Freaky Free Agent #55

                                                             

Don’t let this future hall of fame pitcher go to another team.

Tim Lincecum, aka, The Freak, is one of my favorite pitchers. He is currently a free agent and I think the Cubs should take a serious look at him.  A future HOF shoe-in, Lincecum is the epitome of elite.  Other pitchers would kill to equal what he has accomplished. He won back to back Cy Young awards in 2008 and 2009 and has helped his San Francisco Giants win three World Championships.  That’s right, three. How many pitchers can you name, who have struggled and then come back to pitch a no-hitter in consecutive years?  The Freak did, both against the Padres, in 2013 and 2014, proving that he’s still quite capable of dealing a knock-out punch. At the age of 31, he holds a lifetime ERA of .361, which is 19^th among active pitchers.  

How can you not be impressed with an athlete, who, at only 5’11” and 170 lbs., has thrown some of the nastiest junk during his nine years in the majors?  It’s where his nickname comes from!  I never get tired of watching his delivery, which remains innocent enough in the prelude and then morphs into something unhittable. You can thank his father, Chris, for teaching him that unorthodox windup and huge stride off the rubber.  If you haven’t seen him pitch, then you have missed out on a thing of beauty.  Take a look. 

Freaky #55 has made national news for more than just sending batters back to the dugout.   In 2009, he was pulled over for speeding and a small amount of marijuana was found to be in his possession.  Guess the big cloud of pot smoke that drifted out of his car window was a good sign of a joy ride.  Personally, I could care less about whether he bakes or not.   He can have long hair or short hair.  Makes no difference to me.   I just want to see him pitch.  How about another no-hitter, for the Cubs!?  Makes my heart race to think about it!

Lincecum, has had his share of slumps, like in 2012, when he gave up 107 earned runs and 90 walks.  The control was gone.  Last year, his season got shut down early due to a degenerative hip condition. It was diagnosed while he was in rehab for a forearm contusion from a line drive.  Analysts point to the reduction in his fastball velocity and speculate that the hip problem might have been the cause of his previous struggles. He had surgery last September and is working hard to get back to where he used to be.  Keep in mind that most of his strikeouts have come via a sneaky changeup that mimics a fastball for the first 30 feet and then drops out. It’s a killer pitch.

 The Florida Marlins and San Diego Padres are supposedly looking at The Freak with interest.  In fact, most MLB teams have asked to see his medical information.  I think the Cubs should throw their two cents (plus a few more million dollars) into the ring.  Offer him a one-year contract and see what he can do on the back end of the rotation.  I’m willing to trade Jorge Soler and his ninja balaclava to get a Cubs jersey on The Freak.  Don’t miss out on the resurgence of this legend’s career! We need his arm, especially with the shaky history of Jason Hammel. No one has a stronger work ethic right now than Lincecum.  He has gone through extensive rehab and will be showcasing his renewed arsenal in February.  I certainly hope the Cubs will be watching.  Make a move.  Before I freak out.