"The Freak" - Tim Lincecum

Tim "The Freak" Lincecum

With a nickname like "The Freak", one would conjure up an image of something grotesque, odd or how some people put it, "simply not right." When someone is considered a freak, they most likely are using the term in a negative light, and are usually forlorn from society due to their abnormal appearance. However, in this case, freak is used to describe a pitcher that has fervent pitching mechanics and an attitude to match it, a pitcher who is obdurate to the lack of hits of the opposition, and a pitcher who makes professional baseball players look puerile; he is also known as "The Franchise", but his name is Tim Lincecum. The moniker is attributed to his small frame, 5'11 and 172lbs (78Kilos). What is so befuddling about his stature was his ability, during his college days and rookie years, to reach in the high 90mph's (56kph's) and 100mph's (63kph's) range; reason being, his long stride, and his unconventional mechanics that call upon every inch of his body to generate an optimal output in every throw. Watch his pitching mechanics in slow motion, and it will become evident that he uses his whole body to generate so much velocity in his throws. Consequently, "Timmy" as the San Francisco Giants fans call him, has accrued a copious amount of achievements in his relative infantile career. To name a few - back to back Cy Young Winner in his first two full seasons in the Majors, National League All-Star participant, MLB record in most strikeouts in four seasons, World Series Champion and recently, Franchise record for more games with 10+ strikeouts, surpassing the baseball great, Christy Mathewson.

Hit That!

"The Freak" is a name, given to a man that can do freakish things, when on the mound. He eclipsed Christy Mathewson's franchise record by almost 400 games fewer and around 40 games fewer than who was in second at the time, Jason Schmidt. The irony of the situation is Christy played for the New York Giants, when the Giants were in the east coast, before they moved out to San Francisco; and Timmy broke the record of more games with 10+ strikeouts in New York against the New York Mets by strikeing out 12. What made this day even more remarkable for Timmy was that his pitch count was over than what pitching coach, Dave Righetti, allots him - over 120. He overcame a bad start to the inning, and with his pitching coach counting each and every pitch before he calls on a replacement, Tim struck out the side and gave himself a big '*expletive* yeah', when he came off the mound.

World Series Champion

To further validate the "The Freak" moniker that was bestowed upon Tim Lincecum; after each outing that he has for the 2010 World Series Champions, he does not ice that cannon, in what doctors call an arm. The practice of not icing the pitching arm after an evening of 'fireballs' thrown at the opposition is simply unheard of. If  team managers, team owners, and the fans did not know that Tim Lincecum is a special breed of pitcher whom can only be paralleled to the claims of one Uncle Rico from Napolean Dynamite (in which he states, he can throw a steak over a mountain) than everyone would be worried, but everyone knows, so its nothing to be worried about. The San Francisco Giants fans have a special player on their team that not only is a "Freak" on the mound but a good hearted man, who gave 20,000 USD to the Bryan Stow Foundation; a fan that was critically beaten after a game in Los Angeles against the heated rivals, Dodgers. Every time, Tim Lincecum steps on the mound, the city of San Francisco and the fans feel invincible that their ace will negate any offense that the opposing team might have, and can anticipate to see strikeout after strikeout after strikeout, for that is what "The Freak" is known for. Who would have thought that a man who is 5'11 and 172lbs (78Kilos) would be the anchor to a World Series Club, especially when everyone - the critics, baseball fans, simply everyone, except for the Giants fan base, wrote them off for dead. But what the San Francisco Giants and Tim Lincecum can show them is this (see picture above).

Opening Day For The 2010 World Series Champions

1st since 1954

Before the first game on April 8, 2011 at AT&T Park in San Francisco, California was played, Brian Wilson raised the World Series Championship banner in right center field. For the teams such as the New York Yankees or the Boston Red Sox, raising a World Series banner has become somewhat routine every opening day but for the San Francisco Giants it has never been a routine, because it is their first championship since moving out west in 1954. As for many Giants fan it was a day that they have been dreaming and obsessing about since they moved out west, since they were born, since they became a fan and even for those that aren't fans but are residents of this great city. 

The San Francisco Giants were hosting the St. Louis Cardinals and their All-Star first baseman, Albert Pujols. The Giants had help from their opponent from one of the sure handed defensive players in the entire Major League Baseball, Albert Pujols. Albert dropped the ball on what fans and commentators call a 'routine out', and because of this error, the inning was extended thus giving the Giants more opportunities to win the game. The game went to extra innings with the Giants prevailing on a walk-off hit by Aaron Rowand in the 12th inning. Some Giants fan were probably asking themselves if this really happened again because Rowand was also the player at helm of the victory in extra innings during 2010 season opener, and to answer those fans question: Yes, he did it again!! 

As the saying goes "Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it." But on April 8, 2011, not only did they learn from their recent history, they repeated it with the exception of winning in the 12th not 13th inning. The scenario was the same as the 2010 season opener - two outs, Aaron Rowand makes contact and the winning run scores and the Giants Fans go into a frenzy. If it is going to be another 2010 season, then I have to be able to sustain such torture until the post-season where they were flawless, and eventually became the World Champions. Lets Hope So!!

Complacency in All Levels and Sports

It happens all the time in all levels and sports. It happens in High School Sports, College Sports and even Professional Sports. Yes, athletes that get paid to perform at the highest level get complacent especially when they have reached the pinnacle game or series of their respective sport. It happened to The Texas Rangers when they played The San Francisco Giants in the 2010 World Series. They were projected to win The World Series by many experts but it was obvious that every Ranger was happy to be able to participate in their first World Series in the history of their franchise and seemed like they forgot that a final series still needed to be made in order to be consider champions. However, The San Francisco Giants had the mentality that they were going to achieve a feat that had not been accomplished since the move from New York to San Francisco in the 1950s, in which they did.

It happened again to Butler during the 2011 NCAA Basketball "March Madness" Finals against UCONN, and I could not help but to question Butler's mentality! I understand if a team gets beaten but if a team beats themselves which causes the opponent to come out as victor because of some sort of complacency, then their is a problem. That is what it seemed to happen to Butler, after reaching their second straight NCAA Finals Game. Butler seemed to be content to be in the Finals whereas UCONN seemed the opposite. UCONN had a sense of urgency and knew what the stakes of winning or losing this chance that for some schools is once in a lifetime and it was evident that they were not going to let Butler defeat them more or less beat themselves. In sports, when an opponent gets beaten that usually means that the victor was better prepared/coached and simply imposed their will but when an opponent beats themselves that usually means that the victor was not better but kept their composure, made less mental mistakes and simply wanted to win more than their counterpart. That is what happened at the 2011 NCAA Basketball Finals. UCONN did not beat Butler, Butler beat themselves, thus giving way for UCONN to capture the 2011 Championship. However, this is not the first time a team gets perceived as being complacent in the most important game in their respective sport and levels.

Not to take anything away from anyone because it is an accomplishment to make it to the finals but making it to the finals does not make you a champion, it only gives you a sense of pride saying that your a finalist. Every team has a goal to capture a championship but until that very last game or series is completed, no one is a champion. A champion is crowned once that game or series is completed and the score is higher than the opponent only than will you achieve the goal that was set at the beginning of the season. Which leads me to ask: Why do teams get complacent once they have reached the pinnacle series or game of their sport?