Beloved SF Giants recluse makes a rare appearance in the Bay Area

SF Giants fans know that Tim Lincecum is a tough guy to find. He has been incredibly reclusive in his post-playing career, but he was spotted recently in the Bay Area. It is very cool to see that he still hangs around the Bay.

A recent article in SF Gate shows that Lincecum was in San Francisco recently and took a picture with a fan. The picture can be viewed below:

SF Giants legend Tim Lincecum spotted in the Bay Area

It is pretty remarkable that Lincecum, once one of the most recognizable figures in all of baseball, has now become something of a Bigfoot where every time he is spotted in public it warrants celebration. That speaks to both how reclusive he is and how beloved he is by Giants fans.

"The Freak" as he was affectionately known during his career, was spotted a few years ago in San Francisco and he was also at the Women's March in San Francisco back in January of 2017. Lincecum values his privacy which is more than understandable, but that makes every public sighting of him all the more exciting.

It is sometimes difficult to articulate what Lincecum meant to Giants fans during his prime if someone was not there to watch it. He gave the franchise hope by winning the Cy Young Award in 2008 and 2009 and they were able to build an incredible starting rotation around him that helped lead to the team's 2010 World Series title.

Just watch his incredible performance in Game 1 of the NLDS against the Braves when he threw a complete game shutout and his masterful showing in Game 5 of the World Series in Texas to clinch the title and you will know why he was so special.

Not only that, but he was selfless enough to pitch out of the bullpen in 2012 after a rough regular season and was able to help the team with some clutch relief appearances on their way to another title.

While he declined on the mound after that, he still had two no-hitters and was undoubtedly one of the best and most important Giants of the 2010's during their championship run.

One hopes that one day Lincecum will return to Oracle Park at the very least when they retire his No. 55 jersey. It seems like the kind of celebration he would chafe at, and there is always the possibility he could pull a Bob Dylan and not show up. Yet, there is a reason he got the biggest cheer of anyone at Bruce Bochy's retirement ceremony in 2019: the people of San Francisco still love him.

So even if we have to savor every small glimpse we get of Lincecum, let's hope that one day he can be showered with love by Giants fans at Oracle Park once more.