Pregame: Case Study
“Enough with the analysis already,” says my editor.
I agree. There’s a buzz around the ballpark, but it isn’t the buzz of sports fans anticipating a game; it sounds more like the drone of a graduate psychology seminar at Stanford. Tim Lincecum is pitching against the Arizona Diamondbacks tonight, and we are all psychology majors now.
I didn’t see Lincecum lounging around the batting cage or playing catch with Zito in the outfield like usual before The Freak pitches. And when he does come out to warm up with Buster Posey, he doesn’t look like he’s having fun, but rather a like a Hipster nervously auditioning at Dance Mission. And the little fist bump exchanged with Posey after the warmups? It fools no one, including the leprechauns who’ve come to the ballpark for Irish Night.
Inning One: Another Episode of “Lost”
I decide to forego the press box and go to the Far Right (section 302) to start the game. We’ve just watched Lincecum’s opening routine: four fastballs, two high, two low – resulting in a walk to leadoff batter Stephen Drew: a fundamental sin a Hipster would commit, not a Freak. To some, these four pitches eloquently state the problem: Lincecum’s fastball has not just lost velocity, it’s just plain lost.
Inning One: The Terrible Twos
The Hipster can’t seem to fool anyone when he’s pitching. And a big part of that appears to be because if a hitter knows Lincecum’s missing his fastball, that changes his mindset and the dynamics between pitcher and hitter. Lincecum has expanded his repetoire, throwing a slider to finally strike out the second batter Justin Upton and third batter Kelly Johnson. The third strike to Johnson convinces the fans it’s really The Freak pitching. Then the collective mind changes when they see him unable not only to locate his fastball, but also his changeup. He walks Chris Young after getting two strikes on him. A low murmur, a rumbling grumble, can be heard beneath the otherwise silent crowd.
With two outs, two on, Lincecum gets two quick strikes on Adam LaRoche. The crowd starts wildly cheering and applauding, urging the third. Two outs and two strikes on the batter: this has been a most troubling scenario for Lincecum since the Hipster started making appearances in mid-May. Rather than taking care of business, the Hipster loses concentration or thinks too much or simply makes a mistake and gives up a three-run homerun to LaRoche on a changeup that never changed.
Inning One: Non-Joy Ride
Silence rises from the field to the stands as the ball sails our way, staying just inside the yellow foul pole as it clears the Promenade and splashes into the mouth of Mission Creek. Giant players release a sigh: they can understand rookie Madison Bumgarner gettting shelled like he did Wednesday; and they may even expect hitters to periodically tattoo Jonathan Sanchez or Barry Zito, so that doesn’t bother them. But with Lincecum, it’s different story, a deeper problem, an existential question for the whole team.
Pitching was supposed to be the key to this team’s success and Lincecum was to have been the linchpin of the pitching staff. LaRoche’s home run lays those assumptions to waste. The players look rudderless as they jog off the field after Lincecum records his third strikeout of the inning.
Innings Two through Nine: “Don’t call us . . .”
With more than a little help from the leprechauns, Lincecum lasts another five surrendering another run. Like a classic hipster, Lincecum shows potential, but his performance shows no wit or passion, and his curveball never bites. For background music, he’s accompanied by a dispirited, desultory virtual offense. The Giants hit singles and draw walks, but only one runner gets to third base.
The game gets ugly. How ugly? Freddy Sanchez makes his first error all year.
And you know what happens when a game gets ugly. Fans drink more .
“As Lincecum goes, so goes the Giants” says someone in the stands.
Arizona wins 6-0. Barry Zito pitches tonight.
