Tim Lincecum a.k.a. The Franchise

After yesterday's performance at AT&T Park, which made his record an impressive 5W-1L, with a 1.61 ERA, the Giants' young right-hander, Tim Lincecum, is fast becoming recognized as the Franchise of your San Francisco Giants.

You hear it mentioned over and over how when a particular pitcher is scheduled to pitch, those days are generally regarded as win days because that's how his teammates feel about their chances when this pitcher starts. This is the kind of positive energy The Franchise has created in his short time with the Giants.

The young hurler who made his debut last season, on the birthday of the organization's best player and arguably one of baseball's greatest ever, Willie Mays, will be just 24 years of age on June 15, 2008.

His only loss was on the receiving end of what could be considered, by baseball fans, the worst call EVER made by an umpire in major league history. On a time-out call that was waved off only to call a balk on Lincecum, which brought in the lead run from third base, this Giants' fan was wishing the fans in attendance could re-create what takes place in The Plaza del Pueblo in Bunol, Spain, on the last Wednesday of every August. That's when La Tomatina - the world's largest tomato fight- happens.

I doubt major league baseball would approve but I propose on Orange days/nights at AT&T, all Giants' fans could bring a supply of tomatoes and only after a vote was taken, by way of the large scoreboard, if it was determined that an umpire made a game-changing call against the orange and black, then at the count down (ten, nine, eight, seven,...) fans could unleash their supply of love apples on that bum in blue.

(thanks to ESPN mag for the info on La Tomatina)

Kevin Marquez