“That’s why his hair’s so big. It’s full of secrets.”
Tim Lincecum emerged onto the Major League Baseball scene as a scrawny 23-year-old out of the University of Washington. Off the top of my head, I think he measured in at about 5’11”/150.
The biggest thing about him was his reputation and his hair.
Tim, often known as “The Freak” or “The Franchise,” had secrets to his pitching style that hitters just could not figure out. This became evident early in his career when he reeled off two straight Cy Young awards in his first two full seasons in the big leagues.
Timmy had a poor year last year, one that saw him performing so badly that he was shunted off to the bullpen. He salvaged his season with a couple of strong performances in the postseason that saw the Giants grabbing their second World Series championship in three years.
This upcoming season will be the last of his two-year contract, and thus, The Franchise is pitching to remain The Franchise. If he is to get an offer that he wants, he will need to pitch well. Which means he will need to change everything he was doing last year.
By the end of the 2011 season, his weight went up about 30 or 40 pounds (not all muscle) which was not good for his motion. I read an article when Timmy was just getting big (figuratively) in the majors, and an interview with his father talking about all the mechanics of the Freak’s pitching motion.
Every single movement is tailored to Lincecum’s specific body type, and his dad would get mad when people tried to change his delivery.
I’ve already heard people complain that Timmy’s haircut will change him. He won’t be the same two-time-Cy-Young-Award-winning-“let Timmy Smoke”-cursing-during-his-interview-after-winning-the-2010-NL-West Timmy.
Well, if voluminous hair makes a good ballplayer, then I choose either Rapunzel or James P. Sullivan to be on my team. Or Brian Wilson’s beard (I guess if Brian Wilson himself comes along with the beard, then I’ll take him as well).
I know I just talked about Lincecum’s pitching motion and how the slightest change could throw him out of order, but I wouldn’t extend the same rule to his hair.
Lincecum was just as dominant of a pitcher before he had his long hair (reference: roster picture from when he went to University of Washington). The thing about Timmy’s appearance is that he looks like a kid no matter how long his hair is.
Revamped with a haircut and a very humbling 2012 season that saw his team win the World Series virtually without him, I’m excited to see what the Freak can produce this year. The days that he is pitching still bring in the biggest crowds.
Even if Lincecum falls apart again this season due to his haircut and he doesn’t get a big contract, at least he won’t have to spend much money on shampoo.
So everyone: please excuse Timmy for cutting his hair. He may look more like someone you’ll see in the library than the rebellious teenager you want him to be, but hey, if it brings back the two-time Cy Young Award-winning pitching from his 10-15 record that included a 5.18 earned-run average, I don’t care how much of his hair he keeps or cuts off.
Jeremy Lin was at the Davis In-N-Out on Saturday night? Next time, notify MATTHEW YUEN at sports@theaggie.org promptly.
