NEW YORK -- Tim Lincecum was a big winner on a woeful team, which fit him perfectly.

Firing 97 mph fastballs from his miniature frame, the National League Cy Young Award recipient is an anomaly in almost every way.

Lincecum joined Mike McCormick (1967) as the only San Francisco Giants to win the Cy Young, taking home pitching's highest honor by a comfortable margin Tuesday following his second major league season.

"I was definitely surprised. I thought it was going to be a lot closer," Lincecum said.

The slender kid with the whirling windup received 23 of 32 first-place votes and 137 points in balloting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Brandon Webb of the Arizona Diamondbacks got four first-place votes and finished second with 73 points.

Listed at 5-foot-11 and 160 pounds, tiny by today's standards for a big league pitcher, Lincecum defied detractors -- and the laws of physics -- by overpowering one hulking slugger after another.

"I don't remember anybody in my time who had that style of pitching, who put that kind of torque on his body," McCormick said on a Giants conference call. "I think that article in Sports Illustrated that called him a freak probably sums it up."

Lincecum was 18-5 with a 2.62 ERA and a major league-best 265 strikeouts, remarkable numbers for a fourth-place club that finished 72-90.

In fact, Steve Carlton was the lone Cy Young winner to pitch for a team that was worse. The Hall of Famer was an incredible 27-10 with a 1.97 ERA for the 1972 Philadelphia Phillies, who went 59-97.

Lincecum led the NL in winning percentage (.783), ranked second in ERA and was third with 227 innings. The 24-year-old right-hander made his first All-Star squad, but an illness prevented him from appearing in the July 15 game at Yankee Stadium.

"People have been doubting me my whole life," he said. "I don't let them bring me down."

New York Mets ace Johan Santana, who led the league in ERA (2.53) and innings (234 1-3), also garnered four first-place votes and came in third.

The other first-place vote went to Milwaukee lefty CC Sabathia, last year's AL winner who was traded by Cleveland into the National League on July 7. He went 11-2 with a 1.65 ERA and seven complete games in 17 starts for the Brewers, pitching them to their first playoff berth since 1982.

"I definitely thought he was in fair contention," Lincecum said.

Sabathia came in fifth. Brad Lidge, the star closer who had a perfect season for the World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies, was fourth.

Webb, the NL winner in 2006, was runner-up for the second consecutive season after going 22-7 with a 3.30 ERA in 226 2-3 innings.

"In Obama-like fashion, it wasn't close," Giants general manager Brian Sabean said.

The baby-faced Lincecum, nicknamed "Franchise," is certainly an aberration. He eats junk food before starts and doesn't ice his arm. When he was called up from the minors in May 2007, ballpark security workers in San Francisco thought he was a bat boy.

Late this season, some teammates even asked for his autograph -- including veteran catcher Bengie Molina.

The Giants held a news conference for Lincecum after he won Tuesday and it drew more media than any club event since Barry Bonds' home run chase in 2007.

"It sent a chill through me a little bit. I got a little choked up," pitching coach Dave Righetti said about hearing the news. "I just spent a week in New York and they didn't even know his name, hardly."

Drafted 10th overall out of Washington in 2006, Lincecum said his major league experience last year helped him succeed this season. He also credited an improved changeup, which he threw more often after finding a comfortable grip.

"I've always taken pride in trying to strike people out," he said. "That's the one (statistic) that kind of gets me fired up."

Lincecum said he was on his couch watching NFL highlights with his roommate when he got the Cy Young call. One of the first people he phoned was San Francisco closer Brian Wilson.

"Me and Tim talked about this a lot. I always pumped him up and said, 'Dude, you know you're going to win the Cy Young?"' Wilson said in a telephone interview. "This was before the season. He had the best fastball, best changeup and best curveball. He pretty much dominated every start. We would set goals and I would say, 'I bet you won't strike out 10 and not walk anybody,' and he'd strike out 12. Each game he pitched he kept adding up the tally. Soon, America was going to know he was the best."

McCormick won in the first year the BBWAA honored a pitcher in each league. From 1956-66, only one Cy Young Award was presented for both leagues.

This year's American League winner will be announced Thursday, with Cleveland lefty Cliff Lee a heavy favorite. AL and NL Managers of the Year are Wednesday.

Santana, a two-time AL Cy Young winner with Minnesota, received a $50,000 bonus for finishing third. Sabathia got $75,000 for coming in fifth. Webb's second-place finish increased the buyout of his $8.5 million 2010 club option by $500,000 to $2 million.

• Ortiz says wrist is better, ready to swing: At Boston, Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz said he is about a month away from swinging a bat after spending the last month resting the ailing left wrist that slowed him for much of last season.

Speaking at a news conference to announce a new charity golf tournament in the Dominican Republic, Ortiz said his wrist is "feeling fine" and the inflammation has gone away.

"It's doing good," he said.

Ortiz, who hit 54 homers in 2006, batted .264 with just 23 home runs and 89 RBIs in 109 games -- all lows for him since he joined the Red Sox in 2003. He made two trips to the disabled list with a partially torn tendon sheath in his left wrist.

"Since I got back, I was missing a lot of pitches," he said. "I was like, 'I can't believe it."'

Doctors told him to rest over the offseason and have predicted a full recovery.

Ortiz will have a chance to test his swing -- his golf swing -- next month when he hosts a golf tournament in his native country to benefit the David Ortiz Children's Fund.

Already committed are former Bruins great Bobby Orr, ex-Celtic John Havlicek and former Red Sox Jim Rice. Active baseball stars who are expected to attend are Phillies slugger Ryan Howard and shortstop Jimmy Rollins, Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez and closer Mariano Rivera, who won't be able to play golf because he's recovering from shoulder surgery.

"I guess people understand how important it is, what I'm trying to do," Ortiz said. "It's something that's going to help a lot of people, a lot of children."

Ortiz said about 40 children have already received open-heart surgery through the charity. He was given a book with the pictures of the kids who were treated.

"It makes me feel like going 5-for-5 with three jacks," Ortiz said. "This is what makes me a complete man, when I know I'm helping somebody that really needs it."

• Nationals get Olsen, Willingham from Marlins: At Washington, starting pitcher Scott Olsen and outfielder Josh Willingham are headed to the Nationals from the Florida Marlins in a five-player trade that signals the start of Washington's efforts to revamp its roster after a majors-worst 59-102 season.

The Marlins get second baseman Emilio Bonifacio and two minor leaguers: second baseman Jake Smolinski and right-hander P.J. Dean.

Olsen went 8-11 with a 4.20 ERA in 2008, his third consecutive season with at least 31 starts -- he never has been on the disabled list. The left-hander is 31-37 with a 4.63 ERA in the major leagues.

Willingham hit .254 with 15 homers and 51 RBI last season, when he missed 50 games with a herniated disk in his back. He was a 20-homer player in 2006 and 2007 and is a career .266 hitter with 63 homers and 219 RBI in 416 games.

Bonifacio has hit .240 with no homers and 16 RBI in 60 big league games. Washington acquired him in July in a trade that sent reliever Jon Rauch to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Bonifacio could become an option at second base if Florida moves arbitration-eligible All-Star Dan Uggla, who reportedly could be available. The Marlins already have shipped first baseman Mike Jacobs to Kansas City this offseason, and still have plenty of decisions to make about other players who were part of Florida's surprising 84-77 run this season.

• Hoffman era likely over in San Diego: At San Diego, Trevor Hoffman's record-setting run as San Diego Padres closer is almost certainly over after the team withdrew its contract offer for 2009.

Hoffman, baseball's career saves leader and the face of the franchise since Tony Gwynn retired following the 2001 season, was upset with the abrupt, impersonal way the club ended contract talks, agent Rick Thurman said Tuesday.

Thurman doubts negotiations can be rekindled.

"I would say because of the way it was handled, it appears as though he's done as a Padre," Thurman said.

Hoffman's appearances out of the bullpen were announced by the ominous gongs from AC/DC's "Hells Bells." The Padres apparently rang out the Hoffman era when they pulled their offer of $4 million for 2009 and a $4 million club option for 2010. Thurman said the club also refused the closer's request for a meeting with top executives, who appear to be slashing salary because of owner John Moores' difficult divorce.

The 41-year-old Hoffman has 554 career saves. He was in Puerto Rico on a Nike tour and wasn't available for comment, Thurman said.

"Trevor's unhappy with the way they've dealt with the situation," Thurman said.

"I think if they didn't want him back, they should have just said they want to go a different direction, go younger, or, 'Listen, we're going to cut payroll,' and sit down and have a man-to-man, face-to-face talk with him. I think he deserves that respect. Any player deserves it, but this is Trevor Hoffman. He's meant a lot to that organization."

General manager Kevin Towers confirmed in a text message Monday night that the club had pulled the offer to Hoffman.

He wouldn't say if it definitely meant the end of Hoffman's time with the Padres.

"No further comment," Towers said in another text message.

Club CEO Sandy Alderson didn't return a phone call seeking comment, and Moores didn't respond to an e-mail.

Hoffman and Alderson are thought to have an icy relationship stemming from contract talks three years ago.

Thurman said Towers told him Saturday that the Padres were withdrawing their offer. The Padres sent Thurman a letter on Monday formally notifying him of their decision.

Thurman said Towers told him there were "some unhappy people in the organization" because details of the Padres' offer were reported in the media.

"I said, 'This is an excuse. You guys never wanted to re-sign him in the first place,"' Thurman said.

Hoffman had requested a meeting with Towers, Alderson and Moores to discuss his future and the club's direction after it lost 99 games and finished last in the NL West this season.

"I said, 'What happened with the meeting with the three of you guys?' And he said, 'Well, when I told Sandy you guys wanted to have a meeting, he said no.' I said, 'Oh really, so you guys have been sitting on this for two weeks then?"'

Thurman expects other clubs to be interested in Hoffman, who had 30 saves in 34 chances and a 3.77 ERA this season. It was the 13th time Hoffman saved at least 30 games, extending his own big league record.

Then an unknown rookie with two saves, Hoffman joined the Padres in the midst of their infamous fire sale in 1993, coming over in a then-unpopular deal that sent Gary Sheffield to the Florida Marlins.

With Moores reportedly selling 49 percent of the team due to his divorce, the Padres appear to be once again dumping salary. They're trying to trade ace Jake Peavy less than a year after giving him a $52 million, three-year contract extension.

Although Hoffman has had his struggles in recent seasons, his home save opportunities were always lively because "Hells Bells" began blaring from the sound system the instant he started jogging in from the bullpen.

Known for his high leg kick, menacing glare and deceptive changeup, Hoffman became the career saves leader when he notched No. 479 at home on Sept. 24, 2006, breaking the previous mark of 478 by Lee Smith. The following June, Hoffman reached 500, also at home and against the rival Los Angeles Dodgers.