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Tim Lincecum made up with his dad and asked for pitching help again

mike oz
Tim Lincecum, left, and his father Chris, who taught him how to pitch. (AP)
Tim Lincecum, left, and his father Chris, who taught him how to pitch. (AP)

Tim Lincecum is rewinding himself, which is what you should do if you're a two-time Cy Young winner who has lost his way.

Lincecum reported to spring training Wednesday, along with the other San Francisco Giants pitchers and catchers. His long hair was back. And, on a pitching level, he had a bit of news to share: He'd started taking pitching cues from his father again.

It was Chris Lincecum who made his son into "The Freak." He taught him the unconventional delivery. He went against common beliefs and told Tim not to ice his arm after he pitched. Back when Tim shot to stardom in 2008 and 2009, his second and third seasons in the big leagues, Chris was looked at like something of a guru.

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As Lincecum's career declined, so did his relationship with his father. "Estranged" was the word Tim used Wednesday, though that's more on a pitching level than a personal level. Tim didn't turn to his dad for pitching help anymore. He was a World Series-winning big leaguer with all the modern amenities available to him, not a high-school kid playing catch with his dad

But now, after Lincecum had a less than stellar 2014 (12-9 with a 4.74 ERA) and found himself mostly in postseason exile, he sought refuge with the man who taught him how to throw. Hank Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle tells us more:

In the biggest winter of his professional life, Tim Lincecum swallowed his pride, apologized to his father, Chris for a stubborn refusal to listen to his dad and went to work trying to fix the broken mechanics that have threatened Lincecum’s career. ...

The 30-year-old right-hander said he spent the offseason going over “bullet points” regarding his delivery with his father after years of a professional estrangement. As Lincecum continued to struggle year after year, he admitted, he got tired of having to answer to Chris about what was going wrong. Until he realized that his dad was the best choice to try to get him back on track.

“It’s kind of like a kid with a bad report card,” Lincecum said. “You can’t hide it from (your parents) all summer, can you?”

(USA TODAY Sports)
(USA TODAY Sports)

Lincecum is entering his age-31 season, with free agency looming again. This isn't just about getting another big contract for Lincecum, it's about proving he's still worthwhile to MLB teams. Giants manager Bruce Bochy said after last season that Lincecum would get a chance to start in 2015, and he reiterated that Wednesday.

His leash as No. 5 starter won't be too long, though. The Giants will, for now, pencil in Yusmeiro Petit and Ryan Vogelsong as relievers, but either could easily replace Lincecum if he has another rocky start. That has to be part of the reason Lincecum went back to his dad. As he's struggled to find himself in recent years, he's tried different things. Last winter, he rented out a warehouse in Washington and put in more offseason work than ever before. That didn't quite work, but maybe Dad will.

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Tim reports that he and Chris had more than 50 throwing sessions between the end of the Giants' postseason run and the start of spring training. So this wasn't just playing catch with Dad and nodding at some pointers during the holidays. This was fully going back to his maker.

“I feel more confidence in myself," Lincecum told reporters Wednesday. "I feel I deserve the reward you can find from doing the right kind of work.”

This is a familiar scene for anybody who has followed the Giants the past few years: Lincecum tries to find his mojo and fans hope — probably against their better judgment — that this will finally be the year he does. They're used to being disappointed by now.

This time, though, may actually be Lincecum's final chance to show the Giants he has something left. Seems like the right time to ask Dad for help.

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Mike Oz is an editor for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at mikeozstew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!