Rob Drake and the Mistakes

Before Giant fans hit the panic button on Tim Lincecum, one more time, let me do some 'splaining about yesterday's 6-3 Giants victory over the Orioles.

Tim Lincecum over the past couple of seasons has gone to the change-up as his "go-to" pitch and has had very good success when changing speeds. But yesterday, home plate umpire, Rob Drake, refused to call Lincecum's change-up a strike. Therefore, in trying to work around this "non-call" he had to throw the ball over the middle of the plate and because the Orioles are still in the major leagues, their batters made solid contact.

Lincecum's 10 strikeouts was a testament to his determination and refusal to let some attitudinal person, in-charge of calling balls and strikes, be the difference in winning or losing the game. And fortunately for Tim Lincecum, Aubrey Huff and Jose Uribe hit back-to-back homers to seal the deal on Tim's 6th victory in 2010.

Too many times a home plate umpire will make up his mind what is and is not a strike without letting the pitcher prove to him he is capable of throwing that pitch for a strike. Yesterday was a day when Rob "the Mistake" Drake chose not to call Tim Lincecum's change-up a strike. Drake didn't mind calling the Oriole pitcher's (Guthrie) pitches strikes, even if they were at knee level or lower.

We all get so caught up in a team's won/loss record and forget that these players are major leaguers. I mean there are hundreds, thousands of players in the minor leagues busting hump to make this league and are apparently not as gifted as the players in this league, regardless of a player's team's won/loss record.

Give a major leaguer enough of an opportunity to succeed (hitter's strike zone) and see the underdog snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

Don't worry about Tim. He's got what it takes to make Giant fans very happy they ARE fans of the Gigantes.

Go Giants/Gigantes!!!!!!

Kevin Marquez