"Can the Giants Improve by Trading Tim Lincecum?"

It’s an interesting concept, I think. The problem is The Giants. Young hitting talent isn’t something the Giants covet. The more likely scenario is we’d trade Lincecum for Jorge Posada, Andruw Jones, and Bernie Williams.

I'm thinking but nothing's happening.

by JRPhillips on Nov 4, 2011 12:29 AM PDT reply actions

This is a waste of time as long as the GM is Brian Sabean. He doesn’t even trade ordinary players for prospects, you really think he would trade Tim Lincecum for them? Maybe they should have watched Baer the other night when he said they intend to make Lincecum a Giant for his entire career.
I think the Giants bring this kind of talk on themselves for always acting like they have no money to spend. They’re far from broke, and don’t need to sell off their stars. I will say this for Sabean. If he DOES ever trade Timmy he better win another World Series or two, because otherwise this will be what he would be remembered for in San Francisco. The idiot who traded the most popular player since Willie Mays.

Buster Posey: still better than Eli and Stewart, even with a broken ankle.

by rxmeister on Nov 4, 2011 5:58 AM PDT via mobile reply actions

Throw in Zito and his contract and they might start to talk.

Throw in Zito and his contract and they might start to talk. Other than that I don;’t think so.

Go Giants

by Gianni on Nov 4, 2011 6:07 AM PDT reply actions

Just read an obit on Matty Alou in a NY newspaper. What did they talk about? How Matty and Felipe were teammates on the Yankees in 1973. This is why I hate it when the Giants trade my favorite players. All talk of trading Timmy needs to stop!

Buster Posey: still better than Eli and Stewart, even with a broken ankle.

by rxmeister on Nov 4, 2011 6:35 AM PDT reply actions

Agreed. Death to practicalities! Keep my favorite players where I can root for them for as long as possible. I’m still in mourning over the Bonds/Murcer deal (which interestingly enough, also seemed to have broken the hearts of both of the players involved in it) and the fact that Murcer actually was a pretty productive player for the Giants never made it alright to me.

MY DAD WAS WRONG!
MY BOY NEEDS TO THROW HARDER!

by Roger on Nov 4, 2011 6:46 AM PDT up reply actions

Murcer wasn't close to the player Bobby was.

I hated that deal with a passion.

by lexluth7 on Nov 4, 2011 7:39 AM PDT up reply actions

He wasn’t, but both his seasons in SF were good years. I think he was about an OPS+ 120 while a Giant. Although i say that, and it instantly reminds me of Murcer’s contribution to the Giants Oral History that I think Glenn Dickey compiled about 20 odd years ago. Lots of great memories from old Giants and then this from Bobby Murcer:

I never was a Giant.

MY DAD WAS WRONG!
MY BOY NEEDS TO THROW HARDER!

by Roger on Nov 4, 2011 9:32 AM PDT up reply actions

I interpreted that quote as “The fans there never accepted me as a Giant, and as a result I never truly felt like a Giant.”

Although I could very well be wrong. I do know that I like(d) Bobby Murcer, despite the trade.

"He has maybe one of the best arms I've ever seen; he could be playing by the concession stand and he's not out of position." - Andy Skeels, talking about 3B Chris Dominguez.

by Lyle on Nov 4, 2011 1:06 PM PDT up reply actions

I don’t think it was that. He loved being a Yankee and had, or at least thought he had, a guarantee from the front office that he was going to be a Yankee going forward. Apparently the trade crushed him and he was very vocally bitter about it the entire time he played in SF and elsewhere after that, and pretty contemptuous of all non-Yankee fans and non-Yankee stadiums and non-Yankee lives. Most of his post-retirement interviews have in some way or another turned on how they (the Yankees FO) had lied to him and stabbed in the back and stole his joy and all that malarkey.

MY DAD WAS WRONG!
MY BOY NEEDS TO THROW HARDER!

by Roger on Nov 4, 2011 1:44 PM PDT up reply actions

Let me make this simple

NO. Trading Lincecum not onlywould be taking away the face of the franchise, it would cripple the heart of the team. CAin is a terrific pitcher. But I don’t think teams “fear” facing him. Plus, how would he respond to the pressure of being the unquestioned ace? Is Bum ready to be a No. 2? Vogelsong may be a one year wonder, although I doubt it. No way you trade Lincecum.

Yes the Giants need to improve 1-8. But you don’t do that by gutting your strength.

by lexluth7 on Nov 4, 2011 7:38 AM PDT reply actions

Oh. Dave Cameron.

2010 World Series Champions!
Adopted 'nephew' to the ever avuncular and always awesome Jon Miller

by Johnny Disaster on Nov 4, 2011 7:43 AM PDT reply actions

Is Lincecum really that popular in SF?

I know i am wild about him but ii am not in Sf so i doubt that the team cares what i think

by orange velvet on Nov 4, 2011 7:55 AM PDT reply actions

Yes. Yes he is

Seth Rosin can hit the side of a barn with a baseball. From space.
Giants baseball: We're stupid enough to WIN that (TM)

by quincy0191 on Nov 4, 2011 7:41 PM PDT up reply actions

What

by Natto on Nov 5, 2011 1:53 AM PDT up reply actions

Yeah

But that doesn’t mean the fanbase won’t turn on him like Zito if he doesn’t live up to his impending enormous contract. Front offices can’t afford to be sentimental or PR-focused in their personnel decisions, which is why I’m a bit skeptical of Baer’s leadership.

VAE PVTO DEVS FIO

by Bhaakon on Nov 5, 2011 3:33 AM PDT up reply actions

I don't think they will

If he signs a big deal and tanks, then fans won’t be happy, but I doubt Timmy will ever be disliked in SF. Zito made his career in Oakland, which Giants fans don’t care about, but Tim’s bought too much goodwill with the Cy’s and the championship.

Seth Rosin can hit the side of a barn with a baseball. From space.
Giants baseball: We're stupid enough to WIN that (TM)

by quincy0191 on Nov 6, 2011 6:51 PM PST up reply actions

I think it depends. If all that money goes to Lincecum’s head, fans may turn on him quickly.

Still the father of two-time Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum.
"Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be." - John Wooden

by SFGuy on Nov 6, 2011 8:17 PM PST up reply actions

I think Mike Schmidt said it best: ultimately the fans want to love you; they’re looking for a reason to love you. Just give them that reason and they’ll pour out their soul to you.

MY DAD WAS WRONG!
MY BOY NEEDS TO THROW HARDER!

by Roger on Nov 7, 2011 5:41 AM PST up reply actions

Of course fans want to love Mike Schmidt.

VAE PVTO DEVS FIO

by Bhaakon on Nov 7, 2011 6:06 AM PST up reply actions

I recall plenty of calls for Nenn to stop being greedy and retire, and not just yahoos on KNBR.

Fans have a short memory when it comes to big-salary players.

VAE PVTO DEVS FIO

by Bhaakon on Nov 7, 2011 6:04 AM PST up reply actions

Of course, in the end, none of that matters, because Timmy’s always going to be magically awesome and wonderful and shoot jelly beans out his butt and glory will ensue.

MY DAD WAS WRONG!
MY BOY NEEDS TO THROW HARDER!

by Roger on Nov 7, 2011 9:32 AM PST up reply actions

/YACKITY SAX

Brian Sabean strongly encourages you to disregard the drudgery of your employment responsibilities and join him in the consumption of spirituous libations.

by satyricrash on Nov 4, 2011 8:29 AM PDT reply actions

I love Timmy.

And I hate, hate, hate the idea of watching him play for another team. Having said that, I thought Cameron’s post made sense. Because of the FO’s self-imposed payroll cap and the ball-and-chain contracts to Nads, Zits, Huff, and Franchez, we’re pretty much staring at a wall, free-agent wise. The way I see it, we’re not going to be able to get anywhere near the help we need on offense without trading Lincecum or Cain.

It’s a crappy situation. I don’t see the Giants contending next year unless Posey steps right back into the role he left without any bumps in the road, AND Brandon Belt is able to break out. Basically, the FO’s plan seems to be to cross their fingers.

by Gregjitsu on Nov 4, 2011 12:32 PM PDT reply actions

The baseball gods frown on organizations that send away their golden children, though. It’s a manifest insult to the powers that be when you slap away the brightest of the gifts they bestow on you. And the punishment is always 40 years lost in the wilderness, mark my words.

MY DAD WAS WRONG!
MY BOY NEEDS TO THROW HARDER!

by Roger on Nov 4, 2011 1:46 PM PDT up reply actions

No.

Now let me go read the article linked in the headline.

"When the Giants call up a 21-year-old Venezuelan catcher who started the year in San Jose, was hitting well with poor plate discipline, but wasn't on Baseball America's preseason list of the organization's 30 best prospects, only good things can happen."
Congratulations, Hector!

by tedfordfan on Nov 4, 2011 3:48 PM PDT reply actions