By: Jeff Savage
Publisher: Lerner Publishing
Publication Date: March 2012
ISBN: 978-0761386674
Reviewed by: Deb Fowler
Review Date: February 2012

Tim Lincecum's brother, Sean, was four years older than he was and learned to pitch long before he did. Tim watched closely as his father coached Sean, but by the time he was five he was hot for the game and practicing his pitch. He had an unusual method of pitching that gave him a lot of power and he still uses it today. Tim would keep "his body from twisting for as long as possible," take a step toward home and snap that pitch. He was never one of the big guys, but still excelled in sports. As a matter of fact, when he was a "freshman at Liberty High School in Renton, he was 4 feet 11 and weighed 85 pounds."

Tim might have been a small guy, but he had a big career ahead of him. He worked hard and decided to lift weights because he was "trying to get as much out of [his] body" as he could. When University of Washington coach Ken Knutson took one look at Tim he had his doubts that anyone who looked so young could possibly be a winning pitcher, but he was mistaken. Tim was drafted, but opted to head to pitch for the Huskies. In this book you'll also read about MLB scouts who "didn't think he was good enough," his college pitching awards, when the Giants drafted him, his powerful minor-league stats, the respect he got from his fellow players, his pitching style, and you'll learn many other interesting things about Tim "The Freak" Lincecum.

Many young readers will love reading about Tim and how he became "one of baseball's greatest pitchers" in spite of all the people around him who doubted his ability. Size didn't count and ultimately his talent won out. The book is generously illustrated with photographs, many of them action oriented. Words and phrases such as "changeup" and "Pac 10 Conference" are highlighted in purple and explained in the glossary. In the back of the book are Selected Career Highlights (2003 to 2011), an index, and additional recommended book and website resources to explore.

Quill says: This is a fascinating biography of Tim Lincecum, the little guy who became a great pitcher.