2009-07-24T11:46:36-04:00 <div class="photo_container image_right"> <div class="photo"><img title="Tim Lincecum" src="http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/2008/fantasy/09/08/two.tango/t1-linceum.jpg" alt="Tim Lincecum" width="298" height="410" /></div> <div class="photo_attributes" style="text-align:right;">Diminutive RHP Tim Lincecum won the NL Cy Young Award. <br /></div> <div class="photo_attributes" style="text-align:right;">Brad Mangin/Getty Images</div> </div> <p>To be sure, there were plenty of sizable obstacles standing in the path of 5-foot-11, 170-pound <strong>Tim Lincecum</strong>'s pursuit of the NL Cy Young award this season. There was his team's punchless offense that scored fewer runs than all but one team in baseball. There was a deep reservoir of worthy candidates of every variety, from past winners like <strong>Brandon Webb</strong> and <strong>Johan Santana</strong> to a historic mid-season pickup in <strong>CC Sabathia</strong> to a perfect closer in <strong>Brad Lidge</strong>. And of course, there is one simple fact that has often spelled the end of a pitcher's Cy Young candidacy: Tim Lincecum did not win 20 games this season, and someone else in his league did. <br /><br />There was a time, not so long ago, where the criteria for the Cy Young award seemed to begin and end with that most popular entry in a pitcher's statistical column. But as statistics have evolved, becoming more detailed and offering greater insight into player performance, it turns out voters have allowed their thinking to expand as well. From the time the first Cy Young award was handed out in 1956 through the 2003 season, only five times did a starting pitcher win the Cy Young without winning 20 games in a full season, yet it has happened four times in the five years since then. <br /><br />Making Lincecum's triumph all the more surprising is that Arizona's Webb won 22 games, meaning there was a four-win gap between the league leader and the Cy Young winner. Excluding the five years that the NL Cy was won by a relief pitcher, there has only been one season with a bigger gap between the league leader and the Cy Young winner (1999, when Randy Johnson won 17 games but took the Cy ahead of 22-win Mike Hampton).</p> 2008-11-11T16:24:35-05:00 23 2008-11-11T16:24:35-05:00 1 3 10 2008-11-12T22:28:13-05:00 http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/171/163/thumb/best_picture_ever.jpg 162 VA sdungan Vienna 171463 24 just for the record I think everyone caught expect for Tang, who seemed very familiar Zito's stats- that poor Yankees fan had all October to locate them, I guess 3323540 2008-11-13T11:15:07-05:00 http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/605/197/thumb/i7dq1ta52t3jxsujj58ejaq0b.gif 7 CO Tang Colorado Springs 605837 just for the record I think everyone caught expect for Tang, who seemed very familiar Zito's stats- that poor Yankees fan had all October to locate them, I guess 25 Sure did. It was a sad October for me. Good thing I was in Iraq so I didn't miss much. Better to be supporting the war effort in a year the Yanks don't make the playoffs. Congrats to &quot;your&quot; Rays; they had an incredible season. I was actually pulling for them against the Phillies. Too bad their bats didn't wake up throughuot the WS. Looks like it's a three team race now in the AL East. Hopefully the Rays can pay their talented group of young stars in a few years; keep them together and they'll be good for many years to come. 3326833 2008-11-12T22:28:13-05:00 http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/171/163/thumb/best_picture_ever.jpg 162 VA sdungan Vienna 171463 24 just for the record I think everyone caught expect for Tang, who seemed very familiar Zito's stats- that poor Yankees fan had all October to locate them, I guess 3323540 2008-11-12T19:24:08-05:00 340 NV lvguy Las Vegas 584221 23 I watch 200+ games of baseball a year and I cannot name anyone on the Giants except for Lincecum and Zito. 3322564 2008-11-12T15:34:54-05:00 28 WA tdr Steilacoom 88519 22 Oh, those poor Seattle Mariners. Hey, M's! Didn't TL use to pitch for UW? What went wrong there? Weren't your scouts close enough to check him out every once in a while? Can you please explain to us again why you passed on him? Oh, yeah...Bill Bavasi use to be GM and the M's are still some sort of minor league farm team for the Yankees. How long is it going to be before you lose Felix to them? Way to show them, Tim! Enough said. 3320284 2008-11-12T13:16:59-05:00 26 CA GD in Esco Escondido 33351 21 I love the Giants lineup. We need someone to compete with the Padres for the title of worst team in baseball. Congrats Tim. 3318386 2008-11-12T08:30:11-05:00 http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/328/07/thumb/49ers__7.jpg 470 CA 49er SF Giants Elk Grove 32907 14 I hope this is a sign for a better tomorrow. Go Giants!!! 3314144 2008-11-12T13:15:16-05:00 http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/450/266/thumb/jimi.jpg 38 CA karmabad Seal Beach 450706 I hope this is a sign for a better tomorrow.Go Giants!!! 20 It's a sign that the Giants have an ace along w/ a below average team. That starting line up...talk about boresville. 3318355 2008-11-12T12:26:14-05:00 110 CA CJ Topspin San Jose 92501 19 I think the Giants need to sign Sabathia. Not just for his arm but he could also improve our clean up spot. God our lineup sucks. T-Linc is the only good thing to come out of last year. 3317796 2008-11-12T11:12:09-05:00 http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/132/520/thumb/jgordon_burnout_5B1_5D.jpg 28 CA #24 Chevrolet San Francisco 132820 18 he was the 10th pick in the draft, so he was a well-known commodity. The other teams simply passed on him because they thought he would break down. Now if only we had a bat or two... 3316497 2008-11-12T10:35:22-05:00 http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/589/200/thumb/504269.jpg 45 TX Mike8908 Navasota 589800 17 He was one of the best pitchers in the league last year, he was just stuck on one of the worst team in the league 3315908 2008-11-12T08:30:11-05:00 http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/328/07/thumb/49ers__7.jpg 470 CA 49er SF Giants Elk Grove 32907 14 I hope this is a sign for a better tomorrow. Go Giants!!! 3314144 23 <div class="photo_container image_right"> <div class="photo"><img title="Tim Lincecum" src="http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/2008/fantasy/09/08/two.tango/t1-linceum.jpg" alt="Tim Lincecum" width="298" height="410" /></div> <div class="photo_attributes" style="text-align:right;">Diminutive RHP Tim Lincecum won the NL Cy Young Award. <br /></div> <div class="photo_attributes" style="text-align:right;">Brad Mangin/Getty Images</div> </div> <p>To be sure, there were plenty of sizable obstacles standing in the path of 5-foot-11, 170-pound <strong>Tim Lincecum</strong>'s pursuit of the NL Cy Young award this season. There was his team's punchless offense that scored fewer runs than all but one team in baseball. There was a deep reservoir of worthy candidates of every variety, from past winners like <strong>Brandon Webb</strong> and <strong>Johan Santana</strong> to a historic mid-season pickup in <strong>CC Sabathia</strong> to a perfect closer in <strong>Brad Lidge</strong>. And of course, there is one simple fact that has often spelled the end of a pitcher's Cy Young candidacy: Tim Lincecum did not win 20 games this season, and someone else in his league did. <br /><br />There was a time, not so long ago, where the criteria for the Cy Young award seemed to begin and end with that most popular entry in a pitcher's statistical column. But as statistics have evolved, becoming more detailed and offering greater insight into player performance, it turns out voters have allowed their thinking to expand as well. From the time the first Cy Young award was handed out in 1956 through the 2003 season, only five times did a starting pitcher win the Cy Young without winning 20 games in a full season, yet it has happened four times in the five years since then. <br /><br />Making Lincecum's triumph all the more surprising is that Arizona's Webb won 22 games, meaning there was a four-win gap between the league leader and the Cy Young winner. Excluding the five years that the NL Cy was won by a relief pitcher, there has only been one season with a bigger gap between the league leader and the Cy Young winner (1999, when Randy Johnson won 17 games but took the Cy ahead of 22-win Mike Hampton).<br /><br />There are too many factors beyond a pitcher's control that determine his win total, yet Lincecum left little doubt that he was the best pitcher in the league this season, leading the league in strikeouts (265), batting average against (.221) and fewest hits per nine innings (7.22) while ranking second in ERA and quality starts.<br /><br />And, of course, he finished second in wins. But in the only category that anyone will remember -- 2008 National League Cy Young Award winner -- Lincecum finished in the only position that matters: first.</p> 22481 http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/375/513/thumb/keith_ted.jpg 0 NY Ted Keith New York 375953