone who has a 9 to 5 job.
When he is on the mound in a set position ready to throw, everything changes. No longer does he look up to other people or feel intimidated by them. He is the intimidator. A fastball that registers close to 100 MPH in his best moment and a knee buckling curveball that is perhaps the best in baseball. Sitting on those pitches, how about his near 90 MPH changeup, which is harder than teammate Barry Zito's fastball. He may only be 22 years old, but Tim Lincecum, in his second year with the San Francisco Giants, is arguably the Major Leagues best young starting pitcher.
His numbers this season, as his look, are a throwback to an old generation of baseball. At 8-1 with an ERA of just over two, he is a near lock to start for the National League in the All Star Game. He is also the Giants new marketing attraction. After a decade and a half of Barry Bonds, he steps aside and now each home start for Lincecum is becoming an event.
His frame is limited at 5'11 and 190 pounds, and that presents doubts about how long can he maintain this level of performance over a long period. During the offseason, there was rumored discussion about perhaps making him a closer as a way of preserving his right arm. However, the Giants decided to smarten up and use him in the rotation in quartet with young Matt Cain, Jonathan Sanchez and (the pitcher formerly known as) Barry Zito.
With the young pitching that they have, the future looks bright. Needing offensive players to compliment their staff would make them contenders in what has turned into a weak National League West, outside of the Arizona D'Backs.
For right now, Giants fans only have Lincecum to look forward to every five days. His meteoric rise through the team’s farm system after being drafted 10th in the 2006 draft brought him to The Show in April of last season. To that point, he had thrown less than 80 minor league innings. Completely dominant in his time, as he yielded an ERA of less than one.
As it appears right now, Lincecum is poised to be the new generation's version of Pedro Martinez. Barring injury, he is going to be a fun pitcher to watch over the next several years.
His frame does not overwhelm you. In fact, if he were to walk down the street, you would more than likely mistake him for someone who has a 9 to 5 job.
When he is on the mound in a set position ready to throw, everything changes. No longer does he look up to other people or feel intimidated by them. He is the intimidator. A fastball that registers close to 100 MPH in his best moment and a knee buckling curveball that is perhaps the best in baseball. Sitting on those pitches, how about his near 90 MPH changeup, which is harder than teammate Barry Zito's fastball. He may only be 22 years old, but Tim Lincecum, in his second year with the San Francisco Giants, is arguably the Major Leagues best young starting pitcher.
His numbers this season, as his look, are a throwback to an old generation of baseball. At 8-1 with an ERA of just over two, he is a near lock to start for the National League in the All Star Game. He is also the Giants new marketing attraction. After a decade and a half of Barry Bonds, he steps aside and now each home start for Lincecum is becoming an event.
His frame is limited at 5'11 and 190 pounds, and that presents doubts about how long can he maintain this level of performance over a long period. During the offseason, there was rumored discussion about perhaps making him a closer as a way of preserving his right arm. However, the Giants decided to smarten up and use him in the rotation in quartet with young Matt Cain, Jonathan Sanchez and (the pitcher formerly known as) Barry Zito.
With the young pitching that they have, the future looks bright. Needing offensive players to compliment their staff would make them contenders in what has turned into a weak National League West, outside of the Arizona D'Backs.
For right now, Giants fans only have Lincecum to look forward to every five days. His meteoric rise through the team’s farm system after being drafted 10th in the 2006 draft brought him to The Show in April of last season. To that point, he had thrown less than 80 minor league innings. Completely dominant in his time, as he yielded an ERA of less than one.
As it appears right now, Lincecum is poised to be the new generation's version of Pedro Martinez. Barring injury, he is going to be a fun pitcher to watch over the next several years.
Phillies fighting like Rocky
Conventional thought would have been that last season's amazing comeback from a seven game deficit to the New York Mets with 17 games left was nothing but pure luck. Surely, with the talent compiled in Philadelphia, "Team Underachieve" would surely fall back in to second place while their 90-mile competitors (the Mets) would reclaim their top spot atop the National League East.
Instead, the Phillies have thrived this season and currently hold a 7.5 game lead over New York, playing with a resiliency that would remind you of that fictitious Philadelphia character from the movies. While prior MVP's Ryan Howard (.220) and Jimmy Rollins (missed 20 games to injury) have been slowed down, they have been lead by Chase Utley, who is making his bid to make it three straight years with a Phillies player winning the Most Valuable Player award.
At this moment, Utley leads all of MLB in homeruns. He has been baseball's premier second baseman for several years now, but has been overshadowed by Rollins and Howard. Along with Pat Burrell, enjoying another fine season. Add in Geoff Jenkins and Pedro Feliz, who are playing very good complimentary roles, and their offense rivals the Cubs for title of "Best in the NL".
The stumbling for them has always been their starting pitching. Cole Hamels provides dominance once every five days, but it is still the other four days in question. Jamie Moyer is still providing quality at the tender age of 45. However, the organization realizes the fragility of his left arm. Brett Myers has always shown the talent of a #1 starter when his head is right, but even the Phillies can't be 100 percent sure.
This brings up rampant speculation of GM Pat Gillick pulling off a trade in July for a high quality starter. The two people who will more than likely be on the market (Ben Sheets and CC Sabathia) are also free agents at the end of this season. With a weak National League, will the team roll the dice and sacrifice some of their high-end minor leaguers for a 2-month rental in an effort to reach the World Series?
The answer very well may be "Yes." Thinking being that if Gillick can find another #1 or #2 starter to go along with Hamels and have relievers J.C Romero, Tom Gordon and Brad Lidge to close out games, they will be favorites to win the National League. With the injuries to Atlanta, and the ineffectiveness of New York, the Phillies would have a chance to run away with the division and line up an ideal postseason rotation.
It could be 1993 all over again.
I am mad as hell and... well, I'm just mad.
Not many things are funnier than a baseball manager letting loose a profanity-laced tirade for about 5 minutes lamenting the team’s lack of pitching, hitting and overall hustle. Or lack of it.
From Tommy Lasorda, to Lee Elia. Hal McRae, to Lou Pinella. And others who have made wasteful attempts at "lighting a fire" under a team in effort to get better performance out of their players.
Personally, I believe this stuff does not work. Seattle Mariners manager John McLaren decided to add his name to this infamous list. After another loss to drop them further into last place, McLaren decided to let off a little steam during his post game media conference. During the 38-second rant, he used a "naughty" a clocked 12 times.
Perhaps he could not articulate his thoughts any other way and decided that a trip to Sailor School was needed. His veteran team, who essentially quit starting from August 1 of last season, has continued their "mail it in" style of play.
To my knowledge, no public media rant has ever fired up a team in baseball. It is the only game where motivational speeches are worth less than Abe Lincoln's penny.
One could counter by saying that Ozzie Guillen, manager of the White Sox, used such a rant recently in order to wake his team up. The team promptly won their next seven ballgames. Guillen going crazy did not raise their level of play. You know what did it? Facing mediocre pitching! Nothing will get a team out of a slump than that. Do not read anymore into it than that. Mere coincidence.
This is why I have laughed throughout this season at the assertion that Joe Girardi needed to give the team a lift by going crazy and flipping out when the Yankees were struggling mightily early in the season. Such antics like that only make for good story telling around campfires. Is Robinson Cano going to suddenly hit as his baseball card says because his manager went crazy?
No.
Is Girardi going crazy going to stop LaTroy Hawkins from pitching like normal bad self and Kyle Farnsworth from consistently giving up homeruns?
No.
So what is the point exactly? Tirades do not do anything for you if that same night, Johan Santana is pitching against you. You would think that people have actually taken the movie Major League II seriously. Folks, that is not real.
If you have talented players, 9 times out of 10 they will at the end of the season play up to their career statistics. It may not look pretty how it is accomplished, but it will be done. This is not football where you can make an instant judgment on a player or team after two games. 6 months and 162 games are a long time for final judgment to be made on a player or a team (at least until that team is eliminated).
Enjoy the ride. Keep your emotions in check.
This is why I have laughed throughout this season at the assertion that Joe Girardi needed to give the team a lift by going crazy and flipping out when the Yankees were struggling mightily early in the season. Such antics like that only make for good story telling around campfires. Is Robinson Cano going to suddenly hit as his baseball card says because his manager went crazy?
No.
Is Girardi going crazy going to stop LaTroy Hawkins from pitching like normal bad self and Kyle Farnsworth from consistently giving up homeruns?
No.
So what is the point exactly? Tirades do not do anything for you if that same night, Johan Santana is pitching against you. You would think that people have actually taken the movie Major League II seriously. Folks, that is not real.
If you have talented players, 9 times out of 10 they will at the end of the season play up to their career statistics. It may not look pretty how it is accomplished, but it will be done. This is not football where you can make an instant judgment on a player or team after two games. 6 months and 162 games are a long time for final judgment to be made on a player or a team (at least until that team is eliminated).
Enjoy the ride. Keep your emotions in check.
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