Lefty, why get down on The Enchanter now that he's hit his inevitable rough patch? The K's are there, the hits were weak, and he admitted that he got rattled.

Did it suck to watch the Jays score? You bet. But the Giants had plenty of chances to get those runs back.

I didn't know Klesko was hurt, so when I saw that Omar was hitting for him with two on and one out, I started punching myself with the keyboard. There's two runs wasted right there.

And by the way, can we put Sweeney out of our misery yet? Or do you think Sabes can flip him for something valuable (plate of garlic fries?) next month? You laugh, but we got someone for Tucker, didn't we?

>why get down on The Enchanter now

I'm not down on him at all. I simply suggested he might need a break, just as Cain did last year. Skipping a turn is not a big deal, but it might do him some good.

>Did it suck to watch the Jays score? You bet. But the Giants had plenty of chances to get those runs back.

That has nothing to do with Lincecum's pitching.

>Can we put Sweeney out of our misery yet?

If Sabes could trade him for a prospect right now, he should. Otherwise, it's OK to wait.

i am definitely in the camp that says hold on to Sweeney and trade him at the deadline. Sabean has been a master at getting prospects for nothing: Ellison/Blackely; Tucker/Pichardo; Benitez/Messenger

Anyone else notice that the Blue Jay's hitters after the first inning seemed to know when Timmy's curve was coming? Remember the statments from Will Carroll of BP hinting about Timmy tipping his pitches but not being willing to go into detail because to do so would be revealing competative secrets? Could the last three games and today's game in particlular be evidance that Timmy does have this flaw and that the Giants need to catch on to this and get it fixed?

1. Tim's mechanics are just fine.

2. He HAD one of the best curve balls in America, right now he doesn't.

3. His confidence is shaken. He's bummed right now.

This could be a blessing in disguise, as we need to be careful with Lincecum this season, and bring him on slowly. He's on pace to throw way too many innings as a rookie.

I also think we need a new pitching coach, but that's a different story.

Lincecum is a rookie pitcher with a high ceiling. However, he is a ROOKIE, not a savior like some will like to profess. He has a long way to go to getting out ML hitters on a consistent basis. People are getting a little crazy about Linecum around here. He'll be fine, but it will take time.

If we get more than a bag of foul line chalk for Sweeney, they will have fdone well. He has no position and really is only suited to occasional pinch hitting. Not a lot of value there.

I still think we ought to be actively shopping Morris before his bubble bursts. There are a number of teams that can use starting pitching, like St. Louis, NYY, Philadelphia to name a few.

>>2. He HAD one of the best curve balls in America, right now he doesn't.

BigO -- you say his mechanics are find, but couldn't the loss of his curveball be a mechanical problem? It may not be apparent on TV, but it's certainly possible.

The larger point of my post was this: there's no rush to have him pitch. There's no harm in skipping a start to cool him off, work on things, perhaps fix the pitch-tipping if that's the problem.

Well, the message that was left concerning Timmy got "cut off" on the answering machine(as it went on and on sounding pretty bummed)but it said (you can imagine by whom) that his mechanics "aren't bad." Also the comment about the breaking pitch being "the best" but not right now. Didn't go into any detail about what else it could be (but I agree that it certainly could be mechanics). Also ranted about being "dinked" with 8 hoppers up the middle and check swing base hits to the opposite field. Sorry to be so vague but I'm trying to share with you guys w/o losing someone's confidence that they can tell me this stuff.

that was from me of course.

This is a call that just can't be made up here in the cheap seats, so to speak. Last year, with Cain, it was an easier call. Yeah, Timmy is gettin' hit, but, as many have observed, a lot of those are dribblers. If they were rockets all around the yard, then, sure, we can say skip a turn.
But this really depends on what management sees regarding Timmy. He already said he acted unprofessional, and went immediately to watch tape. If his eyes are vacant, if he's talking like he's shell shocked and confused. But if he's pissed and determined, he may very well not need a day off, he may need to get back on the mound. Two or three more of these in a row, then we talk skip a turn.