HOF Jim Palmer "Overwhelmed" By Lincecum

Had to point out a great article on the Chronicle about Jim Palmer's reaction to Tim Lincecum, written by Scott Ostler. Apparently, Jim Palmer had similar mechanics to Lincecum:

The exaggerated lean-back, the sling-like throwing motion, the high-90s heater, the lean frame, the ice-free postgame cool-down -- long before Tim Lincecum, that package belonged to Jim Palmer.

A major-league pitching coach once told Palmer, "I always show pitchers your windup and tell 'em that's the way not to throw."

Strange mechanics and all, Palmer pitched 19 years and wound up in the Hall of Fame.

Palmer also didn't ice his arm nor did he ever worry about pitch counts.

Palmer had these observations on Lincecum:

"The first time I saw him pitch, he was not particularly good. Yesterday, he was brilliant. I watched two or three innings; that was enough. I saw the great changeup he threw to (Prince) Fielder, which Fielder just kind of waved at. It looks like he's got real good mound presence. He's got great stuff."

"He's got overwhelming ability," Palmer said. "Jim Kaat was saying back in '90, 'If a guy's got great velocity, great movement, great location and deception, that guy's going to the Hall of Fame. This kid looks like he has those four things. Now, he's just gonna have to figure out how to stay healthy enough to pitch."

There was also an observation by Palmer about changeups, the pitch that Lincecum said recently was key to his adjustments and doing well again:

Another lesson Lincecum could learn from Palmer: Trust your changeup. Giants manager Bruce Bochy has been encouraging Lincecum to use his change more often.

Palmer agrees. He said he was talking to a group of the Cardinals' minor-league
pitchers recently and asked them to name the NL's two best pitchers, lefty and
righty, over the last 15 years. "They go, '(Randy) Johnson and (Curt) Schilling,' " Palmer said. "I said, 'No, the last 15 years.' 'Ah! (Greg) Maddux and (Tom) Glavine.' What do they do? Throw the changeup in any count. ... It's like (Baltimore pitching coach) Leo Mazzone says, a hitter can time a jet plane if it comes across home plate often enough. Hitting is timing, and pitching is trying to disturb that timing. The changeup just slows the bat down."

Ostler lastly noted (hopefully Tim read this article):

And if Lincecum ever wants to pick a brain that won 268 games, Mr. Palmer
will be glad to take the kid's call.

Pretty cool column by Ostler, I never realized that Palmer had a similar windup to Lincecum (or rather vice-versa), I guess I don't remember his much, as his career was hitting its peak around when I started following baseball. I guess I didn't get to see many east coast teams. Plus, I was always more into the hitters than pitchers.