Tim Lincecum on Opening DayFor those of you who don’t follow baseball, I am happy to report that San Francisco Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum pitched his second career no-hitter against the San Diego Padres on Wednesday. At 112 pitches and only one base-runner allowed, this no-hitter was a model of decorum compared to the one he pitched last year, which required a dangerously high 148 pitches and included four walks. It was a needed cause for celebration for the Giants, for whom the wheels appear to have come off in the same way as last year when their center-fielder and lead-off hitter, Angel Pagan, got hurt. There is still time to put things right, but at the moment their fortunes look depressingly familiar.
With this no-no, Timmy has firmly established his habit of achieving greatness in pairs: two no-hitters, two Cy Young awards and two World Series championships. There is all of one pitcher in history who shares a record of multiple success in these areas: Sandy Koufax. If Timmy played any professional sport other than major league baseball, he would be a reasonable candidate for a Hall-of-Fame. But because this is baseball, he is certain to fall short of Cooperstown’s exacting standards unless he more than doubles his career totals of wins (95) and strikeouts (1593). He will also need to shave at least a run from his career ERA (3.52). Having just turned 30, this is a daunting prospect for Timmy, to say the least.
Tim Lincecum interview at Fan FestEven if he never gets his plaque, there is much to be said for what Timmy has done. If you do something great once, it is possible to diminish its value by ascribing it to luck. If you do it twice, you erase all reasonable doubt that your accomplishments were earned. That certainty is what he achieved on Wednesday, and he will be remembered for it long after he steps off the mound for the last time. Good for him.
