He’s got a style all his own. He’s a full-bore guy who’s got every pitch, who looks like he’s trying to protect a one-run lead in the bottom of the ninth. He’s a competitor. He comes after you, and he can only get better. The kid’s got a great future.”

There’s observation, and then there’s experience talking. That quote was the latter. Charlie Silvera, six-time World Series champion, San Francisco native, and current Chicago Cubs scout who backed up catcher Yogi Berra during the New York Yankees dynasty, reflected on the San Francisco Giants sophomore sensation, Tim Lincecum, during a warm and sun-splashed April afternoon at AT&T Park.

“If anyone gets a chance to see him pitch,” he continued, “you better come out and watch him because he’s that impressive.”

Silvera is joined in his enthusiasm for the flame-thrower by fans, teammates and opponents alike.
After each game Lincecum pitches, Internet comment boards light up like Christmas trees. When the 23-year-old right-hander pitched seven scoreless innings against the high-powered St. Louis Cardinals on April 19, running his record to 3-0 with a 1.57 ERA, Giants fans weighed in: “Is cloning legal in this country yet?”

“Think about how good he’ll be when he can shave. Don’t trade him ever!”

“TimLin killed it today. Giants ownership, pay him Zito money and don’t look back.”

Lincecum backed the St. Louis performance up with another win (4-0) against the San Diego Padres on April 24, striking out nine and extending his scoreless streak to 16 1-3 innings while lowering his ERA to 1.23.

Giants announcer Mike Krukow, a former All-Star with the Giants, and usually an energetic guy to begin with, got really excited talking about the prodigy.

“Every time he goes out there,” he gushed, “we’re thinking we may see a no-hitter, or something special.”

This month marks the one-year anniversary of Lincecum’s call-up from the Triple-A Fresno Grizzlies, where he destroyed the fabled Pacific Coast League, going 4-0 with a 0.29 ERA in five starts. That’s not a misprint.

Lincecum debuted in San Francisco against Philadelphia on May 6, 2007, on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball with a dramatic flair that had fans dizzy with anticipation. His first four major-league pitches to Jimmy Rollins registered 97, 98, 97 and 96 mph. Rollins, who went on to become the 2007 MVP of the National League, singled on the fourth pitch. Shane Victorino followed with a two-run homer.

Though small in stature by Major League standards at 5-foot-11 and 165 pounds, Lincecum hadn’t reached that point of his career by being soft. He proceeded to strike out the side, and has been throwing gas ever since.

“He was throwing 98, 99 [mph],” Phillies’ slugger Ryan Howard said that day. “He had a great hammer, too. Once he figures out how to use it, he’s going to be deadly.”

Mr. Howard, Lincecum has learned.

The Giants rookie tied for fifth in the National League in strikeouts (150) last season, and finished second in strikeouts per nine innings (9.23), behind only NL Cy Young Winner Jake Peavy (9.49).
Lincecum has a few trophies for his mantelpiece as well.

He led his high school team, the Liberty Patriots (Renton, Wash.) to the 3A state championship in 2003, and was named Washington Gatorade Player of the Year.

“I went from throwing 83 [mph] to 87, 88 as a junior in high school,” Lincecum recalled. “That was a big jump for me, and I thought maybe I could get a scholarship.”

Lincecum stayed home for college and earned Collegiate Baseball first-team All-American honors his junior year at the University of Washington, as well as the 2006 Golden Spikes Award as collegiate baseball’s top player. He was the first player ever to be named both Pac-10 Freshman of Year and Pac-10 Pitcher of the Year in 2004. Lincecum leads the Pac-10, home to pitching immortals such as Tom Seaver, Randy Johnson and Trevor Hoffman, in all-time strikeouts with 491 career whiffs.

The strikeout is what separates the men from the boys, and Lincecum, nicknamed “Franchise” by his impressed teammates, not only gets them, but does so by mixing speeds in the 90s, 80s and 70s.
Giants broadcaster Jon Miller has been calling baseball games since working for the 1974 Oakland A’s championship team. He’s been the voice of ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball since 1990, and the primary broadcaster for the Giants the last 11 years. The man knows baseball.

“I really enjoy pitchers who have a unique style, a little charisma on the mound,” Miller articulated. “I used to love to watch Juan Marichal as a kid because he was ballet in motion out there with the high leg kick. Sandy Koufax was the quintessential stylish left-hander – so smooth he was almost elegant. And Lincecum is in that mold. He’s got the exaggerated body twist, and then the ball just explodes out of his hand.

“He’s fun – an in-your-face-type pitcher who will challenge hitters, and then blow them away. That’s exciting.

“Greg Maddox is sort of the antithesis of that – one of the best pitchers of all-time, certainly a top pitcher in his generation, but almost boring to watch unless you’re another pitcher or a pitching coach, because nothing ever happened. Each hitter’s only up there one, two pitches, hitting little dribblers in front of the plate, one-knockers back to the pitcher, or popping it up… and it’s like y-a-w-n.

“But you get the big strikeout guys out there … if Randy Johnson was pitching it’s like, ooooh, he blew another one away. That is the case with Tim Lincecum. He’s appointment viewing, especially if you are a Giants fan.”

Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Eric Byrnes concurred, “He’s filthy. Not only does he have great velocity, but the ball moves from one side of the plate all the way to the other. Theoretically, he can start it well off the plate away, and have it run back over to a right-hand hitter. He throws the ball and it looks like a fastball away, and the next thing you know it’s in on your hands. He’s got a good off-speed pitch, great curve … he’s one of the best young pitchers in the game, without a doubt.” Added Krukow, “My impression of him is he’s one of the most exciting arms in baseball because he’s got the proverbial electric stuff. Last year we saw him, he was a fastball, curve ball guy; two unbelievably great pitches. And now he’s got three. The change-up is better than the curve ball, and he can abuse big-league hitters – and he’ll do it the third time through. And that tells you right now, that’s great stuff. “

Even as the Giants are celebrating their 50th year in the Bay Area, the team is no longer defined by the past. Barry Bonds? Gone. The almost-World Series title in ‘02? Ancient history.

In 2008, it’s all about looking forward – and Tim Lincecum is the future.

He’s not the biggest guy in the clubhouse, not the loudest, the brashest, or the most publicized. But he is the hope of the San Francisco Giants.

  “From my standpoint,” Lincecum admitted, “there’s always been a lot of people out there talking about how I can’t do this or can’t do that because of my size. I would say, don’t let anybody ever tell you that you can’t do anything.  If you want it, you can make it happen, if you believe in yourself.”
E-mail: michael@northsidesf.com