Issues , Issues , Issues , Oh No …
By tophatal
Difficult as it may now seem when a player under-achieves after one or two outstanding seasons . Questions questions arise as to how or why things go wrong . Two-time NL CY Young winner Tim Lincecum has been struggling this season , and this has become a worrisome problem for the San Francisco Giants and the managerial staff of Bruce Bochy . ——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–
==============================================================================================================================Slide show for your perusal .
Lincecum’s statistics (2-8, 6.19 ERA, 83 K’s, 41BB’s) reads like a horror story and it easy to understand why . The pitcher’s confidence may well at an all-time low or his mechanics are not completely in n sync . Those issues can be tweaked but at what cost to the Tim Lincecum overall and his future performances ? Matt Cain after his recent ‘ no hitter’ may well be viewed as the ace on the team’s roster . Cain has benefited greatly from his teammate’s presence with the Giants , and that was clear for everyone to see when the ball-club claimed their most recent World Series in 2010 and their 4-1 series’ triumph over the Texas Rangers .
This season within the NL West the Giants have seen the Los Angeles Dodgers race out of the starting gates and surge to a lead within the division . And for the San Francisco Giants as the month of June comes to a close , it will be interesting to see how the team acquits itself . Bruce Bochy’s players in their next game are the guests of the Oakland A’s at the O Coliseum in Oakland , California . On the mound as the opposing pitchers will be Tim Lincecum of the Giants facing Jarrod Parker (3-3, 2.82 ERA) of the A’s.
At 38-32 the San Francisco Giants find themselves four games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers within the NL West . A defeat of the Oakland A’s would certainly bode well for the Giants and certainly closing out the series of interleague games against the A’s places the team in an enviable position . Don Mattingly and the Dodgers have their issues at present , with a team that has been losers of their last three games , and winners of only four of their last 10 . Mattingly also has to contend with the fact that he has several key players on the DL , most notably the team’s best player Matt Kemp . A fit and productive Kemp , assists the Dodgers a great deal as they look to open a new chapter in their illustrious history , having been acquired in a multi-billion deal . The new ownership group led by Mark Walter and Magic Johnson , seeks to make the franchise relevant once again .
For the San Francisco Giants we will now get to see what this team is actually made of as the first half of the season plays lf itself … out for their fans . With the All Star Game scheduled to take place in the month of July with the festivities being staged at Kauffman Stadium , home to the Kansas City Royals , Kansas City , Missouri ,. It should prove to be interesting to see whether or not the Giants can play themselves into contention during the second half of the season . A great deal will be dependent on the team’s pitching as well as their offense but the greatest scrutiny will be placed upon Tim Lincecum and whether or not he can regain the form that made him a back-to-back Cy Young winner in 2008 and 2009 . Lincecum , along with Matt Cain and Ryan Vogelsong form a formidable trio starting pitchers for the Giants . Melky Cabrera , Buster Posey , Angel Pagan , Pablo Sandoval and Ryan Theriot have played their part this season , with the feeling that if the pitching isn’t able to provide a boost for the fans then most certainly the offense might be able to do so .
There is no denying that we have seen a number of outstanding pitching performances this season , with a perfect game and a number of no-hitters to wet the fans’ appetites . And while New York Mets’ pitcher R A Dickey ( 11-1, 2.00 ERA, 103 K’s, 3 CG & 14 GS ) has been sensational . It has to be said that the remainder of the season could prove to be just as intriguing if the pitchers of AL and NL are able to keep up the a momentum while trying to silence the bats of some of the most prolific hitters in the game from the respective leagues ( AL & NL ) . The game of baseball needs as much excitement as can be achieved without the ongoing controversy that simply engulfs the sport at present . Bud Selig appears to be bereft of intelligence with regard to so many issues as it relates to the game . While commanding a staggering $24 million in salary a year , there are so many teams struggling to remain viable , albeit that their values have escalated in recent years . Moreover , that has to be pleasing to the team owners and MLB hierarchy , alike . However , it does not address the graver issues that the “small market teams “ have , in terms of trying to compete with the likes of New York Yankees , Boston Red Sox , Philadelphia Phillies , Los Angeles Dodgers and the Los Angeles Angels in terms of team payrolls . In addition, for the commissioner who appears to so oblivious , as to the acute needs of so many teams within the game , he plays lip service , in order to create an environment of peaceful accord . Nothing could be further from the truth because as of late we have seen the idiocy whereby Bud Selig chooses to obfuscate his responsibilities , while also choosing to ignore the rule of law because a verdict is not to his liking (Braun’s 50 game suspension being overturned). ====================================================================================================================================
Do you believe that Tim Linceum will be able to regain the form that made him a repeat winner of the Cy Young Award in 2008 and 2009 ? Which of the leagues do you believe will be favored for the upcoming All Star Game ? Simply leave a comment as you see fit . 😛
Picture and slide show details below . ======================================= ====================================================================================
(1) San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Tim Lincecum throws against the Oakland Athletics during the first inning of an inter-league baseball game in Oakland, Calif., Friday, June 22, 2012. AP Photo/Eric Risberg …
(2) OAKLAND, CA – JUNE 22: Manager Bob Melvin (6) of the Oakland Athletics takes the ball from Jerry Blevins (13 ) taking him out of the game as catcher Kurt Suzuki (8) looks on in the seventh inning against the San Francisco Giants at O.co Coliseum on June 22, 2012 in Oakland, California. Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images …
(3) OAKLAND, CA – JUNE 22: Gregor Blanco (7) of the San Francisco Giants gets caught in a run-down between second and third chased by Cliff Pennington (2) of the Oakland Athletics in the six inning at O.co Coliseum on June 22, 2012 in Oakland, California. Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images ….
(4) OAKLAND, CA – JUNE 22: Manager Bruce Bochy (15) of the San Francisco Giants looks on from the dugout in the first inning against the Oakland Athletics at O.co Coliseum on June 22, 2012 in Oakland, California. Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images ….
(5) Manager Bruce Bochy (15) of the San Francisco Giants argues a call at home plate with umpire Larry Vanover (27) in the first inning against the Oakland Athletics at O.co Coliseum on June 22, 2012 in Oakland, California. Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images …..
(6) Tim Lincecum (55) of the San Francisco Giants pitches against the Oakland Athletics at O.co Coliseum on June 22, 2012 in Oakland, California. Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images …. =========================================== ===================================================================================
M LB probable starting pitchers 23rd June 2012
San Francisco Giants’ front office
San Francisco Giants roster (depth chart)
San Francisco Giants coaching staff
San Francisco Giants team stats overall
San Francisco Giants’ team payroll 2012
San Francisco Giants 2012 scoring summary
San Francisco Giants (38-32) results & batting splits