Giants' Tim Lincecum wins Cy Young award

2008 NL Cy Young award winner Tim Lincecum.
(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File)

In a season when there were few stunning highlights for the San Francisco Giants, there was one constant provider: Tim Lincecum.

The Giants pitcher, who graces the cover of the new video game, “Major League Baseball 2K9,” was awarded with the 2008 National League Cy Young award by the Baseball Writers' Association of America, confirming what many fans already knew—Lincecum was the best pitcher in the National League, despite his team’s fourth place performance.

"Winning the Cy Young Award is truly an amazing honor, and now having the opportunity to be on the cover of Major League Baseball 2K9 is another dream come true and an absolutely surreal experience," Lincecum reflected upon winning the prestigious award.

“The Freak,” as many have come to call him, made a strong push for the award toward the end of the season, seemingly the top goal for the team in the closing months. Quite the critic when it came to his performances, Lincecum was more focused on the game than the award.

"I could care less right now," a dissatisfied Lincecum said on September 24. "It's not my goal right now. I want to improve on every game, and that's not what I did today."

With three losses in September, many wondered if the award would indeed go to Lincecum, but his dominating numbers on a sub-.500 team were amazing and worthy of the hardware. Without the backing of a strong offense, Lincecum depended on his array of pitches, especially his two-seam fastball and his unhittable curveball.

“He has absolutely filthy, nasty stuff. He’s one of the best pitchers in the league,” Milwaukee Brewers’ Ryan Braun said.  Many players around the league agree.

 “He’s got some of the nastiest stuff I’ve ever seen,” Hunter Pence of the Houston Astros has revealed.

“He has three almost unhittable pitches. When he throws those off-speed pitches where he wants, you’ve got no chance,” Pence’s teammate Lance Berkman concurred.

The 24-year-old led the National League with 265 strikeouts and a .783 winning percentage. With the Giants’ 71-90 record, Lincecum’s value was punctuated with the team’s record of 22-12 (30% of the team’s wins) with the young pitcher on the mound. He ended the year with an 18-5 record—at least four of his starts were spoiled by the Giants wobbly bullpen.

Winning the Cy Young with 137 points, Lincecum topped second-place Arizona Diamondbacks’ Brandon Webb by 64 points. Johan Santana of the New York Mets followed in third place with 55 points.

The skinny pitcher with the odd delivery is nothing but endearing to fans and teammates alike. In only his second year in the big leagues, this is just the beginning for young Lincecum. Many skeptics question his mechanics, but Timmy, with his diet of pre-game junk food, is the real thing.

Giants teammate Rich Aurilia said it best: “In my 13 years in the big leagues, this is the only guy I’ve seen who is worth the hype. The first one.”