Last year he was simply amazing. In his 34 starts he posted an 18-5 record and a shiny .262 ERA. In the 227 innings pitched he allowed just 66 earned runs, 11 homers and 84 walks while striking out a whopping 265 batters.

It was these gaudy numbers that earned Giants starter, Tim Lincecum, a well deserved Cy Young award in just his second year and an undeniable nickname . . . they don’t call him the “freak” for nothing.

But what’s really freaky is the fact that the 25-year-old righty ace may just be better this year.

Sounds . . . well, freaky but just look at the numbers Lincecum has been putting up this season.

In his 16 starts he has an 8-2 record with a 2.37 ERA, his 114 innings on the mound have yielded just 30 earned runs, four homers and 28 walks with 132 strikeouts.  Last season in his Cy Young run Lincecum had just two complete games and only one shutout. This season Tim has already thrown three complete games and two shutouts.

Hold on though, things get even freakier.

All three complete games have come in his last four starts. During this run Lincecum has a 3-1 record, a 1.03 ERA and has stifled batters with a .197 below the Mendoza line opposing average and striking out 37.

Monday night in his start against the Cardinals however, the Freak was just downright nasty, padding his resume for the job of NL All-Star starter.

While the Giants offense pounded the Cardinals’ pitching staff for 10 runs, Lincecum quietly threw a 95-pitch, two-hit shutout, matching his career best. He struck out eight St. Louis batters, seven swinging, including the near-mythic Albert Pujols. He retired the first 14 in order, flirting with perfection before a single off the broken bat of Rick Ankiel landed in center with two outs in the fifth.

The Freak never allowed a hit when he fell behind in the count going 0-7, his fastball was soaring in at a blistering 94 mph, he went to a three-ball count just twice and he never threw more than 13 pitches in the two-hour, six-minute affair. Rick James would be proud.

And it seems this is rubbing off on the surging Giants’ pitching staff. Teammate Matt Cain is tied with Lincecum for a league-leading three shutouts, the Giants’ rotation leads the league in shutouts with nine and with Monday night’s performance have tossed back-to-back shutouts for the first time since August of the 2002 season.

All this has brought a surprising San Francisco team within seven games of the seemingly unstoppable Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West.

As for Lincecum, he just seems to have everything working right now as he is easily settling into his role as the Giants’ ace, but if you ask me I think teammate Randy Johnson has been rubbing off on him a bit.

I mean, he is growing an epic mullet.

–Aaron Whitebread, Red Editorial Staff

Michael Owen must wonder whether he is going to attract an offer from a ‘big’ club as he prepares to leave Newcastle United.

Owen’s contract at St James’s Park expires on Wednesday, making him a free agent.

A few years ago, such a development would have generated a stampede for his signature.

However, the decline in Owen’s form–coupled with lingering doubts over his fitness–has left managers reluctant to gamble on signing him.

Owen’s management company recently decided to send out a full-colour brochure detailing his past exploits to a selection of Premiership clubs in the hope of attracting interest.

The only thing that the production of the glossy 32-page brochure has attracted, however, is ridicule.

The content includes such gems as the ‘Brand Values’ associated with Owen and hints at a sense of desperation in trying to market a player who is past his best.

Hull City have been making the loudest noises about wanting to sign Owen and, with all due respect to them, they are probably not one of the clubs either the player or his management company had in mind.

Stoke City are another club who have confirmed their interest in signing Owen.

They, like Hull, managed to survive in the Premier League last term after winning promotion the previous season.

Owen probably had his heart set on joining one of the bigger clubs like Everton or Aston Villa.

Neither club appears, however, to have any interest in signing him.

As a boyhood Everton fan, a move to Goodison Park would have no doubt appealed to the 29-year-old.

The truth is that the former England star may have to settle for a club like Hull or Stoke if he is to remain in the Premiership.

If he manages to stay injury-free and find the back of the net with the sort of regularity he did in the past, it may be premature to put the word ‘former’ in front of references to his international career.

It should be remembered that Owen is not yet 30 so it would be foolish to write him off just yet.

–Nick Johnson, Red U.K. Editorial Staff

We like to think that long after we’re gone, we will be remembered for some great deed we’ve done or discovery we’ve made.  Madame Curie and Louis Pasteur come to mind.  Lewis & Clark made a pretty good name for themselves, among others.

But in many history books, Secretary of State William Seward is best remembered for a little political incident called “Seward’s Folly.”  He was Secretary of State under Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Jackson, so yes, we’re talking more than 140 years ago, but Seward’s Folly still haunts us.

For better or worse, Seward’s Folly was the purchase of Alaska from Russia by the United States in 1867.  Back then, pundits called it “the polar bear garden” and a ridiculous waste of $7.2 million. But at the time, those pundits didn’t recognize the potential richness of Sarah Palin jokes.

The great people of Alaska have honored Secretary Seward in a couple of ways: first by naming a town for him, and second by naming the last Monday in March, on which the transfer of deed took place, as Seward’s Day.  It is such an esteemed observance that in many parts of Alaska, you can’t buy alcohol on Seward’s Day. Those folks really didn’t want to be Russians.

The city of Seward, population 3,016, is on the Kenai Peninsula and the entry point for Kenai Fjords National Park. A majority of the park is under ice and water and is best seen from a cruise through Resurrection Bay, but it is probably the best place to see whales, sea otters, sea lions and other such critters in Alaska.

They’re wrapping up a month long halibut fishing tournament in Seward today with a $10,000 cash prize.  It appears that a visiting fisherman from Massachusetts is going to go home with about 250 pounds of fish and a big deposit in his bank account.

But the big event is happening later this week on July 4th.  It’s the Mt. Marathon Marathon and a bit indicative of the creative and energetic personalities that have called Seward home over the years.  Nearby Mt. Marathon is 3,022 feet high, and more than 80 years a go, a couple of slightly intoxicated residents began wondering if you could run to the top and back in less than an hour.

Well, it turns out that on the first run it took a little over an hour, but the winning time in 2008 was less than 45 minutes.  These days, hundreds and hundreds of people apply for the lottery to run the Mt. Marathon Marathon beginning in January.  Hundreds and hundreds of more people stand in the streets, cheering them on while drinking a few cold ones in support of the effort and in memory of the first inebriated runners of this race.

Perhaps in retrospect, this is the folly for which Seward should be most remembered.

–Diana Lambdin Meyer, Red Editorial Staff
–Photo by Bruce N. Meyer

For those people out there who’ve always been rubbed the wrong way by California and its stereotypes, you’re about to be treated to a wonderful explosion in time for the holiday.  Just grab a lawn chair, a cold beverage, and face West.

California is staring at a serious budget problem, and if they don’t come up with around $24 billion by July 1, well, remember that old saying “California or bust?”  These days, maybe California ain’t the place you wanna be.

Desperate times call for desperate measures, but California’s financial abyss is so deep that even desperation looks insufficient.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has been throwing around outlandish money saving emergency moves like selling the L.A. Memorial Coliseum, selling San Quentin prison, releasing thousands of prison inmates, closing over 200 state parks, taking away welfare for a half-million families and terminating health care coverage for nearly a million children.

But any revenue generated from those options would only scratch the surface, and California’s troubles are so bad that even their best export, Hollywood, can’t wrap their heads around a number that big.

Even if you add up the Top 10 grossing films of all time domestically, Titanic, The Dark Knight, Star Wars: Episode IV, Shrek 2, E.T., Star Wars: Episode I, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, Spider-Man, Star Wars: Episode III and the third Lord of the Rings movie, you’re only left with a paltry $4.48 billion, or roughly 18 percent of the debt.

So now, there are some who think California should turn out its pockets and shuffle off to Washington for a handout–err, I mean bail out, sorry–even though Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein has made comments like, “Do you know what the state is getting in stimulus money? $50 billion,” when asked if Washington plans to treat the State of California like they treated GM or AIG.

But that’s never going to happen, and we all know it, don’t we?

Forget about the fact that California is the world’s 8th largest economy and that it accounts for 14 percent of our national economy.  Forget about the fact that 1 out of every 8 Americans live in California, and forget about the fact California has an 11.5 percent unemployment rate–the worst since Tom Joad.

None of those factors are going to matter, and none of them are going to help President Obama send in the cash.  No, not even California’s 55 electoral votes are going to be enough to sway Obama to action in what most of the country would perceive as a reelection strategy first and a solution second.

And don’t waste your time thinking that Obama will lose California during reelection if he doesn’t help out here.  As far as reelection strategies go, helping California is the worst thing he could do.

It might get him 55 electoral votes, but the other 49 states could take that sort of thing personally.  Especially Michigan.  Does anyone out there really need to have this comparison described?  Do you help the state full of movie stars, tanned skin, arugula and colonics before you help the state full of abandoned factories and skinned knuckles?

Of course not.  You just can’t, no matter how bad things are, and they’re pretty bad.  History tells us that California might, somehow, bounce back from this.  After all, it seems like they go through this sort of crisis every year, but the crisis has never been this big.

I don’t think anyone knows what’s going to happen, but as long as Gov. Schwarzenegger is tossing around zany ideas, how about this one?  We’ve all seen how much money blockbuster movies can generate.  The new Transformers cleared $200 million in five days, so here’s my idea:

Does Michael Bay do charity films?

–Joey Alfino, Red Editorial Staff.

Michael Vaughan’s decision to retire from first-class cricket marks the end of a fine career and will herald the start of a new one.

The simple truth is that Vaughan has struggled for motivation since finding himself left out of the England squad.

Struggling for form with the bat for Yorkshire, Vaughan was overlooked for the Ashes squad and that led to him deciding to quit.

Just seeing out his career in county cricket–without the thrill of involvement on the international stage–was not what Vaughan wanted to do.

It is difficult for some sportsmen to let go, so they carry on in their chosen sport well past their sell by date.

That is something that cannot be levelled at Vaughan who has retired less than a year after stepping down as England captain.

Okay, the 34-year-old does have the luxury of being able to call the shots after banking enough money in his illustrious career to enjoy a comfortable retirement.

But he is not just hanging in there in the hope that he can win an England recall, as others in a similar position may have done.

Vaughan knows full well that now is the time to hang up his bat and let his life take a different direction.

As he demonstrated during his time as England captain, Vaughan is a decisive character who takes control of his destiny.

A career in the commentary box awaits alongside other England greats such as Sir Ian Botham, Michael Atherton, David Gower and Nasser Hussain.

It is now becoming very much the domain of former England captains. If you haven’t been an England captain, forget commentating on cricket as a career option, appears to be the message.

Vaughan will confirm the worst kept secret in cricket when he announces his retirement at a press conference on Tuesday.

Thanks, Michael, you were a fine leader who will always be remember for skippering England to Ashes glory in 2005.

Even the Aussies, I am sure, will pay tribute to you.

–Nick Johnson, Red U.K. Editorial Staff

Before the European Under-21 Championship kicked off, Red identified five players to watch at the tournament.

Our selections have enjoyed mixed fortunes in Sweden, with some excelling and others flopping.

Here’s how they got on.

Mario Balotelli, Italy
The 18-year-old Internazionale striker showed only glimpses of his sublime talent.

His most notable contributions came in Italy’s group-stage defeat of Sweden, when he opened the scoring with a delicious curling shot from outside the box.

But Balotelli was later red-carded for kicking out at Pontus Wernbloom.

After returning from suspension, he was powerless to prevent Italy’s semi-final demise against Germany.

Must learn to control his emotions.

Bojan Krkic, Spain
The Barcelona forward was unable to impose himself as a lightweight Spain fired blanks against Germany and were outmuscled by England.

Bojan then suffered the ignominy of being benched for the last game against Finland.

The 18-year-old would likely have made a greater impact had he lined up alongside a strapping centre forward. But his time will come.

Micah Richards, England
Richards has been outstanding in the heart of Stuart Pearce’s defence.

The 20-year-old set England on the right path by heading the winner in their opening match against Finland.

His commanding form has helped England to tonight’s final against Germany.

And at a time when his club, Manchester City, are splashing out on new players, he has reminded manager Mark Hughes of his value.

Zoran Tosic, Serbia
The 22-year-old was the leading light in an otherwise disappointing Serbia team.

The attacker, who joined Manchester United in January, showed his versatility by playing on both flanks and as a second striker.

Comfortable in possession, he carried the ball well and crossed accurately to create chances that his colleagues were unable to convert.

Doubtless Sir Alex Ferguson monitored his performances, and we can expect to see more of Tosic this season.

Theo Walcott, England
The Arsenal prodigy has continued to lurch between impotence and excellence.

Walcott still needs to add consistency and subtelty to his electric pace.

Substituted for tactical reasons against Finland, he made a huge impact coming off the bench against Spain.

The 20-year-old then played the whole semi-final against Sweden and slotted his penalty in the shootout.

Tonight in Malmo, he faces the huge challenge of operating alone up front. Can Walcott prove he’s the real deal?

–Rob Wightman, Red U.K. Senior Sports Writer

For a few weeks, Red Golf Beat considered the difference between playing really, really good golf and playing great golf. On the PGA Tour that translates to finishing in, say, the top 10 to 20 or winning the golf tournament. Kenny Perry was Exhibit A as a guy placing high on any number of PGA Sundays, but falling achingly short of Guy Smiling the Most at the End.

Closing out a pro golf tournament is a gapingly formidable task, all of which makes even more impressive the win streaks of You-Know-Who-Whose-Niece-Missed-the-Cut-at-Her-First-LPGA-Event-This-Weekend-But-Hey-She’s-Only-18.

While Tiger himself is taking time off after the Open, we’re back on the good/great line this weekend at the Travelers Championship up in Connecticut. Perry fired a course record 61 on Thursday, then followed with a 68 on Friday and played well enough again Saturday to stay one stroke behind Paul Goydos (sorry I still think “Goydos” is an insurance brand, that’s right, isn’t it?)

More rain for men’s Tour, by the way. After the Open’s re-creation of Venice, play stopped because of rain both Friday and Saturday at Travelers (don’t they have an umbrella as part of the corporate logo, and, speaking of logos, got some snappy ideas about the new graphics possible for corporate sponsors here at Red Golf Beat, or RGB if you are scoring at home). Says here that the Tour players have refined their rain gear regimen over the last two weekends.

Where in the world is Willard Scott when you need him?

Perry was up by three strokes on the back nine Saturday after birdies on both the 11th and 12th. But he bogeyed No. 14 before parring out. Goydos did his best Arnie Palmer and charged in the clubhouse with straight birdies on 13, 14, 15 and 16. Suddenly, Perry was headed for a more fitful night’s sleep, worrying if he can actually ever win a golf tournament again.

Goydos figures to be a roadblock to first place. Same goes for David Toms, high on the leaderboard and, like Perry, a many-times-over millionaire built on top 10 finishes. Another golfer to watch in the final round: Hunter Mahan. He won here in 2007 and finished runner-up in both 2006 and 2008, plus says the golf course “suits my eye.”

Perry missed a five-footer for birdie in the rain-delayed dusk at 18. You can just imagine the tossing and turning that final stroke alone created.  He also had something to say about his eyesight.
“When it gets dark I don’t see very good, I never had and I complain every time,” Perry said to reporters. “I can’t see the lines when it gets dark and that’s just the way it was.”

Gotcha, Kenny. Feel the same way about those disco nights at the bowling alley. Everybody thinks it’s cool except the geeky bowlers (I am talking about myself, people, and, may I add, a few more NBA stars than you might think) who actually use the floorboard slats and various dots to line up spares. Here’s hoping the lights don’t go out again on Kenny Perry this Sunday.

–Bob Condor, Red Golf Beat

By all accounts, the Boston Red Sox are having a charmed 2009 season.

They have a healthy lead of four games in the nail-tough AL East and are 17 games above .500, good for the best winning percentage in the American League.

The Yankees can’t beat them.

They’ve turned National League afterthought Jason Bay into a legitimate MVP candidate, while his predecessor Manny Ramirez wallows in suspension in L.A.

Heck, even David Ortiz has eight home runs all of a sudden.

But perhaps most envy inducing of all is their seemingly limitless supply of major league capable starting pitchers. Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Tim Wakefield, Brand Penny, John Smoltz and Clay Buchholz are quite an impressive haul of starting arms.

They have seven pitchers capable of starting effectively in Major League Baseball when most teams are lucky to have three.

But here’s the first caveat to all of this rousing 2009 success: two of these pitchers, Smoltz and Wakefield, are 42 years old.

Ageism to even mention these numbers, I know.

Especially since 42 isn’t nearly as big of a deal in baseball as it is in other sports. Jamie Moyer continues to fool (some) hitters at 46 years young and has won 87 games since turning 42.

Randy Johnson, meanwhile, can still crank it up to over 90 at age 45, and has won 42 games of his own since turning 42.

But as the sun keeps setting on the steroid era, 42 already isn’t what it briefly was during those halcyon years. Pitchers again show their frailty when you would start expecting them to, and break down like most real, live 42 year olds would if they threw 100 pitches every five days.

Of the four 42-year-olds mentioned above, only Moyer has managed to consistently avoid getting hurt since crossing into his fourth decade.

So as nice as it is to have such a surplus of starters, is it really wise for Boston to be placing so much on the surely decrepit shoulders of Smoltz (his are literally decrepit) and Wakefield?

The answer is of course no.

The Sox were prudent and patient in not unloading Brad Penny at the first good offer they got, but why was he ever even discussed in the first place? Starting pitchers get injured more often than the poor souls who were responsible for rolling over Marlon Brando to make sure he didn’t bed sores.

So why was everyone forced to pretend Wakefield wouldn’t miss time for the fourth straight season, or that Smotz’s rehabbed shoulder would rebound like a 22-year old’s and Penny wouldn’t be needed?

It may have just been posturing on the their part, minimizing other teams’ leverage when dealing with them, but it would been disastrous if it was anything else.

While Dice-K was surprisingly the first of the seven to make a trip to the disabled list this season, he won’t be the last with the Bengay-addicted arms, backs and shoulders of Wakefield and Smoltz filling out the rotation.

By all means, milk them for whatever they are still worth before they do inevitably get hurt.

Just don’t act surprised when a pair of antiques can’t get out the year’s newest models in the 2009 playoffs.

–Patrick Daugherty, Red Editorial Staff

–Now that Shaquille O’Neil is off to Cleveland and the lovely Cuyahoga River, he’s going to need a new nickname.  How’s Shaqahoga sound?  I think it’s on fire.

–Chicago Bears wide receiver Devin Hester is tired of people calling QB Jay Cutler a whiner after what happened in Denver.  “If you haven’t been around a person like Cutler,” Hester said, “how could you say something like that?”  Well Devin, most of us have been around a person like Cutler, but I haven’t thought about preschool in years.

–Former Chargers and Patriots safety Rodney Harrison has had it with Brett Favre, and thinks the Hall of Fame QB’s ego is too big. “Each and every offseason bringing so much attention to himself. It’s just really a disappointment to hear that time and time again,” said Hester, bringing attention to Favre.

–15,083 fans packed the New Mexico Isotopes’ park on Thursday to catch a glimpse of Manny Ramirez doing what he does best–disappearing.  Dodgers management apparently didn’t want Manny playing on a rain soaked outfield so Manny snuck out the back door and left the building, proving that Manny makes more headlines for leaving a ballpark than for what he does inside of one.

–John Daly was ordered this week to pay $272,000 in legal expenses for his unsuccessful defamation lawsuit against the Jacksonville Times-Union over a 2005 article accusing Daly of smacking women and living a thug lifestyle.  Tough break.  That means a judge looked at an article calling Daly a thug and thought, “What’s the problem here?”

–Bruce Manley, the self proclaimed “King of H.O.R.S.E. Trick Shots” who otherwise looks to be about as average a Joe as they come, has accepted a challenge from Shaquille O’Neal to a game of horse. Manley’s video clips on the Web are pretty impressive, but just in case, here’s some advice for Bruce:  If you want to beat Shaq, just shoot free throws.

–Jimmy Fallon managed to embarrass Tiger Woods at his own game . . . sort of. Fallon upset Woods in a game of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 on the Wii in Times Square, but that’s ok.  Tiger doesn’t need to be good at video games, he just has to make millions off of them.  He’s pretty good at that.

–Joey Alfino, Red Editorial Staff.

Two hours south of Miami, half way down the Florida Keys, there’s a little drinking town with a fishing problem: Islamorada, also known as the “Sports Fishing Capital of the World”.

Here, on this quiet little key, when you’re not fishing, you’re drinking. And if you’re not drinking, you’re fishing.

I’ve been visiting this quaint town since high school with my family for an annual tarpon tournament held each winter, which attracts grizzled fisherman and weekend lure slingers alike from all corners of the earth.

Every year at the tournament seemed like a scene from Bill Murray’s Groundhog Day–the same sun-scorched nosed, Columbia-clad men as last year and the years prior, all lined up at the bar, back slapping and bragging about the perpetually growing “one that got away”.

Now as a grown-up, I visit Islamorada to capture a handful of “Calgon, take me away” moments. Islamorada is my weekend escape whenever I need some relaxing down-time with a fishing rod, plate of coconut shrimp and a frosty mojito.

Of course, there are more refined and touristy places to go in the Florida Keys, Key West being the crown jewel. Everyone is familiar with her and the daily dose of debauchery, but this simple little fishing town still fiercely holds on to its past like a five year old on a lollipop.

Not much has changed in twenty years besides more people moving onto Islamorada–the Jimmy Buffet wannabe’s who ran out of gas a few miles short of Key West, all looking to migrate south away from the wicked northern winters, the smattering of shady characters always looking over their shoulders like outlaws on the run and the random dazed tourist, broke and wallet-less who says “What the hell” and stays.

The same over-priced mini-market still stands. As you walk in, you hear the sand crunch under your flip flops and the smell of coconut spiked tanning oil wafting through the air.  It’s the kind of market you suspect the prices fluctuate with the arrival of prime tourist season but it has rum and sometimes, the price of fun is non-negotiable.

There is one more change, a testament to commercialism and time that marches, even across this small sandy oasis. The Islander efficiency motel, a staple on the island and one of the landmarks people use as reference points, has grown up.

Once a small, non-descript motel whose rooms held that faint, long closed door smell tinged with salty sea smells, it has gotten a face lift in the vein of Joan Rivers.  Back then, each room had a screened porch with a charcoal BBQ out front. Fresh paint, fine décor, new furniture and beds of the finest mattresses now grace her rooms. The charm is still there, but a little more polished.
Twenty years ago, rooms ran about $30, but with the new fancy renovations, rooms can run over $100. Still a bargain considering what you’d pay in Key West.

So besides fishing and drinking, there’s not much more to do than perfect your skills of relaxation. But I like that.

MANGO MOJITO
1 serving
2 lime wedges
5 fresh mint leaves
¼ cup club soda
3 Tablespoons rum
2 Tablespoons Simple Syrup (½ cup sugar, 1 cup water, boil then cool)
1 Tablespoon Mango Nectar (found in the Latin aisle of the supermarket - You can also puree fresh mango in blender)
Crushed Iced

Squeeze the lime into tall glass with mint. Mottle the two together for about 30 seconds.

Add the simple syrup, run, mango nectar and stir. Pour into a rocks glass filled with ice and top with a splash of soda.

OVEN BAKED COCONUT SHRIMP WITH PINEAPPLE GINGER DIPPING SAUCE
Serves 4

Sauce
¾ cup apricot or mango preserves
¾ cup chopped fresh pineapple
1 tablespoon lime juice
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, ground
Pinch curry powder (optional)

Shrimp
24 medium Shrimp, butterflied
3/4 cup flour
Teaspoon cayenne pepper
Teaspoon salt and pepper
Lime zest
4 egg whites, beaten till frothy
½ cup shredded sweet coconut
½ cup panko bread crumbs

Mix all the sauce ingredients in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce the temperature and simmer for five minutes. Pour into a small bowl and let cool in the fridge.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray. Mix flour, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper together in a bowl. Froth the egg whites with beater and then add lime zest. Mix the panko and coconut in another bowl. Place flour, egg, and coconut in three small separate bowls in a line on your counter.

Dip the shrimp first in the flour, shaking off any excess. Then dip the shrimp into the egg white and lime mixture then dip the shrimp in the panko and coconut mixture. Arrange the shrimp in a single layer on the baking sheet.

Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until golden and crisp.

–Shelly Connors, Red Editorial Staff