CHRONICLE SPORTS


With Lincecum On The Mound, Mariners Righting The Ship

 28 Jul, 2005


 


HARWICH — For two-thirds of the 2005 Cape Cod Baseball League season, one-run games were the bane of the Harwich Mariners, who dropped nine of their first 10 contests by that narrow margin, and at one point lost eight straight by a single digit.


Mariners reliever Tim Lincecum.

But the Mariners have found an answer to their one-run woes in the form of strikeout king Tim Lincecum, a one-time starter turned closer, who’s helped Harwich close the door with five saves over the past two weeks.

Lincecum, who causes opposing batters and many who try to pronounce his name (lynn-suh-come) equal consternation, sports a 0.79 ERA (best of all Cape League hurlers) and claims a whopping 58 strikeouts (third highest in the CCBL) in 34 innings.

Gaudy stats such as those might have you believe the Washington native towers over his peers, or at the least, fashions a villainous look associated with most closers, a la Trevor Hoffman or Bruce Sutter. But Lincecum’s appearance belies that notion. He stands just six feet tall, weighs 160 pounds, and features a face as beatific as an altar boy’s.

Physically, the University of Washington sophomore may not fit the mold of the prototypical player for his position. But competitors trying to hit Lincecum, notorious for his signature 95-to-99 mile per hour fastball, have learned not to let his boyish looks fool them.

A 42nd round pick of the Cleveland Indians, Lincecum has elevated his status as a major league prospect by stymieing the nation’s top hitters this summer.

In fact, his fireball fastball and penchant for strikeouts have many comparing him to Craig Hansen, an indomitable closer for the Mariners last year (44K in 21.1 IP, 0.00 ERA, 10 saves), who recently signed a four-year, $4 million contract with the Boston Red Sox. But Lincecum’s only concern is making himself a better ball player.

“Playing in the Cape League has been a big confidence booster. I’m happy with my performance down here, but there’s always things I can improve,” Lincecum said. “During my college season I had tons of walks (71 in 16 games), and my strikeout to walk ratio was two-to-one. Here, it’s five-to-one. That’s helped increase my confidence a bunch, and I feel a lot better about myself and have much higher expectations.”

Lincecum earned his first save of the season by striking out five Falmouth batters in two-and-a-third innings to nail down a 5-2 Mariner win in mid July. He allowed only one hit in a 3-2 nail bitter against Bourne, struck out the side to secure a 6-5 victory over Wareham, and did likewise to help Harwich walk away 4-2 winners over Y-D on Friday.

Even when Lincecum is not at his sharpest, as when he allowed three hits against the Mets on Sunday, he’s still managed to get the job done, fanning three Hyannis batters to preserve a 5-4 win.

Lincecum’s sterling play has also dug Harwich – which endured a dire, mid-season losing streak – out of the East Division basement. They’ve gone 6-4 in their last 10 games, comparable to their sizzling 6-3 start.

“Moving Tim to closer has made a big difference, because you bring him in with a lead and you’re pretty sure to win,” said Harwich Field Manager Steve Englert. “He throws strikes and throws hard. He’s a tremendous late-inning power guy, and a big reason why we’ve been able to turn things around.”

Though it’ll take a comeback of miracle proportions for the Mariners (15-20, 30 points), to catch wild card leader Chatham (22-12, 44 points) with a week remaining in the regular season, it hasn’t stopped the team from trying.

“We know we’re back, but everyone’s fighting to get back into it,” Lincecum said. “We’re concentrating on one-game-at-a-time baseball.”

Lincecum said his finest outing of the summer came against top-hitting Chatham when he struck out four over one-and-two-third innings, as Harwich outlasted the A’s 4-2 in 12 innings.

“ Chatham is such a powerhouse. They’ve got the top four hitters in the league,” said Lincecum. “But that night I felt like I had complete control, and that was the game when we started to turn things around.”

As a starter, Lincecum (1-2) was just as lights-out, but failed to get adequate run support. He fanned 11 Cotuit stickmen over eight innings, but took the loss opening week, as Harwich fell 2-1 to the Kettleers.

He was cruising along during his second start, making eight Brewster Whitecaps wave, before being hit by a batted ball in the back of the head. The injury, though initially scary, turned out to only be a concussion, which sidelined the righty for only a week.

“I don’t remember seeing the ball come at me, but it didn’t make me gun shy,” Lincecum said. “You can’t go out there expecting to get hit in the head, in the same way you can’t go out there expecting to give up walks and hits. It was a fluke thing, nothing more.”

Some pitchers would take offense, even feel they’re being relegated by transferring from starter to closer, but Lincecum has relished his new role because it means he can get in the game almost every day.

“No one really has a good read on you as a closer,” Lincecum said. “It’s easier to go challenge batters, whereas starters have to hit more spots and make better pitches. Closers definitely have more room for error.”

Lincecum has used his fastball, particularly his split finger fastball, to tie batters in knots, and added a deceptive change-up and tricky curve ball into the mix. But mostly he’s relied on his unwavering belief he can’t be beat.

“If you’re playing in the Cape League , it means you’re good. Everyone who’s up here is here for a reason,” Lincecum said. “All I can do is trust myself, and I feel unhittable when I’m on the mound.”

by Eric Adler
Eric Adler 


 


 

For more stories about Chatham, Harwich and the lower Cape, see the print edition of The Cape Cod Chronicle , on news stands every Thursday. Click here for a list of news dealers who carry the paper, or contact us to subscribe. Contents copyright 2005, The Cape Cod Chronicle.