TIM LINCECUM17-5, 2.66 ERA

“When it comes down to it, I honestly think Lincecum has thebest stuff in all of baseball.” -Padres’ All-Star first baseman,

Adrian Gonzalez,

San Jose Mercury News

Giants right-handed pitcher

Tim Lincecum

has posted a remark-able 2008 season and is a candidate of earning one of baseball'shighest honors. He currently leads all Major League pitchers instrikeouts and ranks third overall in ERA, along with ranking third inwinning percentage. Listed throughout this packet is just a handfulof Lincecum's achievements this season and what his peers, man-agers and other former Cy Young award winners have said aboutthe Giants' ace this year.•leads majors with 252 strikeouts and is 2nd in NL with a 2.66 ERA...isalso tied for 2nd in NL for wins with 17 and 2nd in circuit with 25quality starts, while his .773 winning pct. and .223 opponents avg.against leads all NL starters...•also ranks among NL leaders in strikeouts per 9.0 innings (1st -10.3), along with allowing fewest homers per 9.0 innings in seniorcircuit this season (0.45)...•his 2.22 ERA on the road is lowest among all NL leaders, while his10 road victories are tied for the 2nd-most in NL...in fact his .833winning pct. on the road this year was 2nd best in SF history...onlypitcher to have just 1 loss in at least 10 road decisions was JasonSchmidt in 2004 (9-1, .900)...•has left with the lead in 5 contests this season in which he waseligible for the win, but bullpen squandered lead and he wound upwith no decision...Brandon Webb has had just 1 such game thisseason...•has posted lowest avg. against with runners in scoring position inmajors this season (.164, 31-for-189)...•has proven to be SF's stopper this season, going 13-3 with a 2.85ERA (51er, 161.0) in 24 games following Giants losses, with clubwinning 16 of 24 contests...is 1st pitcher with at least 13 wins inseason following his teams’ losses since Paul Byrd, Randy Johnson,Pedro Martinez and Barry Zito each had 13 wins in 2002...•is 13-1 this season with 2.87 ERA (45er, 141.0ip) when Giants scoreat least 3 runs of support for him (21 starts)...•established SF-era single-season strikeout record with 252, sur-passing Jason Schmidt’s 2004 total of 251...is currently 11th onfranchise’s all-time list, with Mickey Welch establshing Giants stan-dard of 345 for 1884 New York club...•is 9th Giant since 1900 to record 200 strikeouts in season

22ndoccurrence...•has posted 17-5 mark, logging most wins by Giants pitcher sinceSchmidt went 18-7 in 2004...

TIM LINCECUM 17-5, 2.66 ERA

QUOTES ABOUT LINCECUM

“He has three almost unhittable pitches,”Houston’s

Lance Berkman

said. “When hethrows those off-speed pitches where hewants, you’ve got no chance.”

San Francisco Chronicle

“To have the numbers that he does on a teamthat’s below .500 is that much more impres-sive,” Arizona Manager

Bob Melvin

said Tues-day, a day after watching his lineup get slicedup by Lincecum.

San Jose Mercury News

“He has absolutely filthy, nasty stuff,” Braunsaid. “He’s one of the best pitchers in theleague.” –

Ryan Braun,

Milwaukee Journal- Sentinel

“He’s got some of the best stuff in the game, ifnot the best,” –

Brian McCann

Atlanta Jour- nal-Sentinel

“Muhammad Ali and Michael Jordan were un-orthodox and people couldn’t do what they do,”Arizona second baseman

Orlando Hudson

said. “He might be put right in that categoryone day. I like him. I hope he stays healthy.He’s a guy who can be around a while and bea 15-game winner every year. He has electri-fying stuff and he’s like Dwight Gooden.”

USATODAY

Asked which stats should be important in CyYoung voting,

Webb said, “A good judge is ERA.”-

Brandon Webb,

San Francisco Chronicle

“He’s got some of the nastiest stuff I’ve everseen.” –

Hunter Pence

San Francisco Chronicle

“If you look at it,” said

Barry Zito

, the onlycurrent Giant who won a Cy Young Award (withOakland in 2002), “strikeouts and ERA are inyour control. Wins and (reaching the) playoffsare not.” -

San Francisco Chronicle

LOWEST ERA IN NL, 2008

RankPitcherERA