Chris Lincecum's angst

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Chris Lincecum is always looking out for his sons interests, as a father should. But he also has lived long enough to know you dont play your ace until you know whats in the other guys hand.His quotes to USA Todays Bob Nightengale express both his frustration and a level of anger over the nature of fame in the 21st century. Hes entitled to both, but the first has way more validity.But first, the remarks, as produced by Nightengale:"Here's a two-time Cy Young winner, a four-time All-Star, a World Series champion, and send him to the minors? You do that, and what you're basically telling the player is, 'We don't need you or respect you. And this is the kid who helped bring a championship to the city of San Francisco for the first time in over 50 years?It's like people forget what he's done. It's like, What the (expletive) do I have to do. What more do you want? I gave you two Cy Youngs. I was a major contributor to the World Series. And you crucify me now?You keep saying (expletive) like this, and he'll want to go away. This is the face of the franchiseand now that he's struggling, as all players do at some point, this is the (bleep) respect he gets? You're crucifying him.It's like the media is hoping he fails so they'll have something to write about. If they're trying to get him to leave that city, they're (bleeping) on their way.Okay, lets address these in order.Brian Sabean has not said the Giants will send Tim Lincecum anywhere. They have left all options open, subject to Lincecums performance. There is no evidence that anything has or will be done, and certainly nothing punitive. Moreover, this is not a move they would make without exhaustive conversations with Lincecum himself.RELATED: Tim Lincecum stats2012 game logs News
Second, he is commingling what the Giants have not said with what some fans are saying, which is always dangerous. Fans are not the club, and never have been. Maybe this is why Sabeans famous lunatic fringe remark hit so many nerves.Third, I speak only for this media member in saying I care not whether he thrives or fails. I am not invested either way. Im not supposed to be. He is a story worthy of coverage either way, and he will be no matter what his results are, or where he posts them. I believe most other media members are of similar mind, but again, I speak only for me.And fourth, and this is most important, all these slights, if they are such, are things Lincecum and his agent can bring up when his contract comes up for renegotiation. The time for shoe-squeezing is when one party has determined that it has the advantage on the other, and leverage does not occur in June. It occurs when it comes time to get a deal done, and a deal just got done.RELATED: Baggarly -- Backsliding Zito means more pressure on Lincecum
But wait, there is a fifth. Tim Lincecum himself isnt saying any of these things. He may feel them, and he may even file them away for later, but he knows that hauling them out now at his ebb is a bad tactical choice. If he rallies and returns to full Lincecum-itude, he can use it all to his hearts content, hoping that the Giants forget that their fan base has caused all the angst in his father, not the team itself.That time may come, if the Oakland start fails to address the issues his season has raised. But it is not yet here, it will not happen unilaterally, and it is not the Giants wish to run Lincecum out of town. When his father can separate what is from what is not, and who is saying what is and what is not, hell want to edit his remarks.And since hes being a dad and not an agent, that should be allowed.Ray Ratto is a columnist for CSNBayArea.com