San Francisco Giants All Stars: Should Matt Cain, Tim Lincecum Be Making Trip?

Two days ago, San Francisco Giants’ coach Bruce Bochy revealed his National League All-Star selections.

Some question Bochy’s decision about putting Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain on the roster. He went with three of his own pitchers—Ryan Vogelsong, Matt Cain, and Tim Lincecum—to go with fan pick Brian Wilson.

Some fans and writers argue snubbed pitchers including Tommy Hanson and Ian Kennedy should be in the game before Lincecum or Cain. Bochy isn’t concerned with the gripes. It’s not like he chose an overwhelming amount from his team—both the Phillies and Braves have four players on the team as well—and both Cain and Lincecum should be in the Midsummer Classic.

Matt Cain

Matt Cain was selected to the All-Star team for the second time in his career. For the second time he will have to bow out.

In 2009 he was hit by a line drive during the game before the All-Star break and was forced to sit out of the game. This season he’ll be pitching on the Sunday before the break, which prohibits him from pitching in the All-Star game.

Regardless, he still certainly deserves the honor. In June Cain went 4-0 with a 1.65 ERA. He left one game with a 1-0 lead and another tied at 1-1. Both resulted in no-decisions for the righty.

Matt Cain has the twelfth-lowest run support average in the league and can still put up fantastic figures. He’s 7-4 with a 3.02 ERA. He’s tied for third in the National League with 13 quality starts and opponents have a .224 batting average against him.

He’s got the talent to do well for years, exemplified by his 0 ERA in over 21 innings of postseason work last season. This year is no different and Cain deserves the all-star recognition he has this season.

While he doesn’t receive the same media attention given to the likes of Tim Lincecum and Brian Wilson, he has always been solid. His professionalism on and off the field also speaks volumes about this guy’s character.

Cain is someone you want on the All-Star team to show kids, adults, and the rest of the league what you should expect in a major league baseball player.

Tim Lincecum

A pitcher’s Win-Loss record is not indicative of the rest of his stats.

A pitcher’s Win-Loss record is not indicative of the rest of his stats.

A pitcher’s Win-Loss record is not indicative of the rest of his stats. 

Should I say that one more time? You can’t truly judge a pitcher based on his win and losses because so much more goes into his game.

Cliff Lee's 9-6 record doesn’t scream all star by itself. Look at the rest of his stats though and it’s a very different picture. Last year American League Cy Young winner Felix Hernandez ended his season with a 13-12 record. One win over .500 and this pitcher wins the Cy Young. Wins and losses should not be held in such high esteem.

In each of Lincecum’s losses the Giants’ offense scored no more than two runs in run support except for one game. There’s only one pitcher in the National League with an ERA under 2.0 (Jair Jurrjens) and he’s on the All-Star roster.

Lincecum's 3.14 ERA is nothing to scoff. He ranks fourth in San Francisco Giants’ all-time strikeout leaders and sixth in the league in strikeouts this season.

He has a 3.07 strikeout-to-walk ratio and ranks second in the league with a 9.66 strikeouts per nine innings. Opponents have a .230 batting average against him.

If the Giants’ offense had been better, there’s a good chance several of his losses and no-decisions would have ended as wins instead. He continues his reputation as a pitcher that hitters would rather avoid. 

While it’s true that a 6-7 record isn’t something you’d expect from a starting pitcher going to the All-Star game, Tim Lincecum just IS an all star.

His first two complete seasons in the majors resulted in back-to-back Cy Young awards. Last season he led his team to a World Series championship with a 4-1 postseason record.

While past seasons are not meant to be an influence on all-star selections, they are. Major League Baseball likes to see Tim Lincecum pitch. Why? Because he’s a freak: a smaller guy with amazing unexpected power who gets the job done.

Part of being an all star is talent, which clearly Lincecum has. The other part is having an impact and making a lasting difference in the baseball world. Tim Lincecum has done just that.