Giants' Lincecum eager for pro debut

SAN FRANCISCO -- From signing a professional contract to taking a trip to Disneyland for the first time, the past two weeks have been very busy for Tim Lincecum, the Giants' first-round pick in the 2006 First-Year Player Draft.

"It's been a roller coaster," Lincecum said at AT&T Park during a press conference before Sunday's Giants game against the Phillies. "It's been pretty exciting to know that I'm going to start my pro career. It's also been really hectic. It's all been something I never really expected it to be, but now I'm easing into it all a little bit more."

There's one thing the wiry right-hander hasn't done yet, and it's something the Giants hope he can also ease back into later this week. That will be pitching, as he makes his professional debut for the Class A Short-Season Salem-Keizer Volcanoes.

"He'll be pitching in an inning this week," director of player personnel Bobby Evans said. "He's been out for a month, so we've been pitching him in the bullpen for the first 10 days he's been at [Salem-Keizer]."

The 22-year-old signed a Minor League contract with the Giants on June 30. After completing a physical and penning the contract in San Francisco, the pitcher reported to Salem-Keizer to begin his professional career.

Evans acknowledged that less than two months remain in the Volcanoes' season, and that one of the Giants' hopes for Lincecum was to get as much pitching done as possible. So to that end, Evans said that fall and winter ball may be on the horizon for Lincecum.

"We've discussed it," Evans said. "It's definitely a possibility. There are two options there [for fall and/or winter ball], and we'll look into both at the end of the season."

So, has the arm of Lincecum, a standout pitcher at the University of Washington, been affected in any way by not pitching since his collegiate career ended?

"Not too much. I've thrown a lot of innings in my life, so it's just going to be getting back into that," he said. "I've been enjoying my time off. It was good to relax. It wouldn't have been a problem starting any sooner or that much later."

Lincecum's work at Washington allowed him to receive one of amateur baseball's most prestigious awards in June, the 2006 Golden Spikes Award. The award is presented by USA Baseball to the top amateur player who exhibits exemplary athletic ability and sportsmanship during his season. Former Giant Will Clark received the award in 1985.

One of the only knocks on Lincecum is his size. The right-hander was listed on the Washington athletics Web site as 6 feet tall. The Giants currently list him at 5-foot-11. During the press conference, reporters joked with him, asking, "What happened to that other inch?"

The young man, whose face looks like it's never even seen peach fuzz, replied with a Wally Beaver-esque smile and said, "You know, it's the cleats ..."

Lincecum said his size has not been a concern for a long time.

"Like anybody else out there who has high expectations of themselves, so do I," he said. "I got over that a long time ago."

Following his conference, the righty and his girlfriend took in the afternoon game at AT&T Park. He is expected to rejoin the Volcanoes on Monday in Yakima, Wash., when they take on the Yakima Bears, an affiliate of the Seattle Mariners.