Lincecum enjoying rise to stardom

Tim Lincecum was all smiles after becoming the NL's youngest Cy Young winner since 1985. AP Jonah Freedman's Mailbag Submit a comment or question for Jonah. Name: Email: Hometown: Question: SEND Follow Jonah Freedman on Twitter Related Links SI VAULT: Tiny Tim, pitching Giant (07.07.08)

Tim Lincecum is surrounded by reporters in a warehouse in suburban Novato, Calif., making the strangest fashion statement this side of San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district. He's wearing a skin-tight Lycra and Velcro suit that makes him look like he's modeling a Batsuit prototype. Over his unkempt hair, however, sits his ever-present wool beanie, which makes him resemble a grunge rocker, circa 1991.

Both looks are fitting for the Giants hurler. His 2008 season was nothing short of superheroic: His 18-5 record, 2.62 ERA and a major-league best 265 strikeouts were good enough win his first Cy Young Award, capping a year that also included his first All-Star Game selection and a midsummer appearance on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

The beanie is wholly apropos, too, because it gives the 24-year-old Lincecum a look similar to the one popularized by his fellow natives of the Seattle area: the rock band Nirvana.

But on this day, he's wearing this weird get-up for a motion-capture session for Major League Baseball 2K9, joining the pantheon of athletes such as Kevin Garnett, Derek Jeter, Shaquille O'Neal and Mario Lemieux as a cover athlete in 2K Sports' popular video-game series. Such an honor has become the 21st-century replacement to making it onto a box of Wheaties, and it's just the latest stop on the '08 tour of Lincecum's newfound rock-star status.

"It's really been a roller-coaster ride for me," says Lincecum shortly before his signature delivery is forever immortalized in a video game. "The year just kept getting better and better. There's just so much to take in, I don't think I have enough room in my body to celebrate it all."

"The Freak," as he has come to be known, has become a Giants icon in record time. San Francisco has struggled mightily since it last came within sniffing distance of the playoffs in '04, averaging less than 74 wins a season. With Barry Bonds long gone and high-priced Barry Zito floundering, Lincecum was just what the doctor ordered for starved Giants fans.

His long-stretched delivery and four-pitch arsenal have made him the ace of a young, talented staff. He first showed glimpses of his insane talent during his rookie season against the backdrop of the Bonds sideshow, including a 4-0 mark in July of '07 touched off by a 12-strikeout performance against Arizona. He then followed that up with his historic '08, one of the more remarkable seasons ever by a young pitcher.

With just two seasons under his belt, Lincecum is well on his way to becoming the first truly universally loved Giants icon since Will Clark and Matt Williams patrolled the infield at Candlestick Park. "I've never sat there and thought, 'I'm the face of the Giants,'" Lincecum says to that suggestion. "You take that with a grain of salt."

The baby-faced flamethrower does, however, acknowledge that appearing on the July 7, 2008, cover of SI had a big part in jumpstarting his celebrity. "People started to recognize me a little bit better," he says. "I wasn't just the kid that looked like the bat boy any longer -- even though I still get that."

Plenty of people know him now, especially opposing batters. Lincecum won't be able to surprise anyone heading into '09, and there will be plenty of pressure on him to continue at such a high level. The Giants scored only 640 runs in '08 -- the second-worst total in the majors -- though they did provide their ace with nearly five runs of support per nine innings, the best mark of any Giants starter.

He may get even more help in the coming weeks. San Francisco is adding Edgar Rentería to play shortstop, and, according to SI.com's Jon Heyman, could deal for hard-hitting Marlins third baseman Jorge Cantú and may make a play for a big bat such as Mark Teixeira or Manny Ramirez. Any of those moves would improve a lineup that has potential -- Aaron Rowand, Fred Lewis and developing bats such as John Bowker and Emmanuel Burriss, for instance -- but still batted just .262 last season.

Better yet, Lincecum could be joined by a third Cy Young winner in the starting rotation if the Giants can somehow reach a deal with CC Sabathia, who craves a return to his home state. Add the Bay Area native to a young unit that includes Matt Cain, Noah Lowry (who should return from arm surgery next season) and Jonathan Sanchez (if he isn't traded), and that's not a bad bunch to build on.

"I think we've got a great rotation right now, but to add [Sabathia] to the equation," Lincecum ponders, "man, I don't think that could hurt us."

All of that, believe it or not, adds up to a fairly rosy long-term picture for the Giants as they look to regain their place as a major player in the National League. And Lincecum will be happy for the help. After all, even Batman needed Robin. And even Kurt Cobain needed Dave Grohl.

"When everybody gets on the same page, we're going to be a force to be reckoned with," Lincecum says. "I don't know if it's going to be this year or next year, but down the road, it's going to happen."

When it does, Giants fans will still be thankful for the beanie-wearing Cy Young winner who helped lay the groundwork.