But if he wins, it could be an interesting interview
San Francisco Giants right-hander Tim Lincecum improved in almost every statistical category from his Cy Young Award-winning season in 2008, but he is not the favorite to repeat when the National League winner is announced Thursday.
If he does beat out St. Louis Cardinals co-aces Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright, though, it will be one heck of an interesting conference call with members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.
That’s because Lincecum still has not commented publicly since he was slapped with two misdemeanor counts after a highway patrolman seized 3.3 grams of marijuana and a pipe during a traffic stop Oct. 30 for speeding on Interstate 5 in Hazel Dell.
Lincecum agreed to plead guilty to a lesser infraction and pay a $250 fine as part of a standard plea arrangement with the prosecutor’s office in Clark County.
But Judge Darvin Zimmerman has requested that Lincecum make a court appearance Dec. 22 before he considers signing off on the agreement.
The judge might be motivated to make a high-profile example of Lincecum to deter other young people from marijuana use.
“The judge wants to see him and talk to him,” prosecutor Grant Hansen said. “He’s going to make an appearance, and that’s all we know.”
Both the Giants and Lincecum had planned to maintain public silence until the court matter is resolved.
If the judge refuses to accept the plea deal, Lincecum’s two misdemeanor charges — for possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia with intent to use — each carry a maximum of 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.
Although USA Swimming issued a three-month suspension to Michael Phelps after the Olympic sensation was photographed inhaling from a marijuana pipe, Lincecum is not in danger of being punished by Major League Baseball.
It is also unlikely to affect arbitration proceedings, through which Lincecum is expected to receive more than a tenfold raise from the $650,000 he made last season. It is possible that Lincecum will approach or exceed the record $10 million that Phillies slugger Ryan Howard received in his first year of arbitration eligibility in 2008; Howard had earned $900,000 the previous season.
A second Cy Young certainly would boost Lincecum’s arbitration number, and he is expected to be listed in the top three on most ballots. He had only a 15-7 record, but his ERA improved from 2.62 in his Cy Young year to 2.48 this past season.
