The Stark Truth

The M’s are out of town, but it’s still a good day to play hooky and go watch a ball game.

Tacoma’s just a 30-minute drive away and the Rainiers (20-11) are playing the Reno Aces (10-21) in an 11:30 a.m. getaway game at Cheney Stadium. The Rainiers had a 10-game winning streak snapped Saturday, but snapped back with a 6-5 win on Sunday. Shortstop/second baseman Nick Franklin’s hitting .325. Franklin, 22, might be ready for the majors if the M’s come calling, writes Larry Stone of the Seattle Times. Shortstop/second baseman Carlos Triunfel (he and Franklin alternate at the middle infield spots) is hitting .319. Catcher Mike Zunino, after a hot start, has tailed off to .202. Monday’s pitching matchup: RHP Randall Delgado (0-3, 9.62 ERA) gets the nod for Reno, while Tacoma will counter with RHP Andrew Carraway (3-1, 3.31 ERA). Here’s a link to the Rainiers’ blog, written by announcer Mike Curto. Here’s the Q&A I did with Curto prior to the start of the season.

Links

Mommas, it’s OK to let your boys grow up to be college football coaches. The average salary for major-college football coaches exceeds $1 million, according to this report. The University of Washington’s Steve Sarkisian is making $2.550,000 million in 2013. He has two years left on his contract, which rises to $2.85 million in 2015.

Here’s one person’s list of the top 10 NFL games you should be looking forward to during the 2013 season. And, yes, the Week 2 matchup in San Francisco, when the Niners host the Seattle Seahawks, is one of those must-see games.

Ex-Sonics player and coach Nate McMillan and former WSU basketball coach Kelvin Sampson are reportedly going to get interviews for the vacant Milwaukee Bucks job. McMillan’s also interviewed for the Pistons’ job.

He’s 44-0, but is Floyd Mayweather Jr. the greatest boxer in history? Note even close, writes Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports. Mayweather hasn’t fought many elite fighters, writes Iole.

It’s time for the PGA Tour to start administering blood tests to catch golfers who might be trying to gain an unfair advantage. The way The Tour handled the Vijay Singh case was embarrassing, according to Robert Lusatich of MSN.com.

Here’s a crash-course on the 2013 NFL Draft, a three-day event which starts Thursday.

The schedule — Thursday, Round 1, 5 p.m. Friday, Rounds 2-3, 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Rounds 4-7, 9 a.m. TV: NFL Network and ESPN. Live Stream: NFL.com.

Claire Farnesworth, who covered the Seahawks for the Post-Intelligencer before being hired by the Seahawks, writes that other NFL teams now want to copy what the Hawks did in terms of bringing in big, physical cornerbacks  like Richard Sherman and Brandon Browner. I think it’ll be tough to duplicate what those two guys have done in Seattle the last two years. The stats tell the story: Sherman and Browner have combined for 213 tackles, 21 interceptions and 70 passes defensed during the 2011 and 2012 seasons.

Who do you think the Seahawks should take with their first pick in the NFL draft? They’ve got the 56th overall pick.

How about tight end Gavin Escobar from San Diego State? That’s the guess from Evan Silva, a Yahoo Sports correspondent.

SI.com suggests that this might be the first draft since 1963 that no running backs go in the first round.

Here’s some interesting draft trivia from NFLdraftscout.com. An example: Lawrence Okoye, a 2012 Olympian from England, has never played organized football but drew the attention of scouts at the Super Regional Combine in Dallas. At 6-6, 300, he ran a 4.84 40-yard dash. If the NFL doesn’t work out, the discus record-holder in Great Britain has deferred admission to Oxford Law to fall back on.

Seahawks don’t have a first-round pick, but they’ve made their hay in the middle rounds in the past, writes Jayson Jenks of the Seattle Times.

Russell Wilson’s story makes you wonder if there’s another sleeper QB out there that in this year’s draft.

Some bold predictions for the 2013 draft. Example: There will be at least 10 cornerbacks picked in the first two rounds.

Will the Seahawks pick another QB to battle Josh Portis and Quinn for the backup job? Here’s John Boyle’s take on that. By the way, the Hawks signed another QB, Jerrod Johnson, on Wednesday.

Seattle doesn’t have a first-round pick, but they’ve got a lot of You Tube videos of Percy Harvin, says GM John Schneider.

Here’s 15 potential steals heading into the three-day draft.

Enjoy the draft.

Richard Sherman threw out the ceremonial first pitch Thursday night at Safeco Field and it was a strike. The Seattle Seahawks’ cornerback was back in the news earlier in the week when he said that half of the NFL’s players were using Adderall. The Vancouver Sun in British Columbia reported that story. The NFL called Sherman’s comments “irresponsible” and “ill-informed.” Sherman later said he was misquoted, but The Sun is sticking to its story, and released video of the interview. Sherman made even bigger headline earlier in the offseason when he ripped Skip Bayless on ESPN’s “First Take.” Bayless had criticized Sherman, the Stanford grad took Bayless apart:  ”I’m better at life than you.” He called Bayless “a pompous, egotistical, arrogant cretin.” He said: “I’m gonna crush you in front of everybody.”

Has Sherman gone too far? Have you lost any respect for the guy, who is clearly one of the elite pass defenders in the NFL? Should Pete Carroll rope him in? Or is it all of his trash-talking simply fun and games and harmless? I’m kind of on the fence. I don’t mind a little rebellion once in a while, but it seems the more he puts himself out there, the less funny he becomes.

Havard Rugland, a Norwegian kicker, has been signed by the Detroit Lions to compete with David Akers for the job previously held by Jason Hanson. He’s been dubbed “Kikalicious.” Check out this video and you’ll understand why.

Jeff Garcia, the former NFL quarterback who now works as a quarterback instructor, says the Jets should release Tim Tebow sooner than later.

Why Brady Quinn? “He’s a pro,” said Carl Smith, the Seahawks’ veteran quarterback coach. Smith coached Quinn, who was signed to compete for a backup job earlier in the week, at Cleveland. “His best years are ahead of him,” Smith said.

No. 56. That’s when the Seahawks will pick in the NFL Draft. Claire Farnsworth of Seahawks.com. writes that the team once drafted Michael Jackson, a linebacker from Washington who led the Seahawks in tackles from 1980-82, with the 57th pick. They got cornerback Josh Wilson with the 57th 55th pick in 2007. They’ve never had a 56th pick. Who will it be?

A billion dollars for Green Bay QB Aaron Rodgers? Teammate A.J. Hawk said whatever Rodgers gets, he’s worth every penny.

Jay-Z could help Victor Cruz land a big deal with the New York Giants. The rapper’s Creative Arts Agency recently announced that it had formed an athlete management firm called Roc Nation Sports. Yankee second baseman Robinson Cano was his first client.

How about some more odds?

Passing through Nevada on my way south to Arizona, I checked out  some odds other than those related to the NCAA basketball tournament.

The Washington Huskies, who open the football season at home against Boise State on Aug. 31, are 80-1 shots to win the BCS championship. Boise State, which beat the UW in the Las Vegas Bowl in December, are 50-1 shots.

Alabama (3-1) is favored to win another title. Oregon (4-1) and Ohio State (6-1) were behind ‘Bama.

Besides Oregon, Stanford (10-1) is the only Pac-12 team given a decent shot of winning a national title. But UCLA (40-1), USC (40-1), Arizona State (50-1) and Oregon State (60-1) are all higher rated than the Huskies. Arizona (100-1), Washington State (150-1), Colorado (200-1) and Utah (300-1) didn’t get much respect at all from Nevada bookies.

The Seahawks are getting a lot of respect. Seattle is lumped with New England and Denver at 5-1 to win Super Bowl XLVIII. The 49ers (4-1) are the team to beat. Green Bay (9-1), Houston (10-1), Atlanta (10-1), New Orleans (10-1) and defending champion Baltimore (10-1) are in the next tier.

Do you like the Mariners chances to win the World Series? Nevada oddsmakers list them at 30-1, same as the Diamondbacks, White Sox and Pirates. The Dodgers (5-1) are the pick this season, followed by the Tigers (7-1) Angels (7-1) and Blue Jays (7-1). The Nationals (8-1), and Yankees (8-1) have the next-best odds. The Marlins (100-1) and Astros (100-1) are the longest shots.

Did you put money on Florida Gulf Coast in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament?  FGC’s odds are 999-1. And what were the odds of the FGC coach landing a supermodel for a wife? Really, he did. Read it right here.

GONE-zaga was an 8-1 shot with WAS being the operative word. The Zags ran into a pretty good team in Wichita State, which shot it really good when it mattered. But a lack of depth was apparent, especially after guard Gary Bell went out with an ankle injury in the first half and didn’t return. The Shockers’ bench outscored Gonzaga’s little-used subs 34-7.

The Miami Heat have now won 25 straight games, so it wasn’t surprising to see them as a 5-6 favorite to win the NBA Finals. That means you gotta bet $5 to win $6. Unless you have Donald Trump money, it’s not even worth a play. The Spurs and Thunder are at 3-1 with the Bulls and Clippers at 8-1 and Pacers and Knicks at 9-1.

Jimmie Johnson (2-1) is the clear-cut favorite to win NASCAR’s 2013 Sprint Cup.

Links

Sacramento’s new arena deal avoids new taxes. Are Kings closer to keeping NBA team from moving to Seattle?

RG3 recovery from injury superhuman, says Dr. James Andrews.

Here’s a nice photo gallery from The Spokesman-Review of the Gonzaga-Wichita State NCAA game.

That’s all for now. Got a baseball game to see tomorrow. Time to break out the sunscreen. We’re six minutes away from the home of the White Sox and Dodgers in Glendale, it’s 20 minutes to Peoria, 30 to Surprise. Have a good Sunday. Hope your bracket’s not too busted up.

Name the Seattle Seahawks player who is in the news again?

Yep, Richard Sherman.

After two years in the NFL, the all-pro cornerback has already established himself as the best trash talker to put on a Seattle uniform since The Mouth himself, Gary Payton.

Sherman’s latest target is Darrelle Revis, the Jets’ Pro Bowl cornerback. They got into a pretty entertaining war of words on Twitter Wednesday.

Mouthy athletes aren’t appealing most of the time, but there seems to be a playful side to Sherman’s banter. He likes the attention, and the thing is, he’s been able to back up his talk thus far.

I can’t wait to hear what he has to say when his contract is up, or when he asks to re-do his contract. The dude’s gonna command a pretty hefty salary at some point, and I can’t imagine him putting on a muzzle during negotiations.

Here’s some of the Twitter madness that went down between Sherman and Revis, courtesy of ESPN 710 radio:

Sherman: ”one season u will get 8 picks…. But it won’t happen anytime soon… I did it in my 2nd season… So u have something to chase”

Sherman: ”Got off my flight to this hilarious convo. So I have 8 picks 3 ff and a sack. My season stats looking like Revis career stats”

Sherman: ”For the QB not throwing his way argument. In his 2nd year they were throwing his way. I still doubled his picks”

Revis: ”That’s like you saying your better then Deion Sanders & since he’s not playing no more he’s irrelevant for what he’s done.”

Revis: ”child please, lol!!! Your still taking baby steps son. Don’t get to a head of yourself.”

Revis: ”Hey everyone @rsherman_25 wants to be a lockdown corner. He wants to be in the talks of a lockdown corner. So follow him so he can become 1!”

Revis: ”This dude just interrupted my NBA 2k game cause he has draSms to be a lockdown corner!!! HAHA #keepdreaming”

Sherman: ”Remember that time the number of twitter followers mattered more than the production on the field? Me either”

Sherman: lmao he living off reputation right now… I’m living off performance. That’s why he’s mad…

The Seahawks are not only good enough to beat the Atlanta Falcons in Atlanta on Sunday (10 a.m., FOX), they’re playing with house money.

There’s no pressure on these Seattle birds, who have not missed a beat since getting on a roll with a road victory over the Bears.

The Falcons are the No. 1 seeds, but haven’t been soaring like the Hawks. Atlanta is coming off a loss to Tampa Bay and has lost two of its last four games. There’s also the fact that Atlanta is 0-3 in the playoffs under current coach Mike Smith. The Falcons will be dissed big-time if they don’t win this one. Think they’re feeling a little pressure?

But if you’re a Seattle fans, there are questions. Here are six that come to mind?

Q1: Can the Seahawks overcome the loss of defensive end Chris Clemons, their best pass rusher?

As good as Clemons is, Seattle should be able get it done without him. This is an opportunity for first-round draft pick Bruce Irvin to make a name for himself on the national stage.

Q2: Can Seattle sustain the energy and focus that’s gotten them this far?

That’s the main concern. If you’re a Hawks fan, you’d like to think they’re peaking at the perfect time. On the other hand, you hope they haven’t peaked too early. It’s so difficult to maintain that edge, but I’m inclined to think a lack of energy or focus won’t be a problem. Considering what’s at stake, it shouldn’t. Plus, these guys look like they’re having too much fun to wear down now. One of the most impressive traits of this team once it got on its roll is how it’s been able to play from the first snap to the last without any letdowns. You gotta like this quote from Doug Baldwin, as told to Danny O’Neil of the Seattle Times: “We’re going to be physical and consistent. And we’re going to do it until the other team can’t do it anymore.”

Q3: What about the matchup with Atlanta’s skills guys — quarterback Matt Ryan, wide receivers Roddy White and Julio Jones and tight end Tony Gonzalez?

Seattle’s defensive secondary has pretty much controlled opponents all season, but this could be the toughest challenge yet, and the one question that worries me the most. Cornerback Brandon Browner could have trouble with the speed of White and Jones. Those two were targeted 28 times and caught 17 passes for 205 yards in a 31-28 win over Seattle on Oct. 2, 2011. And Tony Gonzalez still has the ability to come up with a big plays. And if they don’t get pressure on Ryan, well, you know what could happen.

Q4: Will the loss of kicker Steven Hauschka, who was put on injured reserve Wednesday, hurt the Hawks?

You never know. The guy they signed, Ryan Longwell, 38, has loads of experience but he hasn’t kicked in the league this season. And Hauschka has been as reliable as any kicker in the league. If it comes down to FGs, it might not be good for Seattle.

Q5: Is there a chance that the Hawks got a little lucky with the schedule makers late in the season? Have they played anybody really good?

I know, I know, I know. The 49ers were pretty good and Seattle put up 42 points on their rivals, but the Niners were beat up that day. The 58-0 and 50-17 wins were impressive, but they were over the Cardinals (who had eight turnovers) and Bills. Seattle struggled to beat the Rams 20-13 in its regular-season final at home and they beat a Redskins team that was less than full strength because of RG3’s knee. And Washington wasn’t all that great to begin with, having won the mediocre NFC West.

Q6: Can scrambling QB Russell Wilson stay healthy?

We saw what the Redskins turned into after RG3s knee injury. And as good as rookie QB Russell Wilson has been, he’s been sacked six times in the last two games. And if he was not able to do the best impersonation of Fran Tarkenton since, well, Fran Tarkenton, he would have several more. And if he’s a second late going into his slide, well, Seahawks’ fans don’t even want to think about that one.

Tickets available

Interested in flying to Atlanta? Sunday’s game at the Georgia Dome is sold out , but the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that StubHub.com was offering 9,000 tickets that started at $60 for upper end-zone seats.

Odds to win the Super Bowl

The Seahawks and Falcons are both listed at 8-1 to win the Super Bowl.  Denver, at 3-1, is the favorite to hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy in New Orleans on Feb. 2.

Did you know?

Courtesy Steve Rudman of Sportspressnw.com comes this trivia: Since playoff seeding began following the 1990 season, just one No. 5 seed has defeated a No. 1 seed, in the 2007 divisional playoffs when Eli Manning led the New York Giants to a 21-17 upset of No. 1-seeded Dallas.

Seattle, a No. 5 seed, would like to duplicate what those Giants did. They defeated No. 2-seeded Green Bay 23-20 (OT) in the NFC Championship game and the AFC’s No. 1-seed, New England, 17-14 in Super Bowl XLII.

Seattle’s also trying to become the third-straight wild card to win the Super Bowl, following Green Bay (2010) and the Giants (2011).

Packers or Niners?

OK, let’s say the Seahawks win. Who would you like to see them play in the NFC Championship game, the Packers or Niners? Either way, that’s a juicy matchup right? The Packers will want revenge for the Failed Mary play at the Clink earlier this season, and the Seahawks would get another shot at Jim Harbaugh (is there a more hated man in the NFL right now?) and the Niners.

Where are you watching the game?

Just wondering, where’s the best place to watch a Seahawks’ playoff game in Kitsap County? If one is looking to step out of his man cave and wants to join some fans, where do you go? The Cloverleaf and Arena are obvious options in B-town. The casinos are obvious places in the north end. Kelly’s 19th Hole usually draws a crowd in Chico. I would imagine All Star Lanes and Hi-Joy Bowl draw a crowd. What’s the best place in Belfair? Bainbridge? Anybody offering prizes and giveaways? Are there some sleeper joints out there that we should know about?

This is your chance to give your favorite place a little free pub.

Gil Brandt, a senior analysis for NFL.com, shook up his crystal ball and it’s tell him that the Seahawks will beat the Redskins on Sunday. He’s predicting victories for the Packers and Seahawks in the wild card round, which means Seattle would play at Atlanta in the divisional round. The lowest remaining seed after this weekend plays at the No. 1 seed (Atlanta) on Sunday, Jan. 13.

Brandt was one of the most respected minds in the NFL when he was the vice president in charge of player personnel for the Dallas Cowboys (1960-89) and he now writes a blog for the NFL.

If Minnesota (No. 6) beats Green Bay (No. 3)  and Seattle (No. 5)  beats Washington (No. 4), then the Seahawks head down the coast for a rematch with the 49ers (No. 2) on Saturday, Jan. 12.

Here’s how Brandt sizes up the Hawks-Skins game:

» Wilson and  RG3 are obviously the headline-grabbing rookies in this matchup, but the key guy in this game is another first-year player: Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner. He has to make plays against Redkins rookie Alfred Morris for Seattle to have a chance.

» I think the Seahawks caught a good break with this game. Even though they have to travel out east, it’s a late game, starting at about the same time they’d get going in Seattle.

» Both teams have left tackles in the Pro Bowl, which makes it a lot safer to be a rookie starting at quarterback.

Brandt also breaks down all of the QBs in the playoffs, rating RG3 and Russell Wilson No. 8 and 9, respectively.

You can read his thoughts here.

More Links

Some of Seattle’s favorite musicians were on hand Friday morning to raise the blue 12th Man flag at the Space Needle in Seattle. Several Seahawks’ anthems are included with this link, including “Russell, Last Name, Wilson,” by Tim Crispy.

John McGrath of the Tacoma News Tribune writes about coaches Pete Carroll and Mike Shanahan. They share a similar philosophy and a mutual respect for each other. Shanahan wanted to hire Carroll to be his defensive coordinator at one point in their careers, but Carroll got a late offer to return to his hometown area and run the 49ers’ defense.

The Associated Press capsule report on Sunday’s playoff game is loaded with facts and stats (note, the Seahawks are now favored by 3 points; it was 1.5 when this was first published). Did you know that Washington’s last two playoff games were against the Seahawks. Seattle won at home 20-10 in January 2006, and 35-14 in January 2008.

Jim Trotter of SI.com writes how Russell Wilson went from ordinary to extraordinary this season for the Seahawks.

Sally Jenkins of the Washington Post writes about how Wilson and Redskins’ QB Robert Griffin III can change a game in a snap.

Oft-criticized owner Daniel Snyder has taken a hands-off approach with the Redskins, and it’s working, according to this story in the Washington Post.

The Post looks an an interesting matchup: Washington’s receivers vs. Seattle’s rangy defensive backs.

Redskins’ linebacker London Fletcher, one of the most underrated players in the NFL, has gained the respect of his teammates

Mike Sando of ESPN.com breaks the game down.

What They’re Saying …

Steve Raible, voice of the Seahawks and a former Seattle receiver, to ESPN 710 radio:  “Somebody had to remind me in fact that we haven’t won a playoff game on the road — and I bite my tongue when I say this — in 29 years. But that, I think — I feel pretty strongly about it — that one’s gonna go out the window this weekend … I just think the Seahawks, given everything I’ve seen them do in the last half of this season, I believe they’re gonna win the football game.”

Mack Strong, the fullback on Seattle’s Super Bowl team, said this on KJR radio: “If they (Seahawks) don’t have a lot of turnovers, honestly, I don’t think this game will be close. I just think the way the Seahawks are playing, they’re just way too powerful, way too physical, playing at a much higher level, I feel like, than the Washington Redskins. Not to take anything away from them, they’re paying at home. But I just feel like you line their 53 up against our 53, I think we win by at least 10 points.”

KJR’s Dave ‘Softy’ Mahler, who also thinks the Seahawks are going to win: “I mean, some could argue that RGIII is a better quarterback than Russell Wilson. Some may argue that Alfred Morris is having a better year than Marshawn Lynch, but I’ll take the veteran come playoff time, OK? It’s not about being a better team than Washington. It’s about being a better team than them on Sunday. That’s all that matters.”

Port Orchard’s Michael Krug is one of four finalists for the US Youth Soccer’s national Competitive Coach of the Year award. Don’t know why the word competitive is included. Perhaps they have a rec coach of the year. Anyway, congrats are in order. The WestSound FC soccer coach — he guided South Kitsap to a Class 4A state title in his only year on the job at that level — is one of the best around.

More links

Seahawks ranked fourth in CBS’ power rankings.

Can Seahawks follow in the steps of George Halas and Sid Luckman?

Lots of newsy stuff in this seahawks.com blog by Clare Farnesworth. I especially like the quote from San Jose Mercury News columnist Mark Purdy: “Oh, I realize that the 49ers-New England matchup was supposed to be the most epic event in the history of the free world. But when you consider all the factors, beating Seattle is more paramount.”

Catching up with Isaiah Thomas, the former Washington star who is in some sort of sophomore funk with the Sacramento Kings. At least, that’s the tone of this story.

Not that we need to be reminded how much money today’s baseball stars are raking in, but check out this Joe Posnanski post on what some 30somethings are being paid.

Think Tim Tebow might be a good fullback for the Seahawks? He could learn from Michael Robinson and take over the position in a couple years. Meanwhile, Doug Farrar of Yahoo! Sports thinks the Canadian Football League could be Tebow’s salvation.

Mike Silver of Yahoo! Sports writes about brash Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman, the former Stanford standout who has intercepted six passes, forced three fumbles and is credited with 25 passes defensed (second in the NFL).

Sherman thinks he’ll be exonerated of the charge that he used an Adderall-like substance and is still mad that he wasn’t taken until the fifth round in the draft. Silver writes:

To him, staying bitter is a fifth-round thing, and always will be. Yet the truth is, no matter how big a star Sherman might become, he’ll inevitably find a way to convince himself he’s being slighted — and to channel it into brash, unrepentant anger.

“Definitely,” (Sherman) says. “Let’s face it — if I had been the first pick in the first round, I’d still find something to be pissed about.”

The U.S. bobsled and skeleton teams will hold their team races in Lake Placid, N.Y., this weekend, and Bremerton bobsledder and Olympian Bree Schaaf will be sliding. Schaaf, fifth at the 2010 Olympics in Whistler, B.C., competed with a bum hip last season and had surgery at the end of the year. Schaaf was expected to get on the ice this weekend, but plans have evidently changed. She will compete for a spot on the World Cup team. I hope to talk to the Olympic High grad sometime today. Look for an update later.

Tuesday links

ESPN.com released its midseason reports on Pac-12 football teams. The report on the Washington Huskies pegs Bishop Sankey as its most valuable offensive player, and cornerback Marcus Trufant as the Huskies’ top dawg on defense. The report on the Washington State Cougars points out that the Cougs’ defense, led by Travis Long, is surpassing expectations, but the WSU offense has struggled, failing to score touchdowns in two games. Moody WR Marquess Wilson is the offensive MVP to date.

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I’ve argued for years that baseball closers are overrated in the sense that it’s not that difficult to find somebody to come in and get three outs in the ninth inning. Tim Keown of ESPN.com writes a column about it. Look at the Mariners. In recent years, the M’s have had David Aardsma, Brandon League and now Tom Wilhelmsen. If something happened to Wilhelmsen, they’ll find someone else to close games. Stephen Pryor might be next in line. Closers are valuable, but they’re not hard to find.

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Everyone’s got an opinion about Russell Wilson, Seattle’s rookie QB who is turning doubters into believers. Here’s Mike Silver’s take on the undersized QB for Yahoo! Sports.

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Tim Lincecum’s starting to look like his old self again. The former Liberty High and University of Washington pitcher seems to have found his mojo again for the San Francisco Giants. After two stellar postseason outings as a reliever, it looks like Lincecum will get the start in Game 4 for the Giants. Trivia: Chris Lincecum, Tim’s dad, was once a pickup player for the Kitsap Outsiders, a semi-pro baseball team that played its home games at Bremerton’s Roosevelt Field in the early 1970s.