How To Win Your Arbitration Meeting With a Team Trying To Cheap Out On You: Be Like Tim Lincecum And Bring Both Of Your Cy Young Awards To The Court Room

Doug Pensinger. Getty Images.

Arbitration can be a real motherfucker. We all just saw the ugly side of it unfold between the Brewers and their ace Corbin Burnes last month. 

All of that because the Brewers didn't want to cough up another $750k to appease their horse. Now in all likelihood that relationship is severed forever and Burnes will take his talents elsewhere when the opportunity arises. Yes it's a business, but is it really worth it in a spot like that with a guy who continually gives your ball club a strong chance at winning any time he's out there? That's just bad business by the Brewers. 

There have been other instances of bad blood from arb in the past, with the war between the Yankees and Dellin Betances' coming to mind. Yankees President Randy Levine basically blamed the entire team's failure on their setup man in front of his face. Brutal. Since then the Yankees have seemingly learned their lesson and avoid arbitration like the plague. 

A story that started recirculating yesterday was what what Tim Lincecum once did with the Giants. This seems to be a few years old, but I've never heard of it and it hasn't hit the blog as far as I can see. The Giants ace was coming off back to back Cy Young seasons, posting numbers that no one else was touching. 

So Tim did this. 

“Walked into the courtroom with both Cy Young Awards,” Frandsen said once in an interview with MLB Network Radio. “They never even started talking — it was signed, sealed and delivered right there. I think it was a two-year deal, right there.”

Nuts meet table. There's no better way to prove your worth than bringing in the hardware that shows you're the best in the whole goddamn business. Those first two full seasons for Timmy were something else. We're talking the undisputed best pitcher in all of baseball. Pure dominance. A changeup that would put holes in your bat on a daily basis. Freak show stuff every single start. 

I remember overpaying out of my ass to trade for him in fantasy just so I had an excuse to watch his starts. 

If you were in little league around this time I bet you tried to pitch like Tim at least one and 100% hurt yourself. How could you not try once though? He was so fucking cool to watch do this thing. It's a shame he wasn't able to maintain his high level for longer and get himself in the HOF because he certainly had the talent to get there. 

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His World Series clinching start in Game 5 on the road in Texas is one of my favorite starts by a pitcher ever. Completely untouchable sans one Nellie Cruz solo shot. Rangers stood no chance. 

Big Time Timmy Jim. Dominance on the mound and apparently in the court room. 

Bonus clip for making it this far: Tim Lincecum belting Hall % Oates