Tim Lincecum training ... for a comeback?

TIM LINCECUM is planning a comeback. 

The last time we saw Lincecum he was attempting a comeback after a couple of disastrous seasons with the Giants.

This time around, he was in a Padre's uniform pitching against the Oakland A's.

Unfortunately, the comeback didn't work out. He couldn't reach 90 mph on his fastball. Halfway through the season, the Padres let him go. 

Since then, he has been MIA. The Giants didn't know where he was.

A Bay Area newspaper sent a reporter up to Seattle to see if he could be found. No such luck.

Occasionally, he'd be spotted in one of San Francisco's pizza joints. Rumors on the sports talk shows said that he was spotted in Hawaii where his Filipina/American mother's family still lives. Fans said he was taking part in the Women's March in San Francisco.

Well, maybe after his Hawaiian vacation ... A short drive from his Seattle digs, Lincecum turns up with Kyle Brody who tweeted the above photo and message. Brody owns Driveline Baseball, a training analysis that teaches pitchers how to throw harder.

When Lincecum's career appeared to end in the 2016 season, the velocity on his  fastball couldn't reach 87 mph. Just a few years ago, during his years as the best pitcher in baseball, the two-time Cy Young winner could throw up to 95 mph. 

Once that fastball was established, he could keep hitters off balance with his change-up and curveball.

Lincecum never officially retired. He just disappeared off the face of the earth.

He was 5'10" but in his prime, he was unhittable and fans loved him. “It was a little guy taking on the world,” recalled broadcaster Duane Kuiper. “Everybody likes that.”

In the photo he looks like he's buffed up and at age 33, training for comeback. Driveline says that in the near future he'll throw teams in a showcase.

The odds may be against his return, but I, for one, would love to see him come back. even if it's not as a Giant. It would be a heckuva story.
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Tim Lincecum: Face of the Giants is now an Angel

Tim Lincecum in an Angels uniform will take some getting used to.

IT JUST doesn't look right. Pitcher Tim Lincecum in a baseball uniform other than the orange-and-black of the San Francisco Giants.

Much to the disappointment of his many fans in the San Francisco Bay Area, the Filipino-American hurler has agreed to a deal to play for the Anaheim Angels.

He apparently has recovered from his hip surgery. The weak hip has hampered his effectiveness on the mound the last four years. 

RELATED: Has Lincecum pitched for the last time?

While there's no certainty that Lincecum can come close to being the player he once was when he won two consecutive Cy Young Awards, Eppler wanted to take the chance.

"With guys that have shown the ability to be that star-level talent, when you have an opportunity to bring that in and there's something to reclaim there," said Angels general manager Billy Eppler. "Is he going to be the version of himself from six or seven years ago? I don't know."

Lincecum on Friday (May 20) signed a one-year free-agent $2.5 million deal with the Angels laden with incentives including  $1,175,000 in performance bonuses and $500,000 in roster bonuses, according to the Associated Press. He would receive $25,000 for making 11 starts, $50,000 for 13, $100,000 for 15, $200,000 for 17 and $400,000 each for 19 and 21 starts.

In addition, he would receive $125,000 each for four, 30, 60 and 90 days on the active roster, excluding disabled list days spent due to a right hip injury.

The 31-yeard old right-hander had spent his entire career in San Francisco, going 108-83 with a 3.61 ERA. He made history in 2009, becoming just one of four pitchers to win back-to-back Cy Young Awards. He was also a part of three World Series-winning teams with the Giants (2010, 2012, 2014), going 5-2 with a 2.40 ERA in the postseason.

RELATED: Lincecum interviews Bruce Lee

The Giants made an offer to their long-time pitcher but they offered a role in the bullpen. The Angels will let him compete for a starter's slot and that was what apparently clinched the deal.

He was a fan favorite and because of his small stature, he was nicknamed "The Freak" and with his long hair, slight frame and laid back manager, he lived up to the monicker. One other thing he did: Because of his presence, the Giants discovered the Filipino/American market known in the Bay Area.  They were the first sports franchise to hold Filipino Heritage Night's a couple of times a year. They were usually timed whenever it was Timmy's turn to start.

RELATED: The Golden State Warriors' Asian connection

NOTE TO ASIAN ANGEL FANS: Timmy's a good guy and acknowledges his hapa heritage. Maybe he'll bring in a lot of Asian fans from Carson, Torrance and the San Gabriel Valley. If he doesn't work out, the Giants will take him back. 

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For more news about Asian/Americans and Pacific Islanders, read AsAm News.

Has Lincecum pitched for the last time?

Tim Lincecum's slight frame and his skill on the mound earlier in his career, earned him the
 nickname, "The Freak."

HAS TIM LINCECUM thrown his last pitch in professional baseball?

UPDATE: Today, Sept. 3, the Giants announced that Lincecum is done for the season.

In an exclusive story, the San Jose Mercury News reports that the Filipino/American pitcher has continued difficulty in recovering from a hip injury that has had on the San Francisco Giants' disabled list after being struck on the arm by a line drive in a June 27 game against the Colorado Rockies. 

"The bad days are outshining the good ones," Lincecum admitted to a reporter.

The highly popular pitcher reached the zenith of his career in after winning consecutive Cy Young Awards for best pitcher of the year in 2008-2009 and led the Giants to the World Series championship in 2010.

RELATED: Lincecum interviews Bruce Lee

In 2011, his pitching prowess declined rapidly and was never able to recapture his winning form.

Even if he was to have surgery during the off-season, it is doubtful the Giants would resign him since this is the last season of his current contract and he becomes a free agent. Before his current injury, he was the fifth starter in a 5-man rotation and that position was already shaky.

His inconsistency and inability to control his fastball made his starting position in doubt. There was talk among the coaches and fans that he might be moved to the bullpen, a position he was in last year during the post-season. Manager Bruce Bochy didn't have enough confidence in him to put him in, even in relief. It was most telling that in a 18-inning game with the Washington Nationals during the 2014 postseason, the Giants had to use all its pitchers but Lincecum remained on the bench. (Editor: Earlier versions had the wrong opponent vs. the Giants.)

Born and raised in Seattle, Lincecum's mother is a Filipina/American raised in Hawaii. He is the only Filipino/American baseball player currently on a major league baseball team.

While the story hints strongly that Lincecum's career may be over, we hope that he he regains the unique form that made him the game's most dominant pitcher in 2008 to 2010 ... even (gasp) if it is not in a Giants uniform.

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