Remember Tim Linceum? Affectionately known as “The Freak” because of his whacky delivery? The two-time Cy Young Award Winner, four-time All-Star and three-time World Series Champion? It might be hard to remember that Tim Lincecum. After all, from 2012 onward Lincecum has had more than forgettable seasons in a Giants uniform. There were the injuries, the degenerative hip, lack of command and velocity on his fastball, and ultimate failure. And then, for the start of the 2016 season, he was back in an Angels uniform.
The audition to see if Lincecum could recapture his old magic has come to an end in Los Angeles. It was announced that the Angels were designating him for assignment, and if no team claimed him off the waiver wire he would report to the minor leagues. Or he could reject the assignment and return to free agency. While his struggles in recent years have been prolific for someone of his caliber and track record, this year was an altogether different struggle.
The 32-year-old pitched to a 9.16 earned run average in nine starts. That’s not just bad. That’s awful. In 38 1/3 innings he has given up 39 total earned runs. He’s surrendered 68 hits in those innings, along with 11 home runs. The 32 strikeouts are impressive enough for someone whose fastball barely tops out at 90 mph, but the 23 walks in under 40 innings pitched has shown a lack of command. He still has the quirky delivery, but with so many moving parts it’s been hard for him to find consistency in his windup. He’s averaged 5.4 walks per nine innings this year.
What happens next is for Lincecum to decide. The Angels hope he will accept the assignment to the minors to flush out the mechanical issues and regain his control. Gone are the days where he could back up a 97 mph fastball with a power changeup, but it seems he has yet to master the art of pitching with decreased velocity. Then again he is 32 years old, and his body has suffered a lot in the grind that is the life of a professional baseball player.
Over his entire 10 year career, Lincecum’s numbers still remain more than respectable. His record is 110-89, with a 3.74 ERA and 1,736 strikeouts in 1,682 innings. There’s still a lot of good to remember him by. Four All-Star appearances, three World Series rings, two Cy Young Awards, and two no-hitters.
That’s a career that many people would kill for.
