Tim Lincecum

Tim Lincecum has taken the baseball world by storm over the past two-and-a-half seasons. Depending on who you ask, he is at or near the top when asked to name the best pitchers in the game.

Lincecum won the Cy Young Award in 2008, and he put himself in a position to win another in 2009 with an even better year. Regardless of the outcome of this year's ballot, he will face a landscape in 2010 that he has never before dealt with in his life.

For the most part, the 2009 MLB Awards Season will be a snoozefest.

Tim Lincecum got busted for marijuana possession. Big deal. At least he didn’t hurt anyone. Kill anyone. Cheat the game.

On top of that, the San Francisco Giants ace and Renton, Wash., native wasn’t even under the influence when he was caught.

He just committed a slight faux pas. Had his pipe sitting out during a routine traffic stop. Whoops. We’ve all been there. Not necessarily with marijuana. But other stuff.

Maybe your porn collection was discovered.

Maybe you told a fib to get out of going to the opera, then got found out.

If you're under 35 or have spent ANY time on the West Coast, the news that Tim Lincecum was pulled over and arrested on misdemeanor charges for marijuana possession isn't exactly surprising. Note that it was possession and NOT driving under the influence, which would be a different tune.

Anyway, it's the offseason, the Freak is relaxing, and he's a product of the Pacific Northwest.

Here's a little secret—weed is really popular on the West Coast.

Cy Young award winner Tim Lincecum was cited for misdemeanor marijuana possession last weekend in southern Washington State.

Washington State Patrol reported smelling marijuana when Lincecum initially rolled down the window, and upon inquiring about the smell Lincecum produced 3.3 grams and a pipe.

I just want to tell those members of the media who are about to explode: its OK.

Life will go on.

Look, the 25-year old Lincecum went to Liberty High School in Renton, WA just a few miles away from me and was also just a grade in front of me.

I'm a shade unclear as to the specific voting rules for Major League Baseball's regular season awards. Common sense would dictate the writers who select the winners have to wait until the last of the 162 games (including any one-game playoffs that might be necessary) so that they have a complete data set.

If that's the case, the official tallies should begin rolling in once the Minnesota Twins and Detroit Tigers finish up their hostilities on Tuesday.

Sorry, Phat Albert. 

My sincere apologies, Prince. 

It has to be said. It just has to. So, here it goes. You ready? This'll feel a whole lot better once I get this off my chest. 

Tim Lincecum could (or should) be the 2009 National League MVP. 

OK, alright, fire away. Shoot. Let's have it. Let's hear it. 

Yeah, I hear you. I do. I know Pujols is an irreparable machine of terror. I realize that he has less chinks in his armor than Vader himself. 

I get it, everyone does. 

It had been 11 days since Tim Lincecum toed the rubber for the beloved orange and black.

Those 11 long days have seen the San Francisco Giants get back into, fall out of, and now kind of get back into the National League Wild Card race with the Colorado Rockies.

So with the Rockies opening a three-game set in San Francisco on Monday, it only made sense that Lincecum made his triumphant return to the Giants' rotation after his back spasms caused Madison Bumgarner to make a unexpected debut.

Let's just be honest, nobody around baseball figured Jonathan Sanchez would be the first San Francisco Giant to throw a no-hitter since 1976.

If anyone was willing to venture a guess, the most likely Giant would be either Tim Lincecum or perhaps Matt Cain. Even double-A prospects Madison Bumgarner and Tim Alderson were more likely to throw a no-hitter than Jonathan Sanchez.

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Why don’t the San Francisco Giants lock up ace Tim Lincecum to a long-term contract?

Since the end of his 2008 Cy Young campaign, I have been answering the above question to more people that I can remember. 

Now, with another stellar season almost halfway done, and with Lincecum among the leaders in almost every pitching category, that question is once again finding its way into many a conversation.