Giants star pitcher Tim Lincecum (left) has managed to top Michael Phelps by winning his second consecutive Cy Young Award and then issuing a mea culpa about his recent marijuana bust, all on the same day (Nov. 19): "I made a mistake and I regret my actions earlier this month in Washington. I want to apologize to the Giants organization and the fans. I know as a pro athlete I have a responsibility to conduct myself appropriately on and off the field. I certainly learned a valuable lesson from all of this. I promise to do better in the future." WATCH COMMERCIAL BELOW
Pulled over for speeding in southern Washington on Oct. 30, police smelled marijuana in Lincecum's Mercedes and arrested him on misdemeanor marijuana possession and paraphernalia use charges. His attorney has since negotiated the dismissal of the pot charge and the reduction of the paraphernalia charge to a civil infraction. Lincecum is due in Clark County District Court on Dec. 22.
The arrest couldn't come at a worse time for Lincecum, who became the first player to ever receive the coveted Cy Young award for the league's best pitcher in his first two full seasons in the league. In 2009, the Giants' lanky right-hander posetd a 15-7 record, 2.48 ERA and a league-leading 261 strikeouts. He narrowly defeated the Cards' Chris Carpenter (94) and Adam Wainwright (90) with 100 votes.
Lincecum's apology is reminiscent of swimmer Michael Phelps', who was caught smoking a bong back in January. Unlike Phelps, who was not arrested, Lincecum has not lost any endorsements or been threatened with punishment by either the Giants or MLB.
