Tim Lincecum

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Timothy Leroy Lincecum (LIN-s?-kum, born June 15, 1984) is an American professional baseball pitcher.

He played for Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Francisco Giants from 2007 to 2015 and also for the Los Angeles Angels in 2016, but as of mid-2019, he had not announced his retirement.

Lincecum was instrumental in the Giants winning three World Series championships over a five-year span.

Lincecum was the team's ace starter in 2010 and 2014, winning the Babe Ruth Award in 2010 as the most valuable player of the MLB postseason. Lincecum played college baseball at the University of Washington after attending Liberty Senior High School in Renton, Washington.

He pleaded for the Washington Huskies in 2006 after winning the Golden Spikes Award.

Lincecum was the first Washington Husky to be selected in the first round of an MLB Draft that year, when the San Francisco Giants selected him tenth overall. Nicknamed "The Freak" for his ability to produce strong pitches from his athletic but thin frame, he pitched for three years in a row from 2008 to 2010, as well as in 2009, winning the National League in strikeouts and strikeouts per nine innings pitched, assisting Lincecum in winning their first two complete seasons.

He has competed in four straight All-Star Games from 2008 to 2011.

Lincecum pitched the first Petco Park no-hitter against the San Diego Padres in 2013.

He matched his feat last year by tossing no-hitters against the same team in a row. Lincecum's 1,736 career strikeouts are the fifth most strikeouts by a pitcher with more strikeouts than innings pitched, behind Hall of Famers Nolan Ryan, Pedro Martnez, Randy Johnson, and Sandy Koufax.

Lincecum is one of only two pitchers in MLB history to win multiple World Series titles, multiple Cy Young Awards, throw multiple no-hitters, and be in multiple All-Star Games, the other being Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax.

Early life

Rebecca Asis, Lincecum's mother, is the daughter of Filipino immigrants. Chris Hughes, his father, worked at Boeing. Tim was drafted early in order to ensure his father would not have to work. Chris helped his son refine his pitching technique, filming his experiments and games, and analyzing the footage from the age of four. Lincecum attended Liberty Senior High School in the Issaquah School District, where he spent two seasons of varsity baseball. He was named the state's Player of the Year and led his team to the 2003 Kingco Athletic Conference championship as a senior. Lincecum was chosen by the Chicago Cubs in the 48th round (1,408th overall) of the 2003 Major League Baseball (MLB) draft, but he did not sign, opting to attend the University of Washington instead.

Lincecum was named the Pact Pitcher of the Year for the Washington Huskies in 2004 and 2006. On re-entering the draft in 2005, he was selected by the Cleveland Indians in the 42nd round (1,261st overall). He did not sign again, turning down a $700,000 signing bonus. He ended 2006 with a 12–4 win-loss record and a 1.94 earned run average (ERA), 199 strikeouts, and three saves in 125+13 innings. He was the winner of the 2006 Golden Spikes Award, which is given annually to the best amateur baseball player.

Lincecum played collegiate summer baseball for the Cape Cod Baseball League's Harwich Mariners. He was voted a league all-star for Harwich and set a 2–2 record, knocking out 68 batters in 39 innings, breaking out 68 batters in 39 innings.

Personal life

Lincecum, while with the Giants, lived in San Francisco's Mission District neighborhood, steps away from the old Seals Stadium site. He was in Seattle during the off-season. He has owned a Paradise Valley, Arizona, home to the artist. Cy is a French bulldog.

Lincecum was named as the most beloved San Francisco sports figure since Joe Montana in 2014 by the Sacramento Bee. He is an unlikely figure to have reached the pinnacle of his sport, owing to his "small size" and unorthodox pitching method, which the Bee believes represents the Giants' triumph. "Now and forever" is Fox Sports's 2014 designation of him as a "local legend and crowd favorite." Lincecum was referred to as "the Freak" by his University of Washington teammates because of his athletic ability and his ability to make strong pitches from his athletic but small physique. During his time with the team, Giants fans continued to refer to him as the moniker.

A police officer in Washington pulled Lincecum over for speeding on October 30, 2009, discovering the pitcher with 3.3 grams (0.12 oz) of marijuana, which was still illegal under state law at the time. In November, he was arrested for marijuana use.

Lincecum first appeared in a 2010 This is SportsCenter commercial. In it, he attempted to record a voicemail greeting on his phone, reminding callers that they had reached "The Freak," "The Freaky Brand," and "Big Time Timmy Jim." "No one calls me that," he was dissatisfied with each attempt, particularly the last. He finally decided to record one beginning with the words "This is Tim Lincecum," only to be interrupted by Karl Ravech walking by and saying, "Hey, Big Time Timmy Jim!"

Sean Lincecum's brother died at the age of 37 in 2018.

Cristin Coleman, Lincecum's wife, was both a school teacher and principal. She died of cancer in June 2022 at the age of 38.

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Professional career

Lincecum was drafted tenth overall by the San Francisco Giants in 2006, making him the first player from the University of Washington to be selected in the first round. His $2.025 million signing bonus was, at the time, the most the company had ever paid to an amateur athlete.

Lincecum made his professional debut in 2006 with the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes of the Single-A Short Season Northwest League in the Single-A's Short Season Northwest League. He was rated as the No. 1 prospect in baseball and the top prospect in the San Francisco Giants organization by Baseball America for 2007. Lincecum is a difficult opponent to face, according to Colorado Rockies prospect Ian Stewart, who said, "You can't see the ball at all until it's right on top of you." It gets on you real fast...Guys on our team have said he's the hardest guy they've ever encountered. Lincecum spent the first month of the season pitching for the Fresno Grizzlies, the Giants' Triple-A affiliate in the Pacific Coast League. With only one run, 12 hits, and 11 walks, he allowed only one run, 12 hits, and 11 walks in 31 innings over five starts with the Grizzlies, going 4–0. Lincecum had the best success in any minor league pitcher in ten years during his 2006 and 2007 minor league campaigns, with a ratio of 30.9%.

The Giants called Lincecum up to make his first major league appearance against the Philadelphia Phillies on May 6, 2007, after starter Russ Ortiz suffered an inflamed elbow. In his first innings, Lincecum struck out three batters, the first being Chase Utley.

Lincecum defeated the Rockies five days later in their first major league victory. On May 17 and 22, he got his next two starts against the Houston Astros. Mike Lamb, Astros third baseman, said, "The stuff he was throwing out tonight was all he's excited about being." With motion, he was 97 mph (156 km/h). You just don't get it every day. When compared to and out-dueled him throughout the night, he pitched pretty much like the pitcher he is." Lincecum pitched eight innings and won the second time after recording a no decision in the first game.

Lincecum was 4–0 on July with a 1.62 ERA. In a 13–0 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on July 1, he had 12 strikeouts and allowed only three hits. Lincecum led the Cubs in the ninth inning for the first time on August 21. He had just two hits and one walk through the first eight innings while only throwing 88 pitches. "He's got electric stuff," Cubs shortstop Ryan Theriot said after the game. This is the best stuff I've seen all year."

Lincecum was suspended in September as a precaution due to the fact that he had pitched in his first full year of professional baseball. In the 2007 season, he pitched 177-13 innings in the minors and majors.

Lincecum was asked by the Giants not to throw bullpen sessions like the ones other pitchers use during the off-season. According to Bruce Bochy, the Giants' manager, the team was being cautious with Lincecum because of studies showing that pitchers who throw 200 innings in a season early in their careers are more vulnerable to injury.

Lincecum's first four decisions of the 2008 season were won from April 2 to April 24. Lincecum struck out ten Astros in six innings on May 15, five on May 15. Lance Berkman, the Houston first baseman, expressed his opinion about Lincecum: "He has three almost unhittable pitches...If he throws those off-speed pitches where he wants, you have no chance." Conor Jackson, the first baseman for the Diamondbacks, gave his impression of facing Lincecum on May 27. No doubt, but that was the best arm I've seen all year." You've got to almost hit a ball right down the middle. You're going to pop the ball at your bellybutton tonight, and the one down, at 98 mph (158 km/h), so you don't want to pile in too much good wood on it. And the ones in the middle are due for 98. He's a good guy."

Lincecum was on the cover of Sports Illustrated's July 7, 2008 issue. He had been chosen for his first All-Star Game, but he was unable to participate because he was hospitalized the day before due to flu-like symptoms. He struck out 13 batters in seven innings against the Diamondbacks on July 26, but gave him seven hits, two earned runs, and no walks.

Lincecum pitched his first major league shutout against the San Diego Padres on September 13. He threw 138 pitches, gave up four runs, and struck out 12 batters in nine innings. On September 23, the Rockies struck their 252nd strike out of the season, surpassing Jason Schmidt's 2004 single-season strikeout record. Lincecum was the first San Francisco pitcher to win the National League (NL) strikeout title and the first Giant to do so since Bill Voiselle in 1944. Lincecum has won 18 games and lost just five. Lincecum was given the NL Cy Young Award on November 11, 2008, making him the second Giant (after Mike McCormick in 1967) to win the award. He came in 23nd in the NL Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award voting for the third year.

Lincecum won six in a row before losing his first decision of 2009 against the Padres on April 12, but not losing again until June 17. Lincecum was the fastest Giants' pitcher to reach 500 strikeouts over the Washington Nationals' Cristian Guzmán on June 2nd. He went 4–1 with a 1.38 ERA and pitched three complete games in his six games in June. Lincecum was named the month's NL Pitcher of the Month for June on July 3. Matt Cain, a fellow Giants starter, was selected to the NL All-Star Team. In the NL's eventual 4–3 loss, Lincecum started the game, giving two runs (one earned) in two innings pitched.

Lincecum had an 11-three record, with 183 strikeouts, four complete games, and two shutouts since its inception. Lincecum had a streak of 29 innings, the third-longest streak since the Giants moved to San Francisco from New York City prior to the 1958 season. Lincecum pitched a complete game and struck out 16 batters in a 2006 game, beating the Pittsburgh Pirates 4–2 at AT&T Park, the second most in San Francisco history (Schmidt struck out 16 in a 2006 match). Lincecum was named NL Player of the Week on August 3.

Lincecum did not get off to a regular schedule against the Padres on September 8, his first major league appearance was postponed due to back spats. Lincecum had a 15-07 record, 2.48 ERA, and 261 strikeouts in 2009, his highest finish in the league. Lincecum was named NL Pitcher of the Year for the second year in a row following the season. Lincecum received his second Cy Young Award on November 19, barely beating out St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright. In doing so, he became the first pitcher in MLB history to be named Cy Young in each of his first two full seasons. In NL MVP polls, he came in 18th.

Lincecum started the 2010 season with a 5–0 record, with 10 or more strikeouts in three of his first six games. However, he walked five batters in four straight starts from May 15 to May 31. He quit walking so many hitters in June, knocking out ten hitters out of the Baltimore Oriols in a 6–3 win over the Baltimore Oriols.

Lincecum was selected to the NL All-Star Team for the third year in a row. Lincecum was 9–4 with a 3.16 ERA over 116+2/3 innings pitched as of the All-Star break. He beat Houston's Roy Oswalt three times in three months during the season's first half. Both three games were pitchers' duels.

Lincecum had a good outing on September 1 after a downing in August in which he suffered a five-game losing streak. Ubaldo Jiménez, Lincecum, one of the top pitchers in the league, pitched eight innings of one-run ball for his first victory since July 30. In September, he won five games and ended the month 5–1. Lincecum captured the NL strikeout championship for the third year in a row; he also set a new record for the most strikeouts by an MLB pitcher in his first four seasons. Lincecum had a 16-ten record, a 3.43 ERA, and 231 strikeouts in the 2010 regular season.

Lincecum pitched a complete shutout in Game 1 of the NL Division Series (NLDS), beating the Atlanta Braves in his first career postseason game. Lincecum defeated the Phillies 4–3 in Game 1 of the NL Championship Series (NLCS), earning him his second postseason appearance in the NL Championship Series (NLCS). On October 21, the two teams met again in Game 5 in which Lincecum gave up three runs (two earned) over seven wickets but lost in the 4–2 loss. Lincecum was summoned from the bullpen on a day's rest to pitch the bottom of the eighth inning in Game 6 on October 23, with the Giants clinging to a one-run lead. He struck out Jayson Werth before he gave up singles to the next two batters. The runners were stranded to end the eighth, and the Giants won the game 3–2, thus heading to the World Series.

Lincecum committed "brain fart" in Game 1 of the Texas Rangers' series, which was his first inning. Lincecum trapped Michael Young in a rundown between third base and home, with runners at first and third base and one out. Lincecum, on the other hand, kept the ball himself rather than threatening Young to the bag, allowing Young to scamper back safely. A double play helped him finish the game with just one run scoring, and although he ran into trouble in the next inning, Texas only managed to score one more run. The Giants tied the game in the third and then added six runs in the sixth, giving the lead until Lincecum allowed two more runs in the sixth and departed. In an eventual 11-7 win, he took the lead. Lincecum started Game 5 with the Giants leading the series three games to a close on November 1st. He had 10 strikeouts in eight innings while giving up only three hits en route to a 3–1 victory. The win brought an end to the Giants' 56-year absence between World Series championships and the first baseball world championship to San Francisco.

Lincecum struck out twelve New York Mets on May 4, a franchise record holder for most games pitched with 10 or more strikeouts. Lincecum's total number of 29 games exceeded Hall of Fame "first five" inaugural member Christy Mathewson. Though Mathewson played in 551 games in a span of 17 seasons, Lincecum played in 29 games in 129 starts over five seasons. San Francisco defeated 3–0 on May 21, and he delivered a three-hit shutout against the Oakland Athletics. On June 6, he defeated Jerry Hairston Jr. of the Nationals in his 1,000th strikeout of his career.

Lincecum ended the 2011 season with a 13-14 record, despite having the fourth-lowest ERA in the NL (2.74), which included a second-half ERA of 2.31. Lincecum's so-so win-loss record was largely due to his receiving the worst run support in the major leagues; in ten of his outings, the Giants scored no runs or fewer in 21 of them, making Lincecum one of the only six pitchers in modern major league history to have at least 200 strikeouts, a losing record, and the lowest ERA in seven runs.

Lincecum has reportedly turned down San Francisco's bid for a five-year, $100 million contract extension before the 2012 season. He signed a two-year, $40.5 million contract with the Giants in January 2012, making him eligible for free agency after the 2013 season.

Lincecum's career started in 2012 with a downturn. After winning back-to-back games against the Los Angeles Dodgers on June 22, he lost six decisions in a row, not winning again until he threw seven shutout innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers on June 22. He had a 3–10 record and a 6.42 ERA at the All-Star break.

Lincecum, on the other hand, made a good run in the second half of the season, winning seven out of his last 12 decisions and posting a 3.83 ERA. He pitched eight shutout innings and struck out 11 in his first game since the All-Star break. In the 9th inning, Santiago Casilla gave up two runs, but the Giants defeated 3-2. He ended the season with a 10–15 record and 190 strikeouts. Lincecum led the league in losses (15) and wild pitches (17, the highest total in MLB), with 190 strikeouts being ranked 10th-best in the NL. His season's ERA was nearly doubled over the year before.

Lincecum was used as a relief pitcher in the postseason, with the Giants only needing four starters for the playoffs. Lincecum threw two shutout innings against the Cincinnati Reds in Game 2 of the National NLDS, but the Giants would lose 9–0. The Giants defeated Game 4 of the NLDS for the fourth time, with him throwing 4+13 innings of relief and allowing just one run. Bochy decided to start Lincecum in Game 1 of the NLCS against the Cardinals after Lincecum pitched two hitless innings in Game 1 of the NLCS against the Cardinals. Lincecum lost by four runs in 4+2/3 innings in San Francisco's 8–3 loss. The Giants lost three games to one in the series, but they won the next three games, advancing to the World Series for the second time in three years. Lincecum relieved Barry Zito in the sixth inning, taking the last out and throwing two more scoreless innings as the Giants defeated the Detroit Tigers by a score of 8–3. In Game 3's sixth inning of Game 3, Lincecum replaced Ryan Vogelsong with two outs, this time in a 2–0 victory. The Giants won their second title in three seasons.

Lincecum used a conditioning program to increase his coordination during the 2012 offseason. As he set a 10.57 ERA in spring training, his results in spring training in 2013 was lackluster. To start the season, Cain and Madison Bumgarner were both ahead of him in the rotation. Lincecum no-hit the Padres 9–0 at Petco Park on July 13, the first no-hitter to ever pitch in the Padres and the first of his career. When tossing a career-high 148 pitches, he struck out 13 batters and walked four. Lincecum had a losing record (5–9) in the first half of his season, but his 4.26 ERA was lower than it had been in the first half of 2012 (6.42).

Lincecum's average was 4.54 in the second half of the 2013 season, but the Giants' bullpen had astonishly high 12 earned runs to Lincecum. Lincecum won 10-14 with a 4.37 ERA in 2013, taking out 193 in 197+2/3 innings. He had 1,510 strikeouts by the year's end, the third-most strikeouts by a pitcher in his first seven years (behind Tom Seaver's 1,655 and Bert Blyleven's 1,546). Lincecum signed a two-year, $35 million deal, which barred him from becoming a free agent.

Lincecum dropped to fourth in the Giants rotation in 2014, after Tim Hudson joining the Giants in 2014. Lincecum struck out 11 out of 7+2/3 one-run innings as the Giants defeated the Braves 4–2. On May 28, he had a no-hitter against the Cubs but was dismissed after five innings partially because of a blister on his middle finger. The no-hitter lasted until the seventh, when John Baker struck Jeremy Affeldt on the Giants' head but the Giants defeated 5–0. Lincecum pitched his tenth complete game and second straight no-hitter on June 25, his tenth complete game and second in career. It was his second straight hit against the Padres and the third no-hitter in AT&T Park's brief history. Lincecum's second no-hit performance against the Padres was his second in Major League history to throw two no-hitters against the same team (joining Hall of Fame Addie Joss) and the first to do it in back-to-back seasons. In the 14th inning of a game between the Giants and the Philadelphia Phillies, Lincecum inherited runners at second base and third base with just one out. Lincecum's final two runners outst a third running runner. Lincecum made the save and became the fifth pitcher since 1976 to pitch a no-hitter and record a save in the same season, with Matt Garza, Chris Bosio, Jerry Reuss, and John Candelaria.

Lincecum was moved in the Giants' rotation by Yusmeiro Petit after posting a 9.49 ERA in six games from July 25 to August 23. Bochy said that the move would only be for one start, but Lincecum would spend the remainder of the season in the bullpen. Lincecum threw two pitches, including retiring Alexi Amarista, to end the seventh inning, then became the pitcher of record as the Giants took the lead in the seventh inning on September 25. In a 9–8 victory over the Padres at AT&T Park in his 100th game in his career, he won his 100th game. He played in 33 games (but only 26 starts) and had a 12–9 record, a 4.74 ERA, and 134 strikeouts in 155+2nd innings pitched.

Lincecum was the only player on the Giants' 25-man roster who was not used during the NLDS and the NLCS. He made his appearance in Game 2 of the 2014 World Series against the Kansas City Royals, starting at the bottom of the seventh inning and retiring all five batters he faced. Lincecum had a weaker back toe in the eighth inning and ended the game in the eighth inning. He did not pitch again in the series, but the Giants defeated the Royals in seven games, giving Lincecum his third World Series championship of his career.

Lincecum battered their way to a 2–2 record, a 2.40 ERA, 20 strikeouts, and 11 walks in 30 innings pitched through May 3, 2015. In a victory over the Los Angeles Angels on May 3, he threw eight shutout innings before tying out eight over six shutout innings in a victory over the Miami Marlins on May 8. Lincecum pitched seven shutout innings and claimed fourth place on the Giants all-time career strikeouts list on May 20, defeating the Dodgers by 4–0. Lincecum was injured in his pitching elbow with a line drive off DJ LeMahieu's bat and left the game with a bruised wrist. In July, he was diagnosed with a degenerative disease in both hips and was given cortisone shots. Lincecum underwent season-ending hip surgery on September 3 while still not having pitched since June 27. He was 7-4 with a 4.13 ERA and 60 strikeouts. He became a free agent after the season.

Lincecum committed to the Los Angeles Angels for one year and $2.5 million on May 20, 2016. On May 22, he was recalled to the Triple-A Salt Lake Bees of the PCL for a rehabilitation assignment. Lincecum earned a victory in his Angels debut on June 18, after being called up to start in Oakland. Nevertheless, he would only win one more game for the Angels this season, yielding five runs (three earned) in five innings on July 19, which was 8–6 over the Rangers. On August 5, he faced the Seattle Mariners for nine runs and six runs in 3+13 innings, taking the loss in the 6–4 loss. Lincecum was scheduled for deployment the next day, and he chose Salt Lake over August 9. Despite the fact that major league rosters increased from 25 to 40 players in September, the Angels decided not to recall Lincecum. With a 6.1 ERA and a 2–6 record in his major league career, he had a 9.16 ERA, allowing 68 hits and 23 walks over 38+13 innings pitched. In seven starts with the Bees, he had a 0-3 record and a 3.76 ERA. After the season, he became a free agent.

Lincecum has signed a one-year deal with the Texas Rangers on March 7, 2018. Jon Daniels, Rangers' general manager, said the team planned to use him as a relief pitcher. Lincecum started the season on the 60-day disabled list after suffering a blister in his right middle finger during spring training. He made ten appearances for the Round Rock Express of the PCL from 1965 to 2012, a 5.68 ERA and walking nine batters in 12+23 innings. On June 5, 2018, he was released by the Rangers.

Lincecum was on hand for Bochy's last game as the team's boss in September 2019. Lincecum admitted that he had not officially retired from baseball and was "trying to move." "I think the hardest part of being out of college was getting to know who I was after baseball," he said. "I haven't even attempted it completely."

Career highlights

Lincecum was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame class of 2022 on November 22, 2021.

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