MLB Profile: Tim Lincecum - the perfect pitcher
Baseball is more popular for the batters than the pitcher but no one can deny the importance of the pitcher in a real sports activity being played in US since eighteenth century. There have come many mind-blowing pitchers, the head breaker fast throwers
and earthquake producers in the Major League Baseball.
One of the strongest and reliable pitchers is a San Francisco Giants’ Tim Lincecum. He was born on June 15, 1984 in Bellevue. His interest towards sports forced his parents to let him take part in every sports activity held at the school. He expressed his
pure skills in baseball and when he stayed at Liberty Senior High School, he impressed everyone playing for Varsity baseball.
His class came into lime-light right from the start of his career as he led the Patriots to win 3A state championship with his extra ordinary performance. The same year he won Washington’s Gatorade Player of Year award. He proved him becoming the first ever
pitcher to be nominated both for Pac-10 Freshman of the Year and Pac-10 pitcher of the year in 2004.
Showing such a notable exhibition and getting a graduation degree, Lincecum moved to University of Washington. Before playing for the University, he landed in the mound for the Harwich Mariners and Cape Cod Baseball League. He put together a brilliant summer
with the Cape Cod League and managed to get Baseball America Summer All-America awards.
He led his career with an impressive season in 2006, getting 2-0 with excellent 1.71 ERA in eight starts playing for Salem-Keizer and Single-A San Jose. He made just two starts for Salem-Keizer before elevated to San Jose on August 5, 2006.
In the same year, the San Francisco Giants drafted him in the first round for $2-million dollars. He was the first player of the University of Washington to be drafted in the first round and was also the first player to get such contract money in his amateur
season.
A right-hand ball thrower completed the season with a 12-4 record with a 1.94 ERA and struck-out 199 batters in 125 and 1/3 innings while playing for the Washington Huskies. After a tremendous performance, he was declared as the Nation’s second best amateur
prospect by Baseball America. He also won his first club All-America accolades in 2006.
He made an impressive rookie year in 2007. He made his debut on May 6, 2007 against the Philadelphia Phillies. Giants lost this game by 8-5 after Lincecum received no-decision. However, he finished this year with 7-5 with a 4.00 ERA and 150 strikeouts over
24 starts. He tossed at least six innings in 18 of 24 starts. His 150 strike-outs were the fourth highest record by a rookie in the San Francisco Giants history.
Lincecum extended his strength to maximum in the 2008 year, as he became the first Giants to get CY Young Awards since 1967. Besides him, Dwight Gooden of New York Mets (1985), Bret Saberhagen of Kansas City Royals (1985) and Fernando Valenzuela of the Los
Angeles Dodgers (1981) were only three other pitchers, who won CY Young Award on their rookie season. He also made 265 strike-outs in 34 games to lead the Major League. He also became the ninth Giants to record more the 200 strike-outs in single season since
1900. Holding the batters to the lowest averages, Lincecum led the ML allowing only .221 batting averages. He tossed third highest innings in National League.
He did not stop his crushing pitching and won the second CY Young award in 2009. Although he became the first pitcher to win this award in his first three seasons, his 15 wins were the fewest of any CY young Winner. Wining the honour at the age of 25, Lincecum
was the third pitcher to get CY young award at such a low age. He led the National for the second straight time with 261 strike-outs and occupied the second place allowing .206 batting averages. He won 15 games with 2.48 ERA in 32 games. In the same year,
he became the Player of the Week on April 8 and became the Pitcher of the month in June.
He carried his form in the 2010, made 16 wins with 3.43 ERA in 33 starts, and led the National League for the third time with taking 231 strike-outs. However, his overall performance in this season dropped little as he dropped to eleventh position in AL
pitching 212 and 1/3 innings. His allowed batting averages dropped to .242 and his winning rank slumped to sixth with 3.43 ERA. Since he started his real season in 2008, the right-hand hurler and left-hand batter managed to enter his name in all All-Star selections.
The gritty pitcher is showing his class in the current season and with an ability to grab the whole opposition in one inning, Lincecum can become one of the strongest pitchers of MLB.
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