Lincecum Continues his Amazing Season and STUFF...8/23/08

Tim Lincecum pitched 8 innings of shutout baseball at AT&T Park vs. the San Diego Padres to pick up his 14th victory of the season, against 3 losses.

We all know how tainted this won/loss record is. From the unforgivable balk call by the home plate umpire that cost Lincecum his first defeat to Tyler Flush Walker's numerous blown saves, it's incredible that Tim Lincecum still has an impressive number. Especially when the world knows the Giants were the worst major league team, scoring runs in July, and basically throughout the year! To be 14-3 on a below .500 team is commendable, to say the least.

Factor in that Lincecum's eighth and final strikeout of the game was the 200th of this 2008 season for the National League lead and the story just keeps getting better. (Milwaukee late-season acquisition C.C. Sabathia has 192, but not all came in the NL. I never thought of it before but carrying his numbers from another league, isn't that almost like counting minor league, Mexican, Japan, China or wherever else outside league, when whatever he tallied in the American League should stop there and the NL should have a new total. Sure, it's unfair to Sabathia, but in a way it's also unfair to Lincecum. I guess they just continue Sabathia's tally and if he so happens to have more than anyone in the NL, then so be it. He gets the crown. Is that how the home run leader is decided? I don't think so? If a batter smacks 30 homers, then jumps leagues. I believe his total stops right there. And the league leader needs only to pass 30 and stay ahead of the pack to collect the coveted crown.)

According to the Fresno Bee, the Giants haven't had a pitcher lead the league in strikeouts since Bill Voiselle (161) in 1944. Nicknamed 96 or Big Bill, the 1944 season was his best. He won 21 games and lost 16, starting 41 and completing 25. He was voted the Sporting News pitcher of the year for 1944. (This was during WWII, so the numbers during 1941-1945 weren't as good as one may have become accustomed to. In part, because the best players weren't participating. But the league wanted to continue so for 1944, Big Bill Voiselle was voted the best by The Sporting News.)

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Travis Denker has begun to light it up for the Fresno Grizzlies, hitting homers in back-to-back games.
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Jose Castillo was activated by the Houston Astros.
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Nate Schierholtz will bring home (to the United States) with his teammates, a bronze metal. South Korea gets the Gold and Cuba gets the Silver.


(thanks to the Fresno Bee and Baseball Reference)

Kevin Marquez