Since throwing his last pitch in the major leagues with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim two years ago, Tim Lincecum fell off the baseball map, despite Daniel Brown’s efforts of tracking him down. One of the last headline that had Lincecum’s name on it — that didn’t serve as his face on a milk carton — was published when the Angels demoted him to the minor leagues in August 2016.
It was another year before Lincecum resurfaced when he was captured pitching in an Instagram post last December and another few months after that before The Freak’s name started popping up in headlines throughout the country when he announced the date of his second showcase.
Each major league team is invited to Lincecum’s pitching showcase on February 11 and the Giants, including Bobby Evans, have taken notice.
“It’s our understand that he’s never really stopped,” Evans said on KNBR Tonight Wednesday night. “Going back to when the season ended in 2016 after the Angels, he hasn’t stopped trying to prepare for this day. So, I’m expecting him to show well, make a great presentation, and be compelling for clubs as they see him.”
Although the Giants haven’t seen Lincecum on the mound since they granted him free agency in 2015, his memory and contributions to San Francisco’s three World Series championships are not easily forgotten.
After winning back-to-back Cy Young Awards in 2008 and 2009, Lincecum played a key role in the Giants rotation during their championship runs in 2010 and 2012. Even as his career began to decline, Lincecum pitched a pair of no-hitters against the San Diego Padres in 2013 and 2014 before serving as an integral weapon from the Giants bullpen.
Yet, after struggling mightily with the Los Angeles Angels, who signed him after his first pitching showcase in 2016, it’ll be an uphill battle for Lincecum to return to the major leagues.
“You want to see ball movement,” Evans said. “You want to see command. You want to see velocity. You want to see arm strength. You want to see the quickness of his arm. He’s going against the odds here, when you haven’t pitched competitively in over a year. It’s a big maneuver to get ramped up.”
To listen to the full interview check out the podcast below, and skip to 7:20 for Evans on Lincecum.