Results tagged ‘ Tim Lincecum ’
Freak show
The guy’s kind of a freak, and his hair’s getting a little out of control, flowing out like a big, black mane behind him.
Oh, yeah, Manny Ramirez, too. But we’re talking about The Freak. That’s Tim Lincecum, and he’s starting to find his groove a bit, too.
The two didn’t have much of a tete-a-tete when they met for the first time Wednesday night, but each flew his freak flag just fine, one letting the ‘locks flow, the other letting the mullet grow. And, for both, the f-word is used for good baseball reasons — they’re crazy good.
Now, whether Lincecum can match last year and win a second consecutive Cy Young, that remains to be seen. But just watching him for a few innings, that talent and that windup and those results … freaky.
Yakyu Haiku
That’s the American tradition of baseball in Japanese, and here’s an Americanized version of a Japanese tradition:
Too many hurdles
For one team in one April –
Halos welcome May
Grind confessional
Boy, having a hard time keeping the Grind going early in the week, so not exactly doing the name justice. Striving to do better, though.
2,430
Stream of consciousness in the wee hours PT between the Sunday opener and Opening Monday, the happiest day in ball:
One down, 161 to go? Nope. One down, 2,429 to go.
CC’s career doesn’t depend on Monday’s start, but it sure will make its mark on it, one way or the other.
Petco Park and Jake Peavy should be enough to contain Manny Ramirez, especially with his self-professed lack of AB’s. But it probably won’t be.
Rays-Red Sox: The new “it” rivalry in baseball.
Predictions: Red Sox over Cubs, Red Sox/Indians/Angels/Rays and Phillies/Cubs/Dodgers/Mets, Sizemore/Sabathia/Francona/Wieters and Manny/Zambrano/Piniella/Schafer.
Line of the spring: “He should put a towel on.” — Randy Johnson, to real Tim Lincecum about video-game Tim Lincecum.
OK, real line of the spring: “One hundred percent. I’d sign up right now. This has been one of the best baseball experiences I’ve had in my career. This is an incredible honor. I’ve had a tremendous amount of fun. I’d recommend it to anybody. If you’d let me sign up right now, I’d do it.” — David Wright on the World Baseball Classic.
What does Opening Day mean to you?
Can’t remember the last time Opening Day got snowed out a day early. White Sox, figures.
The A’s could be this year’s Rays.
The Rays could be this year’s Angels.
The Angels could be this year’s Yankees.
The Yankees could be this year’s Tigers.
The Tigers could be this year’s Giants.
The Giants could be this year’s Brewers.
The Brewers could be this year’s Indians.
The Indians could be this year’s Red Sox.
The Red Sox could be this year’s Phillies.
Whoa.
March Madness? How about April Awesomeness — 12 straight hours of ball on the tube or streamed on the laptop?
Dang. Only 2,429 to go.
Yakyu Haiku
That’s the American tradition of baseball in Japanese, and here’s an Americanized version of a Japanese tradition:
Lowe blow in Philly,
Braves hammer it in April –
Only one game though
Grind Confessional
Yikes, The Grind did go on hiatus for a few days (again with the false advertising up top, oy). But it’s that time of year when it’s more important to get set up for every day in the regular season, right? Uh, right. Anyway, back to the Grind, and ready for 2009, all official-like. And after Opening Monday, it’ll start in earnest with Tony Gwynn Day on Tuesday — explanation pending there.
Unit + Freak = Minor nightmare
This news out of Giants camp Thursday: This weekend, both Randy Johnson and Tim Lincecum will pitch in Minor League games rather than regular Cactus League action.
One word: Mean.
How tough is that, man? You’re a Minor Leaguer in your final weeks of getting slotted to a team or keeping your spot or just staying alive in the organization, and they throw 70-80 pitches of Unit or Freak at you?
Not fair. Mean. Rotten.
Ah, of course, they’ll get through it — not every Minor Leaguer gets to face the reigning Cy Young winner, or a five-time winner on the cusp of 300. Good for ‘em, make hair grow on their chest.
The bonus for the Giants — or actually the real reason behind all this — is that by sending them to the Minor League games, they won’t be facing Major League opponents they’ll be seeing in a short time once the season starts. So a little less exposure, and still getting in the same work.
That’s actually more Buck Showalter or Clint Hurdle than Bruce Bochy to play the gamesmanship card there. Not like one little exhibition game’s going to make hitters suddenly dominant against these guys, but hey, play your cards.
That the Giants are even feeling sneaky tells you something about how they feel about this season. With those two at the top and Matt Cain and Barry Zito there, along with Jonathan Sanchez and Noah Lowry if healthy, that’s pretty solid stuff on the mound.
Let’s just say it’s no Minor rotation. OK, let’s not. Oops, too late.
Yakyu Haiku
That’s the American tradition of baseball in Japanese, and here’s an Americanized version of a Japanese tradition:
CC, for starters
need an April double-dip –
open and open
Round and round they go again
Wow, baseball games. Say it slower: baaaaasssseball gaaaaaames.
Contests, competitions, ball in hand, ball against bat, ball in glove, runs, hits and errors on the scoreboard, handshakes at the end.
It’s all coming back now, isn’t it?
Funny, you don’t know what you missed till you see it again. With ballgames all over Florida and Arizona, it was back to normal: Baseball’s flying all over the place, fans digging every minute. Don’t stop till you get through October. Repeat.
What would a Day 1 without big stars doing their thing? And, finally, that included a blast from A-Rod that involved wood and horsehide, not “substances” and horse-something-else-entirely. And, you know, that swing is a beautiful thing, no matter what you think of the guy right now. Once he gets between the lines, the swing — like what you saw of Tiger Woods on his first day back between the ropes — is pure.
How about Hanley Ramirez going deep? How about Tim Lincecum dealing for an inning? How about the Indians being the ones facing him, and doing it in a new ballpark? And how about the Dodgers playing ball in the desert against the Cubs? What up with that?
So, yeah, plenty of cool stuff on the first day of games.
We now return you to your regularly scheduled grind of baseball games, day after day after day.
Yakyu Haiku
That’s the American tradition of baseball in Japanese, and here’s an Americanized version of a Japanese tradition:
Is there one phrase to
sing in our hearts it’s spring?
Two small words: Play Ball!
Bottom line
Ah, now they’re starting to cook up a Dodgers-Manny reunion. Talking a two-year deal with a player option, meaning it could be a one-year deal if Ramirez so chooses. Let’s just get ‘er done already, huh?
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