Timothy LeRoy Lincecum (born June 15, 1984 in
Bellevue, Washington) is a starting pitcher for the
San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball.
Nicknamed "Franchise" by his teammates, Lincecum's
first major league start took place on a nationwide
ESPN broadcast on the evening of May 6, 2007. At 5
feet 11 inches (1.80 m) tall and weighing 170 pounds
(77 kg), Lincecum is one of the smallest pitchers in
the majors. He throws right-handed and bats
left-handed.
He has frequently been named as the top pitching
prospect in the Giants organization. Lincecum's
two-seam fastball can be thrown at nearly 100 mph,
and he maintains a game velocity in the 96–99 mph
range. He also has a curveball that is thrown at
about 81 mph, with a short quick break that permits
him to be a high strikeout pitcher without an
excessive pitch count. Lincecum uses a changeup to
offset his top two pitches and keep batters
off-balance.
