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"Who is Tim Lincecum anyway?"

John Shea, Chronicle Staff Writer

Monday, July 13, 2009

(07-13) 18:15 PDT St. Louis --

Some All-Stars come and go, make one appearance and aren't heard from again. Not Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera. They keep coming back.

Of this year's 66 All-Stars, the Yankees' teammates have been selected the most, 10 times each, so they were flooded on the eve of tonight's 80th All-Star Game with questions from the national media on a variety of subjects.

But even in this era of interleague play, when it would seem everyone in the game is familiar with everyone else, Jeter and Rivera didn't have all the answers.

"I know nothing about him," Jeter said of Tim Lincecum.

What's to know?

Lincecum is a reigning Cy Young Award winner, the National League leader in strikeouts and the freakiest and quirkiest right-hander on any mound in the Northern Hemisphere. On Monday, he was named a starting pitcher for tonight's game at Busch Stadium, along with Toronto's Roy Halladay.

Halladay appeared at a news conference dressed as if he were attending a business meeting and Lincecum was torn blue j.eans, an untucked shirt and a dark ski cap, his long black hair flowing out.



"I've seen some highlights of him. Doesn't seem like he's much fun," said Jeter, who'll face Lincecum for the first time and bat second in the AL lineup between Ichiro Suzuki and Joe Mauer. "The most I know about him is his video-game commercial. I haven't played it. I'll probably play it tonight and try to find some things out."

Jeter was in a joking mood Monday, and why not? He has not lost an All-Star Game. The AL is 11-0-1 in the past 12 games, capped by last year's 4-3 victory in 15 innings at Yankee Stadium, and Lincecum would love to become the first pitcher since John Smoltz in 1996 to win for the NL.

Lincecum expects to throw two innings.

"I'm sure deep down, people do feel it," Lincecum said of his league's losing streak. "This will be the year we'll come out of it or stay in it. We're more worried about now than the past."

Lincecum's first goal simply is being here. Last year, he was an All-Star but a Yankee Stadium no-show, spending most of All-Star Tuesday in a Manhattan hospital with flu-like symptoms and dehydration.

He said he'll load up on liquids and added, "I'm going to have Matt Cain put a leash around my neck and keep me in my room."

Lincecum is much more at ease this time. Two days before last year's game, he threw 116 pitches in Chicago. Tonight, he'll pitch on four days' rest.

Nevertheless, Cain - Lincecum's teammate who made the All-Star team but won't pitch after sustaining a deep elbow bruise Saturday - said, "I've got a 3-foot leash. We'll keep an eye on him."

Jeter knew little of Lincecum and Rivera knew nothing of one of his own All-Star teammates.

Asked if he had heard of Andrew Bailey, Rivera said, "Andrew Bailey? No I haven't."

Rivera was told Bailey is an All-Star closer representing the A's.

"He's on the West Coast."

But he's in the AL.

"Same league, but I haven't heard of him. Maybe I heard about him, but I'm not too familiar. I don't follow or watch. But personally, I don't know who he is."

Bailey not only throws a cut fastball, Rivera's best pitch, but he tries to emulate the Yankees' right-hander and watches tapes of him to learn how he approaches hitters.

"OK. I guess that's a good thing."

Bailey laughed when relayed Rivera's statements. It was merely another chapter in a fast-paced story about a Double-A starter who lost his job in the rotation, learned how to throw a cut fastball and emerged a year later an AL All-Star.

By the end of tonight's game, Bailey will make sure Rivera knows him.

"Whether or not guys know who I am, I'll be able to meet these guys and introduce myself," Bailey said. "I know I'm the rookie here, but I'm looking forward to shaking everyone's hand and knowing (Rivera) a little better. For now, just having my name in the same sentence with these guys is an honor and something I'll never forget."

Lincecum is the fifth San Francisco pitcher to start an All-Star Game following Juan Marichal (1965, 1967), Vida Blue (1978), Rick Reuschel (1989) and Jason Schmidt (2003). Lincecum is contractually bound to the Giants for three more seasons. Halladay is trade bait and might not finish the season in Toronto.

That's not the only difference.

"As far as pitching styles, his is obviously different than mine. That's the whole thing. Mine is different than anybody else's," said Lincecum, who was taught his funky - but effective - mechanics by his father, Chris, who'll be at tonight's game.

"If you ever want somebody you should m.orph yourself after, it's definitely Halladay, with the consistency he's had in his career. He keeps throwing out great, gaudy numbers. To be like him is definitely something a lot of kids should do."