San Francisco Giants’ Tim Lincecum Falters in Homecoming: Fan Reaction

You know, somewhere deep down inside of me, I thought, "A homecoming is exactly what Tim Lincecum needs to turn things around." The San Francisco Giants had been hitting the ball better and playing better defense; perhaps they would yield enough support for Lincecum in his return to Seattle, WA on June 16. And for a moment, it looked as if the Giants' 4-2 lead would hold up, but alas it did not.

Regardless, the start was supposed to be the one where Lincecum could rebound in an environment he was most comfortable in. It was supposed to be the fix of all fixes and in the end Lincecum would have returned to his normal self.

If I measured Lincecum's start against the Seattle Mariners from the beginning of the second inning to the end of the fourth, then I could say he did a fantastic job. But unfortunately, I have to throw in the first, fifth, and part of the sixth inning to complete the entire story; a story that was not a happy homecoming.

Lincecum was probably very happy to be home and have a chance to turn things around in a setting that was comfortable for him. He stated that there weren't any extra nerves or anything of the sort; it apparently was just a case of what has happened to Lincecum during his struggles this season.

As far as I'm concerned, if you haven't started to panic about Lincecum yet, now would be an appropriate time to do so. While it seems he should be on the rise and looking to redeem his season so far, the only things that are rising are his ERA (6.19), runs allowed (53) - after allowing just 66 all of last season - and his losses (8). Lincecum is also used to being at the head of the pack when it comes to leading the league in categories, something that he still does; just not in a positive way anymore. In the three rising categories, Lincecum leads the league in each.

Again, I'm not sure what it is about Lincecum that needs to be corrected, but I think that skipping his next start is going to be the best option the Giants have at this point. He's getting inside of his own head or there is a mechanical flaw that appears in select innings - I'm not sure which is more feasible at this point. Whatever it is though, some extra time to work through it may do wonders for Lincecum.

Food for thought: Is Lincecum missing a start an option in your mind to give him some extra time to work through things mechanically? Or is Lincecum's issue a mental one that he needs to be worked through during games? (Just to give you some background, when Lincecum pitches this year, the Giants are 2-12.)

David is co-founder of wrapupp sports blog where fresh content is posted daily and present sports blogs and sports opinions - all with a West Coast bias. Growing up in the Bay Area, David is a huge supporter of all the local sports teams; the Giants, Athletics, Warriors, Sharks, 49ers, and Raiders. His one fault, admittedly, as many of his friends and family would say, is his love for the Los Angeles Lakers. Growing up, Magic Johnson was his favorite basketball player and he fell in love with the team. He chalks it up to, "Not knowing any better". Now his love for sports has turned just as academic as it is intuitive and he follows most all sports all over the nation.

You can follow David on Twitter: @officialwrapupp

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San Francisco Giants’ Tim Lincecum Falters in Homecoming: Fan Reaction