Will Tim Lincecum become the biggest star in San Francisco history?

I may be jumping the gun a little bit here, but I think Tim Lincecum could reach heights of popularity that we haven't seen for any San Francisco star.

Let me explain myself.

As a pitcher, he is already showing he can walk the walk. He's only 25 and not only does he already have a Cy Young Award and with his complete game 12 K performance in Oakland last night, he seems well on his way to a second top 10 finish for the Cy.

So he is in an elite category as a player.

He's also helping turn the Giants around. This was supposed to be a painful rebuilding season... not one where they are contending for a playoff spot going into July.

But he also has a star quality.

He has a Jonas Brothers quality. He looks like a fun kid. He's got his dopey long hair and looks like he should be playing videogames.

He's not a macho athlete. He's kind of a laid back cool guy playing in a not exactly macho but laid back and cool city.

Picture him with long hair and the relaxed attitude in Philadelphia! Or Chicago!

He's tailor made for San Francisco.

Actually Barry Zito, with his yoga, his guitar playing and new age centeredness was tailor made for San Francisco. Unfortunately he left his Cy Young form in the East Bay. Yeah, he's pitching OK for a 3rd or 4th starter these days... but he's not making third or fourth starter money.

Plus he media savvy. His ads for MLB 2K9 are really funny and he comes across like a pro. He could be one of the new faces of the post 'roid era baseball. (Look at that frame... forget 'roids. I question if he is eating his Wheaties!)

And in San Francisco, he is the face of Post Bonds Giants. I am not one to dogpile on Bonds.

I've actually defended Bonds on this blog, even though I think he is less likely to pass a steroid test than Ivan Drago. And the more stars who turn up tainted, the better Barry looks in a twisted way.

But I think Giants fans wanted to turn the page. They want a new era to begin... and lo and behold it has!

Giant fans also want a title.

Their agony is underrated and the hunger for a World Championship is looking verrrrry familiar to this Red Sox fan. 

The player who can deliver it will be beloved forever in San Francisco.

Lincecum could be that guy. If pitching wins championships, then who better than someone who looks like a perennial Cy Young contender?

Who could he unseat as the most popular sports figure in San Francisco history?

Will Clark?

Clark is the most popular Giant I have ever seen. Anyone my age who lived in the Bay Area speaks of him with intense reverence in a way that I can only compare to Yankee fans and Don Mattingly.

But as loved as Mattingly was, he will never surpass Jeter.

Jeter delivered the title. If Lincecum wins one in China Basin, Clark will take a backseat.

Orlando Cepeda?

The Baby Bull was beloved... but let's face it. On his own teams he was the third most feared slugger.

Plus he won a ring... but he did so in St. Louis where he actually had some of his best seasons. 

If Lincecum wins it all, being a member of the Hall of Fame and having a kick ass BBQ in left field will have to suffice.

Willie McCovey?

How loved a Giant was Willie McCovey?

They named the cove behind right field after him and he never played an inning there.

But what's HIS World Series highlight?

You know... Bobby Richardson knows.

If Lincecum wins, he's above McCovey.

Steve Young?

Yup he won the Super Bowl.

Yup he kept the championship tradition going for the 49ers.

But he will always commit the sin of not being named Joe Montana.

Plus there is a little "been there done that" with 49er Superbowls.

There hasn't been a San Francisco Giants World Series title yet. 

Y. A. Tittle?

Sure he was the first huge pro star in San Francisco...

But come on! He played in an era where they didn't have a facemask! Was that football?

He's on this e mail out of respect and to keep someone from writing an angry e mail to me!

Lincecum might be more loved than Tittle NOW!

Ronnie Lott?

One of the great players who was part of the 1980 AND 1990s All Decade team and anchored the defense the way Montana anchored the offense.

But please... you can't have a defensive player be the most loved player of a big sports city!

Jerry Rice?

Hmm... would Lincecum be more popular than Rice?

Tough one. Rice is really loved and possibly the greatest receiver in football history.

Plus he pulled off the whole Dancing With The Stars thing off well.

But yes, I think a World Series title led by Lincecum would put him over Jerry Rice in the hearts of San Franciscans.

Barry Bonds?

Don't be confused... San Francisco fans on the most part loved Barry Bonds and cheered him on even when things got... um... controversial.

And Barry showed as much love as he could... but in the end it was more like Toshiro Mifune in The Seven Samurai. The villagers respected him and were happy for the protection... but it wasn't exactly cute and cuddly.

So yes, despite all of the highlights and saving the franchise and having a ballpark built for him... I believe a World Series title would make Lincecum more popular than Bonds.

Willie Mays?

OK, Willie in many ways will be remembered more as a New York legend than anything else... and he delivered a World Series title in the Polo Grounds but never did on Candlestick Point.

But it was hardly anything you could blame WILLIE for!

So even without a World Series title in San Francisco, he is considered not only to be the greatest all around player of all time, but also the very symbol of an era of pure joy and intensity.

No number of World Series titles led by Tim Lincecum can ever top that.

Joe Montana?

There may be more championships won in San Francisco... but there will never be another first.

Montana led the 49ers to the first ever San Francisco championship... then to the second... and the third... and the fourth.

Watch a Niner game in 2009 and chances are #16 will still be the most popular jersey.

Basically for San Francisco sports fans, he is a Beatle. 

OK, so maybe my hypothesis is wrong. No matter what, Lincecum won't ever surpass Willie Mays or Joe Montana in San Francisco. 

But lead a Giants team to the World Series title, then maybe his name could be brought up in the conversation.

(No pressure.)

Two Number 13's

As much as it may pain me to write this...
Alex Rodriguez is probably the single most talented player I have ever seen in my life.

The only one who comes close is his former teammate Ken Griffey Jr, whom I saw as a member of the San Bernadino Spirit in 1988 and many times in the major leagues. But A-Rod is better, I grudgingly admit.

And as such a great player he is beloved by…. Whom?
Seattle fans boo him
Texas fans hate him
And Yankee fans were all ready to say “Good Riddance” after winning 2 MVPs in 4 years.

When else has such an overwhelmingly talented and larger than life player been a force in their sport and yet not be beloved by any fan base?

Well look to another #13… Wilt Chamberlain.

How are Wilt and A-Rod similar?
Let me count the ways







1. Are they the best?

Any discussion of greatest basketball player must include Wilt Chamberlain.
He is the only player to average 40 and 50 points a season… becoming the all time scoring champion, the all time rebounding champion and even led the league in assists.

Oh yeah, he also scored 100 points in a game. The more you think of that stat, the more mind boggling it is.

And over the past 13 season, nobody has homered more, scored more runs, had more total bases or had more extra base hits than A-Rod.

Plus at age 31, was on pace to hit more homers than Bonds, drive in more runs than Aaron, get more hits than Rose and score more runs than Rickey Henderson. If he passes all of them, he would be the all time king in each of those categories.

Yet try to have any conversation with a fan about basketball and see if they put Wilt even in the top 3. And saying A-Rod is better than Ruth, Mays, Aaron, Williams or DiMaggio would get most baseball purist to burn you in effigy from Abner Doubleday’s statue.

2. Which city loves him?

Wilt played for the Warriors, 76ers and Lakers…
You would think he would be the most worshipped player in each of those franchises.

But the face of the Warriors franchise is Rick Barry. Nate Thurmond, Chris Mullin and Tm Hardaway get more love there. An ESPN listing of the greatest Warrior team doesn’t even throw a token mention of Wilt.


The 76ers fans worship Dr. J… and I would argue Moses Malone, Charles Barkley, Mo Cheeks and Allen Iverson decorate more Philadelphia sports bars than Wilt.

The Lakers? Behind Magic, Kareem, Shaq, Kobe, Jerry West and James Worthy… Wilt would be coming off the bench in the “all love from the fans” team.

Meanwhile Junior Griffey and Ichiro are the two faces of the Mariners…
No Ranger will ever surpass Nolan Ryan…
And if you ever feel like pissing off a Yankee fan, tell them “A-Rod is better than Ruth, better than Gehrig, better than DiMaggio, better than Mantle, better than Berra, better than Reggie, better than Donnie Baseball… better than Jeter.”

But don’t say Munson. You don’t f--- with Munson when you talk to Yankee fans.


3. The Stat Compiler

It’s hard to believe but Wilt has been criticized for piling up numbers instead of helping his team win. As if scoring 100 points in a game is hurting his team. Taking shots and making them helps… taking shots and MISSING them makes you John Starks.

A-Rod has hit 546 homers and according to Yankee fans, they have all come in the 8th inning of a 9-1 loss.

4. The Russell/Jeter Factor

On like with stat compiling, fans have gotten over both Wilt and A-Rod for not being a winner in the post season.

More specifically they have each been compared unfavorably to a player whose stats weren’t as sexy but found ways to win in the playoffs.

Bill Russell wasn’t Wilt’s equal on the court, but his Celtics beat Wilt’s Warrior, 76er and Laker teams 7 times in the playoffs.

For A-Rod the unfavorable measuring stick was Derek Jeter. Actually the two only faced off once in the playoffs (the 2000 ALCS) but Jeter’s ability to find ways to win (a la the toss play to get Jeremy Giambi) as opposed to A-Rod’s inability to get the big play (1 run batted in in his last 15 playoff games) make the Jeter vs. A-Rod discussions very one sided… even though Jeter has only a fraction of A-Rod’s skills.

5. Nobody likes the best

Wilt was looked on as a freak of nature when he rose to power in the 1960s and he was quoted as saying “Nobody loves Goliath.” But they love when he falls.

A-Rod’s huge contract has made him a target for fans who relish booing the best player any of them will ever see.

6. Lady Luck

People seem to be fascinated with their sex lives… although Wilt was smart and decided to be a lothario with remaining a bachelor, unlike A-Rod who will be shoveling over most of that $300 million contract to Cynthia.

Wilt’s stats no doubt overshadow A-Rods in this department… but considering that A-Rod shacked up with Madonna, and considering if you sleep with someone you also sleep with everyone THEY slept with… A-Rod might be closer to 20,000 partners than you think.

So there you have it…
Two of the best yet least loved players in their sports history.

Maybe it can blamed on number 13.

(Let the record show I desperately wanted to include a reference to Wilt being in Conan the Destroyer... but I couldn't do it.)