Interesting that you note this.

Not only was Howard making the minimum when he won the MBP in the NL, but the AL MVP that same year - Justin Morneau - was also making league minimum. Both were within their first 3-years and had not been eligable for arbitration. The made a little over $750K combined!!!

 

I hope The Giants are able to lock him up for a long time. I saw him pitch live at AT&T about 5 times last year, and he is amazing. He makes the Giants fun to watch and low scoring games exciting.

He has only had one great year...but name another pitcher who's first full year was as good as Lincecum.

 

Dwight Gooden: As an early spring callup in 1984 - and at 20 years old - Gooden went 17 -9 with a 2.60 ERA and striking out 276 batters. He won Rookie of the Year and was second in the Cy Young voting.

As a follow up, in 1985 - at age 21 and in his first full season with the Mets - Gooden went 24-4 with a 1.54 ERA striking out 268 while walking only 69. He only gave up 13 dingers the whole year. He also won the NL Cy Young award. Amazingly, he did not win the MVP award - he was 4th that year while St. Louis Cardinal OF Willie McGee took home the award (10 HR/82 RBI/56 SB/.353 BA). In 1085 willie McGee struck out 86 times - almost 30 times more than Gooden waked anyone.

 

You got me
Gooden was awesome...too bad he ruined his career with drugs.

Pretty rare to start a career the way Linceculm has though.

 

It absolutely is incredibly rare. Lincecum has so much movement on his pitches it looks like an optical illusion. He is pretty diminutive on the mound and looks like he is 16-years old. Then the ball just explodes out of his hand. That's why it is amazing that he will be making such little money in 2009. I sure hope he stays healthy and cashes in next year.