#Tim Lincecum #No Hitter - 5 Reasons Unlikely Coincidence - Tim Lincecum Fangraphs, Tim Lincecum Twitter, Tim Lincecum

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 Tim Lincecum #No Hitter -   Unlikely Coincidence?  -  #Tim Lincecum Fangraphs,  Tim Lincecum, SanFranciscoGiants.com, SFGaints, No Hitter - #PEDs?



It seems like whenever the Giants are on a skid, something like this happens, eg Lincecum no-hitter, the second in two years and against the same team.  One just has to wonder at least a little bit...
The Giants had just lost 10 of 13 and two in a row to San Diego and suddenly Lincecum, now 30, blows away San Diego, this year more with   cut pitches more than the fastball. Last year he was suddenly throwing mid-90s fastballs and 140 total pitches, unheard of for most pitchers, especially the diminutive Lincecum. This year he did it with the cut stuff and seemed to do it effortlessly and as if he knew it it was coming. Tim Lincecum No Hitter , Tim Lincecum Fangraphs,  Tim Lincecum Twitter, Tim Lincecum, SanFranciscoGiants.com, SFGaints, No Hitter, #PEDs?

WHY UNLIKELY TIM LINCECUM NO HITTER?

1) First Pitcher in 100 Years to Throw Two No Hitters for San Francisco Giants
  (Christy Mathewson through the other). Even the great Juan Marichal didn't throw two.) 
   
2) First Pitcher to Throw Two No Hitters Against the Same Team

3) One of Only a Handful of Pitchers to Throw No Hitter After Age 30
     On the Downside of His Career

4) Perhaps the only Pitcher to throw Two No Hitters Despite a near 5.00 ERA

5) Threw No Hitter Almost Effortlessly, Almost Expected

Lincecum is only the second pitcher in the history of the Giants to throw two no-hitters...and he nearly threw a third last year against Chicago and he's doing it well past his prime Cy Young seasons, which makes things seem even more odd. This year he's been able to throw 93 mph on occassion but used other pitches, too. In addition, Lincecum got two base hits, more than his total for the whole year.



Again, one just has to wonder at least a bit how this could happen. We've seen Sandoval suddenly hit three homeruns against Detroit top pitching in playoffs and more homers in October than the rest of the season. We've seen other late career players like  Cody Ross, Aubrey Huff and Pat Burrell suddenly ramp it up for the playoffs and World Series -in fact the entire Giants team has almost
magically 'caught fire' late in seasons with different cast of characters.  It was very unlikely and perhaps unbelievable to see the Giants, led by players like Lincecum to blow out much better teams in those 2010 and 2012 playoffs
and series.




And, again, this time, when the Giants needed a lift, almost magically, probably the Giants weakest starter(near 5,00 ERA for the season) puts up a no-hitter, something he couldn't even   during his prime - and now he's done it twice in two years at age 30.
San Diego may be the weakest hitting team in baseball but they've been hot lately, beating the Giants twice. Tim Lincecum No Hitter - Unlikely Coincidence?, Tim Lincecum Fangraphs,  Tim Lincecum Twitter, Tim Lincecum, SanfranciscoGiants.com, SFGaints





The Giants are known to look for things like this to spark not only the team but the fan base - and have long turned the other way concerning the use of Performance enhancing drugs. No , we're not saying Lincecum used them, yet there are too many coincidences here. We can't say for sure - the fastball wasn't a key factor here by which  we often use to help measure performance trends and likelihood of PED use - but  PEDs work for other pitches, too,  adding dip, curving action, etc. NOW WITH THE LATEST DESIGNER DRUGS- FOR WHICH MLB HAS STILL NOT  INSTITUTED TESTS (WHICH DO EXIST) THAT CAN DETECT THEM - PLAYERS CAN GO ON AND OFF THE DRUGS ON A WHIM AND HAVE THEM OUT OF THE SYSTEM WITHIN HOURS, eg Lincecum can take a dose before the game and have it out of his systems hours later. Why do you think players like Sandoval and others have sudden spurts of success amidst failures. 



 Furthermore, we can look at empirical data of known #PED users   such as Bartolo Colon,    comparing F/X (FANGRAPHS) (velocity) stats with those of Lincecum. We DON'T see an expeced increase in velocity, but a natural age-related decrease in velocity. For Colon, the fastball showed a drop from 92.1 to 90.9 and for Lincecum the fastball dropped  from 93.6 mph to 89.8 in a seven year period from 2007 and 2014.  No, we can't be sure Colon and LIncecum were users the entire seven year period but we can assume that Colon probably was. And, instead of an expected increase of velocity from the PEDs we actually see a drop. Likewise with Lincecum.  Then, of course, there are different types of  PEDs. Steroids such as creatine used by Mark McGwire ,   popular earlier, add  mass and bulk, thereby especially enhancing one's bat speed, ie power, while also aiding in hand-eye coordination, ie seeing and hitting the ball better. 


SO, HOW DO THE NEWER DESIGNER PEDs HELP PLAYERS? Today , the newer designer drugs like testosterone may not add the bulk but ,rather, still improve accuracy/hand-eye performance , ie  we may not see a huge rise in homeruns but we see improved batting averages and reduce strikeouts while on the PEDs. In pitching , with the newer drugs , we would see similar changes, including ball movement. Pitches  will do unusual things such as giving exaggerated movement to the pitch/ball.   Players have become smarter and have learned to 'hide' their improved performances. No longer do we see cartoon-like homerun totals but higher batting averages, take known PED user Melky Cabrera  who suddenly raised his batting average  50 points when he joined Kansas City / San Francisco before being suspended as a Giant. The above is our take / opinion on a subject that we hope we can stop writing about one of these days , but for now we feel, as 'old-school' baseball fans, needs to be brought before the public.

SEE LINCECUM FIRST NO HITTER: Unlikely 148-Pitch No Hitter, Giants Up to Old Tricks Again?

SEE MORE GIANTS

Tim Lincecum No Hitter - Unlikely Coincidence?, Tim Lincecum Fangraphs,  Tim Lincecum Twitter, Tim Lincecum, SanfranciscoGiants.com, SFGaints

ALEX RODRIGUEZ FINALLY GETS HIS DAY IN COURT - ON TV's 60 MINUTES

ALEX RODRIGUEZ FINALLY GETS HIS DAY IN COURT -  ON TV's 60 MINUTES

Alex Rodriquez never did get the trial he probably
deserved. So, his case went before TV's 60 Minutes
Sunday night,  January 12.

Rodriquez has sued the Commissioner of baseball
calling his suspension of 211 games (later
reduced a still whopping 162) 'a witchhunt.'


When Selig is questioned by 60 Minutes whether Rodriquez
is being 'singled out' Selig simply replies
that Rodriquez'actions were 'beyond comprehension,'
without giving specifics.
Well, there certainly was no trial and
not a whole lot of justice as we could see it.


Now, mind you, we're not defending Rodriquez purported
use of PEDs, by any teams; in fact, we're vehemently against
their use , which we feel has been the ruination of baseball today.


It is our belief that Commissioner Selig,
who appears to be  a very nice man, personally, never
was able to control performance enhancing
drugs in baseball. The problem has gone on
probably as long as Selig has been commissioner -almost 
two decades-
and doesn't seem to have improved, though
he tells us that  he is now proud to have 
'the strictest drug policy in all major sports.'


As far as singling people out, others, such
as Barry Bonds, have tried to obstruct justice.
In fact Bonds was even convicted in his court
case NOT for using steroids but for OBSTRUCTING JUSTICE.
Others like Rafael Palmeiro lied under oath
during the Mitchell Hearings.
As for Rodriquez, guilty or not guilty as he
may be of steroid use there were no court hearings
of which we know.  If the man wants to appeal
that group (Biogenesis) conviction, he should be
allowed a fair trial.


With the commissioner's reign coming to an end
he no doubt wanted to finally put an end to
what has ruined baseball in the eyes of many,
including our own. He thought he could pick
on one man, Rodriquez, and scare off everyone else.
By so doing, Rodriquez has had to ratchet
up his case and say some of things that probably
should have been saved for the court room. What's 
had to come out in the media, instead, has probably
infuriated Selig, but it's his own fault for the willy nilly
way he has handled PEDs in baseball.


Sure, there's a good chance that Rodriquez
used steroids but just because he's the 'golden boy'
big name  of the 20 or so Florida lab cases, he shouldn't\
have been singled out with a stiffer penalty
(players normally get 50 games for one PED
infraction and 100 for two). 


Rodriquez, to our knowledge, has not been
personally convicted of PED usage. He was 
just one of many whose name was turned over by the Biogenesis
lab in Florida, after its owner , Tony Bosch,
was ratted on by a disgruntled employee. 
As Bosch feared for his life he came forward
to major league baseball.  There was no
court case for Bosch, either. He could be
lying for all we know. 


Selig has approached the whole matter in
a very unscientific manner. As the lawyer we 
believe him to be, he should know better,
innocence until proven guilty


And, as far as Selig being proud to have
the 'best drug testing' in baseball, there
wasn't a single PED conviction at the major league
lever this past season, to our knowledge. 
Don't tell us , Mr Selig , that the problem
is cleaned up, that nobody is still using.
Your most recently updated drug policy 
barely called for a single testing during
the regular season (2013) after testing
was only given during the preseason during
prior years - this after a decade and dozens
of PED convictions, including the Mitchell
report findings (At least the government
did a formal hearing, from which little
was done by MLB, thereafter, to change 
things , to our knowledge. What would stop
players from continuing to use PEDs -
especially the new designer, now undetectable
ones -  when they knew they were
unlikely to be tested more than once 
during the season-and normally with warning
(the latest testosterone drug can be out of
one's system and undetectable within hours)?



The main reason we make an issue of
the Rodriquez-Selig case is that it brings
to a head what's been going on for years,
mishandling of drugs in baseball to the
ruination of the game. Sure, some newer
fans, especially, have only grown up to
see baseball played one way, on steroids.
But many of us vintage fans remember when
the Golden Era of baseball when games were
played on a level playing field.  Living 
in the Bay Area and having to see an otherwise mediocre San 
Francisco Giants team, sans PEDS,
 steal two World Series in three years
with THREE CONVICTED PLAYERS doing enough
on their own to put the Giants over the top has been difficult.
(At least we had a team across the Bay, in Oakland, with only
one KNOWN user.)


ALEX RODRIGUEZ  GETS HIS TRIAL ON TV's 60 MINUTES

Mota, Testosterone, San Francisco Giants - Sabean Makes More Excuses

Mota, Testosterone, San Francisco Giants - Sabean Makes More Excuses

The Chronicle reached Giants general manager Brian Sabean by phone a few minutes ago, and he offered this explanation on the team’s decision to activate reliever Guillermo Mota 8/31/12, SFGate,com:

 “Our organization, before MLB was doing anything, before baseball even tested, we tested in the minor leagues. We strictly adhere to the program. We feel the program is a good one, and it’s working. Whether there will be changes made, that’s not for me to say because of collective bargaining. The long and short of it is, the club has no right to impugn anyone any more. You have to go case by case. We’re aware of Mota’s case inside and out, and we feel it was an honest mistake.”

 On any concerns about the perception of the Giants, given Melky Cabrera’s recent suspension for testosterone use: “We’re always concerned about our brand, about how you’re perceived. But we’ve done nothing wrong. The player has done something wrong, faced the music, and under the policy of Major League Baseball we don’t have the right to shut him out. We don’t have the right to further sanction him.”

  But, Brian, you do have the responsiblity to bring in players NOT suspected of drug  and especially NOT  two time convicted ones.  To say that Mota made an 'honest mistake' is laughable....NOT READING THE COUGH MEDICINE LABEL!  That's even worse than Bond's 'flaxseed oil' excuse because not only Mota is saying the testosterone was in cough medicine but he also said he didn't read the label. Then, on top of that, it's his SECOND CONVICTION! Come on Brian! Fool be once...

  Is it shear coincidence that during your reign you've brought in 10 convicted users and a number more of suspected ones. No other team has brought in more than one ro two, and usually made a point to carefully check them out after that. Why do you think Mota and other suspected guys cleared waivers? Other teams have the decency not to mess with them, even if it would mean (illegally) helping their team

.

Bringing in Jose Guillen , alone, gave you several game winning hits, enough to cover the one game finish over San Diego. This year,  recently-banned Melky Cabrera probably meant another 5-10 wins in the time he was here.  And now two time convicted user, Mota , is back , not to mention several other suspected users.  As Arizona manager Kirk Gibson points out, it's not fair to the other (abiding) teams to knowingly acquire such players. (Sorry , Brian, but other teams knew better and so you got a real deal for both Cabrera and  Mota.  No due dilligence here.  These and other players you go after had dramatic spikes in their stats, were malcontents with prior teams (when a player plays on four different teams in four years you must wonder, too). Nuff evidence. Nuff said. Stop it now or finally step in Stupid Selig.

Mota, Testosterone, San Francisco Giants - Sabean Makes More Excuses

 

PEFORMANCE  ENHANCING SUPPLEMENTS - Mota: Giants Continue to Thrive , Get  Away with Drug-enhanced Players

Giants Welcoming back Two Time Offender Mota Must Make Purists Wonder about Giants, Baseball Today

In light of the SF Giants reactivating Guillermo 'I did not read the label on the cough medicine'  Mota following his second drug violation and 100 game suspension, baseball purists must question how the Giants can get away or have the balls to keep taking on known drug users or reputed ones. And they're winning, why of course, with players other teams respectfully turned away. Meanwhile the Giants continue to win and affect other teams' chances, eg Arizona Dbacks,  with tainted players while baseball turns it's head (with rare exception, ieKirk Gibson).

It's true that the average modern baseball fan is not as concerned with such infractions if a player is entertaining him . Witness Barry Bonds' 10 year steoriod career when the Giants and fans totally supported their meal ticket while getting rid of players and management that didnb't subscribe to the idea, eg best natural team player Jeff Kent and team head Bill Neucomb.

PEFORMANCE  ENHANCING SUPPLEMENTS - Giants Continue to Thrive , Get  Away with Drug-enhanced Players

Giants management claims ignorance when acquiring these tainted players, believing that MLB should do the screening.  If other teams let such players as Cabrera get away for a player like Jonahtan Sanchez one has to know something is going on; then, looking at the numbers and finding Cabrera's sudden resurgence really says something. So much for due dilligence on the part of GM Sabean. Meanwhile the Jints are winning with these players other teams had the respect to turn away. Is it fair to other teams? No. Does it make the Giants and baseball a laughing stock to old school baseball players and fans? Yes.

From 2000  the team has been rampant with convicted and suspected steroid users (in a time before advanced testing was adopted), eg Santiago, Benitas, Bernard in addidtion to Bonds. One must wonder how many others had gone undetected.

The Giants rode their major League leading Drug reputation into the world series in 2002 after acquiring another convicted drug offender, Jose Guillen. After he came to the team, we saw a sudden spike of homeruns and hitting by the giants, with newly acquired Cody Ross hitting 8 homers in a short span and several in the playoffs. Then there were others with equally surprising numbers, like Jose uribe , Renteria and the aforementioned convicted Mota. Note the Latin connection, and most of the success happening after fellow Dominican Guillen joined the team in August. Guillen alone had several game winning hits, enough by himself to make up the one game margin the Giants needed to beat out San Diego IN the playoffs in 2010.

This year the trend contines with Mota and another Dominican, Joaquin Arias outhitting the league since the Allstar break. Arias, who had never hit a homerun in his prevous 2,000 at bats over five seasons has already hit three in the homer unfriendly San Francisco At&t Park. His 12 doubles are double the most he ever hit in a single season prior.

 At an age when most players start slowing down, Angel Pagan   is having a career power year with 8 homers and 29 doubles thru 8/31, again, in theSan Franciso ballpark unfriendly to hitters. Pagan only once hit more homes in a year, in the smaller New York  Met's ball park.

Yet a third player, Gregor Blanco, has hit 5 homers this year in 111 games for the giants which is more than the three he hit  his previous three years and 250 at bats in the big leaques, combined, again, playing in the large ballpark, unfriendly for hitting homers.

It's all very reminiscent of the 2010 team that featured the aforementioned number of Latin players who mysteriously became power hitters with the giants in the large ballpark.'

The Giants are basically thumbing their nose at major league baseball with their 'win-at-any-cost' attitude; they already have two of the five convicted drug users in 2012 in Moto and Melky Cabrera and may well have more who have gone undetected. And, so what if they lose a player like Cabrera.. They got a lot of victories out of his tainted player - at a reducedcost- that could well propel them into the playoffs again.

Sabean as long overlooked the team's drug use, but now even usually cerebral manager Bruce Bochy dismissed any problem with bringing back Mota, saying that the Giants, unlike other teams, are more concerned with a player's well-being and that they should be given another chance, in this case a third. GM Brian Sabean is even more obvious, saying that it's up to major league baseball ot police the players. Now, if Mota performs well one can assume he's still on 'cough medicine.' If he is off the performance enhancing drugs  now, what's the point of having him around. No doubt the Giants hope he's still using PEDs -- at keast long enough to help get them in the playoffs. Let him get ' detected later.

And another recent acquisition, Hunter Pence , has been rumoured to be on and perhaps now off PEDs, based on his recent decline. The Giants may lose on this one unless  Pence decides to risk going back on the drug. In any case it's a win-win propositon for the giants. They can't lose. Get a guy cheap and hope he gets away with it long enough to help propel the team...

So there you you go... The San Franicso Giant's Win-At-Any-Cost attitude. It'a affecting the pennant races, favoring the Giants by far yet only Arizona manager Kirk Gibson has brought up the discrepancy... Bud Selig where are you again? Where Have You Gone Joe DiMaggio? Baseball has become more like westling or roller derby today - an exhibition rather than a true measure of players' talents. Sadly , the ones who are playing it honest, which is still the majority are playing an an unfair field,being affected adversely by the cheaters.her prices for untained ones.  Mota, Testosterone, San Francisco Giants - Sabean Makes More Excuses

PEDs - PERFORMANCE ENHANCERS - Giants Continue to Thrive , Getting Away with Drug-enhanced Players

Giants Welcoming back Two Time Offender Mota Must Make Purists Wonder about Giants, Baseball Today

In light of the SF Giants reactivating Guillermo 'I did not read the label on the cough medicine'  Mota following his
second drug violation and 100 game suspension, baseball purists must
question how the Giants can get away or have the balls to keep taking
on known drug users or reputed ones. And they're winning, why of course, with players other teams respectfully turned away. Meanwhile the Giants continue to win and affect other teams' chances, eg Arizona Dbacks,  with tainted players while baseball turns it's head (with rare exception, ieKirk Gibson).

It's true that the average modern baseball fan is not as concerned with such
infractions if a player is entertaining him . Witness Barry Bonds'
10 year steoriod career when the Giants and fans totally supported their
meal ticket while getting rid of players and management that didnb't subscribe to the idea, eg best natural team player Jeff Kent and team head Bill Neucomb.

SF Giants Continue Promoting, Thriving with Drugs in Baseball with Mota Activation

Giants management claim ignorance when acquiring these tainted players, believing that MLB should do the screening.  If other teams let such players as Cabrera get away for a player like Jonahtan Sanchez one has to know something is going on; then, looking at the numbers and finding Cabrera's sudden resurgence really says something. So much for due dilligence on the part of GM Sabean. Meanwhile the Gaints are winning with these players other teams had the respect to turn away. Is it fair to other teams? No. Does it make the Giants and baseball a laughing stock to old school baseball players and fans? Yes. 

From 2000 on the team has been rampant with convicted and suspected steroid users
)(in a time before advanced t3sting was adoped), eg Santiago, Benitas, Bernard
in addidtion to Bonds. One must wonder how many others had gone undetected.

the Giants rode their major League leading Drug reputation into the world series
in 2002 after acquiring another convicted drug offender, Jose guillen. After he
came to the team, we saw a sudden spike of homeruns and hitting by the giants,
with newly acquired Cody Ross hitting 8 homers in a short span and several in the playoffs.
Then there were others with equally surprising numbers, like Jose Uribe ,Edgar Renteria and the
aforementioned convicted Mota. NOte the Dominican connection, and most of the
success happening after fellow Dominican Guillen joined the team in August.
Guillen alone had several game winning hits, enough by himself to make up the
one game margin the Giants needed to beat out San Diego to the playoffs in 2010.

This year the trend continues with Mota and another Dominican, Joaquin Arias
outhitting the league since the Allstar break. Arias, who had never hit a homerun
in his previous 2,000 at bats over five seasons has already hit three in the
homer unfriendly San Francisco At&t Park. His 12 doubles are double the most he ever
hit in a single season prior.

but is having a career year with 8 homers and 29 doubles thru 8/31, again, in the
San Franciso ballpark unfriendly to hitters. Pagan only once hit more than
better, in the smaller New York Met's ball park.

Yet a third player, Gregor Blanco, has hit 5 homers this year in 111 games for the giants
which is more than the three he hit all his previous three years and 250 at bats, combined,
again, playing in the large ballpark, unfriendly for hitting homers.

It's all very reminiscent of the 2010 team that featured the aforementioned
number of Latin players who mysteriously became power hitters with the giants in the
large ballpark.'

The Giants are basically thumbing their nose at major league baseball. they already
have two of the five convicted drug users in 2012 in Moto and Melky Cabrera
and may well have more who have gone undetected. And, so what if they lsoe a player
like Cabrera.. They got a lot of victories out of his tainted player - at a reduced
cost- that could well propel them into the playoffs again.

In a statement, Bruce Bochy dismissed any problem with bringing back Mota,
saying that the Giants, unlike other teams, are more concerned with a player's well-being
and that they should be given another chance, in this case a third. GM Brian Sabean
is even more obvious, saying that it's up to major league baseball ot police the players.
Now, if Mota performs well one can assume he's still on steroids. If he is off the
steroids now, what's the point of having him around. No doubt the Giants hope he's
still using steroids -- and long enough to help get them in the playoffs. Let him get '
detected later.

And another recent acquisition, Hunter Pence , has been rumoured to be on and perhaps
now off steroids, based on his recent decline. The Giants may lose on this one unless
Pence decide to risk going back on the drug. In any case it's a win-win propositon
foir the giants. They can't lose. Get a guy cheap and hope he gets away with it
long enough to help propel the team...

So there you you go... The San Franicso Giant's Win-At-Any-cost attiutude. It'a
affecting the pennant races, favoring the Giants by far yet only Arizona manager
Kirk Gibson has brought up the discrepancy... Bud Selig where are you again?

 

PEDs - PERFORMANCE ENHANCERS - Giants Continue to Thrive , Getting Away with Drug-enhanced Players