When Tim Lincecum showed up at AT&T Park in San Francisco for his 2007 Major League Baseball debut, the grounds crew and security staff thought he was the new bat boy. He went 7-5 with a 4.00 ERA in his rookie campaign, and he was no longer mistaken for the bat boy.

In his 2008 sophomore campaign with the SF Giants, Lincecum snake-charmed hitters into going 18-5 with a 2.62 ERA, giving him his first CY Young Award.

So far, in 2009, he is 10-2 with a 2.33 ERA, and he’s getting stronger with every start.

Lincecum is a throwback to the days of Jim “Catfish” Hunter, Mark “The Bird” Fidrych, and Gaylord Perry, with his child-like approach to the game and thunderous stuff in his arm combining to destroy Major League Baseball hitter’s dreams.

#55 Tim Lincecum is a kid playing a man’s game, but he wins — alot.