Lincecum on a leash

Tim Lincecum: more prepared this year than last:

With tonight’s temperatures expected to reach a humid 86 degrees, Tim Lincecum knows from experience how to get ready for his first All-Star Game appearance — drink lots of liquids. The San Francisco Giants’ ace, picked to start for the National League, missed last year’s event in New York when he dehydrated, got sick and had to spend a night in a hospital . . . When staff-mate Matt Cain was originally selected, Lincecum had a simple piece of advice: “Don’t miss the game.” Alas, Cain was hit by a line drive in his pitching arm Saturday and was replaced on the roster by the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Zach Duke. So Cain’s main duty Tuesday will be to make sure Lincecum gets to Busch Stadium without an IV attached to his arm.

“We’re going to put him on one of those doggies leashes,” Cain joked. “No, he should be good. He’s got all his fluids, trying to get hydrated for a little bit of heat. I think he’s a little more prepared this year.”

That’s strange. How would putting a leash on Lincecum keep him from getting dehydrated? Dehydration, I am led to understand, comes from exertion in warm temperatures without sufficient intake of fluids, not from engaging in any sort of behavior which could theoretically be reigned-in via a leash.

Unless . . . you don’t suppose . . . nah, I’m sure his problem last year was the climate.

Just as I’m sure all players with “flu-like symptoms” are suffering from influenza.


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MooseinOhio
14 years ago

“Leashes, We don’t need no stinkin’ leashes”

RickyB
14 years ago

You better watch it, Craig. Geoff Baker might branch out and come down on speculators of other drugs …

Grant
14 years ago

I was going to speculate the same thing. Whenever an athlete suffers from “dehydration” before a game even starts I always read “partied too hard and doesn’t feel like being hung over in the game like the Mick was”

ChuckO
14 years ago

It is possible to become dehydrated without partying too hard at night. Caffeine also dehydrates you. If Linecum drinks coffee or other caffeinated drinks all day and maybe one or two beers in the evening, he could easily become dehyrdated unless he makes a conscious effort to drink plenty of water as well. Unfortunately, the steroid scandals have made us reach for the more cynical explanations when it comes to these kinds of things.

ecp
14 years ago

Well, Lincecum DID say that one of the things that Cain was going to do was “make sure he stays in his room” which was where the leash thing came from in the first place.  He said it in a way that came across to me as an implication that he didn’t do that last year.  I thought was an odd comment, considering that we had the impression that he was too sick to be anywhere else.

smsetnor
14 years ago

I don’t think Cain would put a leash on Lincecum to keep him from Starbucks…

Man, it’s gotta be a big party for those guys.  They get a few days off and get to hang out with guys they never see… I’d do the same thing.

smsetnor
14 years ago

Plus, could you imagine and beer bonging competition between Fielder, Sabbathia and Howard?

Bob Timmermann
14 years ago

Most people with “flu-like symptoms” don’t have influenza. That’s why they say “flu-like symptoms.”

If you have an actual confirmed case of influenza, then your doctor is supposed to tell public health officials, so they can track an outbreak.

brian
14 years ago

Grant, you shouldn’t assume that Mick was hung over. Hair of the dog and all….

Brian
14 years ago

Grant, don’t assume Mick was playing hung over. Hair of the dog….

Grant
14 years ago

I stand corrected.

Daniel
14 years ago

ChuckO: There’s a fine line between being cynical and being naive.