If there was a memory that I could look to when I thought of Tim Lincecum, it would be June 23, 2011. Yes, I looked up the date. On that day, he would face the Minnesota Twins .
We needed him out there. Bum just pitched the day before and the Twins bashed him around, putting him out after the first inning with eight runs. Eight runs. People on twitter were saying to me, what happened to Bumgarner. In Bum’s case, his pitches were up and the Twins were hitting him. Righetti, being the great pitching coach that he is, somehow managed to settle him down in other games.
Still, the bullpen needed a break. They always do especially when your starter was knocked out early. There was Timmy, ready for the challenge. His pitches were down in the dirt like always, fooling the hitters. He managed to get 12 strikeouts that day, lasting seven innings. Bert Blyleven took out a moment from his circle this routine in the crowd and stopped by our booth, saying Wow to Kuip and Kruk.
That year, Tim was 13-14, but the record is of course deceiving because the Giants never gave their pitchers their run support. Little did we know that things would never be the same after that.
No point in going over the past. We all know what happened. We came up with reasons for it. In the end, when the Giants made it to the playoffs and the World Series, The Freak was in the bullpen. It wasn’t like 2010 when he was there and part of the misfits. There he was in game one against the Phillies and Doc Holliday. There was the mental error where he walked a runner back to third. He was a big reason that we won the World Series.
Two years made a big difference for both pitchers now. In Lincecum’s case, it seemed like the hitters had figured him out. He lost his velocity. He couldn’t fool the hitters anymore. Pitchers like Curt Schilling were saying that he needs to become a different pitcher.
Tim wouldn’t have any of that. He was out there. It was tough to be patient. Even when he won - and it was because of the Giants hitters - there was Righetti, telling him to take the win and move on. There would be other days.
As a Giants fan, it was hard to watch. There were many times that we cheered him on and didn’t get on him, because we wanted to see the days of Lincecum doing what he does best. It wasn’t happening and it seemed that he was destined for a permanent place in the bullpen, just like other pitchers such as Dennis Eckersley.
Instead, last night was a night that we needed the Freak the most. Our GM had said that there would be no moves or any quick fixes. We couldn’t afford to give up our future. Then came the meltdown. If that wasn’t enough, Matt Cain, who was the leader last year, came out after the first inning against the Mets. The meltdown was completed and all the rumors cropped in that the Giants would be sellers and we may see Hunter Pence and Lincecum on other teams.
Yet, there was the Freak, striking out 13 and walking four, getting batters out the way he always did. We held our breath during the 6th inning and by that time, Timmy was at 100 pitches. Could he even go another three innings?
If that wasn’t enough, there was the Panda, making plays at third that you would see from the great ones such as Brooks Robinson and Graig Nettles. There was the catch by Hunter Pence, diving to stop a single that seemed like it was going to drop.
Still, the verdict is out. Zito is on the mound and it would be nice to finish the break with a win. Then the second half starts with a critical three game series between the Giants and the D’Backs.
In any case, last night was Lincecum’s night. His first call was to his Dad. He gave the Giants another no-hitter. The seventh one in Giants history. It was needed more than ever, especially when Homer Bailey pitched one against us two weeks ago.
It’s the kind of win that the Giants needed. Not like last year when we came back during the playoffs against the Reds and the Cardinals. This was bigger.
In this case, as fans, we get another memory of another no-hitter and hope that in the second half, things will be better, starting with The Freak coming back to give us more great performances.
Rick Holman
We needed him out there. Bum just pitched the day before and the Twins bashed him around, putting him out after the first inning with eight runs. Eight runs. People on twitter were saying to me, what happened to Bumgarner. In Bum’s case, his pitches were up and the Twins were hitting him. Righetti, being the great pitching coach that he is, somehow managed to settle him down in other games.
Still, the bullpen needed a break. They always do especially when your starter was knocked out early. There was Timmy, ready for the challenge. His pitches were down in the dirt like always, fooling the hitters. He managed to get 12 strikeouts that day, lasting seven innings. Bert Blyleven took out a moment from his circle this routine in the crowd and stopped by our booth, saying Wow to Kuip and Kruk.
That year, Tim was 13-14, but the record is of course deceiving because the Giants never gave their pitchers their run support. Little did we know that things would never be the same after that.
No point in going over the past. We all know what happened. We came up with reasons for it. In the end, when the Giants made it to the playoffs and the World Series, The Freak was in the bullpen. It wasn’t like 2010 when he was there and part of the misfits. There he was in game one against the Phillies and Doc Holliday. There was the mental error where he walked a runner back to third. He was a big reason that we won the World Series.
Two years made a big difference for both pitchers now. In Lincecum’s case, it seemed like the hitters had figured him out. He lost his velocity. He couldn’t fool the hitters anymore. Pitchers like Curt Schilling were saying that he needs to become a different pitcher.
Tim wouldn’t have any of that. He was out there. It was tough to be patient. Even when he won - and it was because of the Giants hitters - there was Righetti, telling him to take the win and move on. There would be other days.
As a Giants fan, it was hard to watch. There were many times that we cheered him on and didn’t get on him, because we wanted to see the days of Lincecum doing what he does best. It wasn’t happening and it seemed that he was destined for a permanent place in the bullpen, just like other pitchers such as Dennis Eckersley.
Instead, last night was a night that we needed the Freak the most. Our GM had said that there would be no moves or any quick fixes. We couldn’t afford to give up our future. Then came the meltdown. If that wasn’t enough, Matt Cain, who was the leader last year, came out after the first inning against the Mets. The meltdown was completed and all the rumors cropped in that the Giants would be sellers and we may see Hunter Pence and Lincecum on other teams.
Yet, there was the Freak, striking out 13 and walking four, getting batters out the way he always did. We held our breath during the 6th inning and by that time, Timmy was at 100 pitches. Could he even go another three innings?
If that wasn’t enough, there was the Panda, making plays at third that you would see from the great ones such as Brooks Robinson and Graig Nettles. There was the catch by Hunter Pence, diving to stop a single that seemed like it was going to drop.
Still, the verdict is out. Zito is on the mound and it would be nice to finish the break with a win. Then the second half starts with a critical three game series between the Giants and the D’Backs.
In any case, last night was Lincecum’s night. His first call was to his Dad. He gave the Giants another no-hitter. The seventh one in Giants history. It was needed more than ever, especially when Homer Bailey pitched one against us two weeks ago.
It’s the kind of win that the Giants needed. Not like last year when we came back during the playoffs against the Reds and the Cardinals. This was bigger.
In this case, as fans, we get another memory of another no-hitter and hope that in the second half, things will be better, starting with The Freak coming back to give us more great performances.
Rick Holman