Giants ace eager to face World Baseball Classic squad



real time posted: Wednesday, March 11, 2009 8:42:00 AM


SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Before the Giants take Thursday off, they'll play their most-anticipated exhibition of the Cactus League season: Wednesday's 1:05 p.m. PT date with Japan's World Baseball Classic squad at Scottsdale Stadium.

Though this is supposed to be a just a tuneup for the Japanese, who advanced to the Classic's second round by defeating Korea and China while finishing 2-1 as the runner-up in Pool A, the Giants won't allow them to consider this a glorified scrimmage. Tim Lincecum, the National League's reigning Cy Young Award winner, will start for San Francisco.

But the Giants ace might not stick around long. Mindful of the long Spring Training caused by the Classic and intent on preserving Lincecum's valuable arm, the Giants want to ease the right-hander's workload while they can. Lincecum is unscored upon in seven spring innings and has lasted three innings in each of his previous two outings. Japan's team officials were expected to name their starting pitcher later Tuesday.

Lincecum's confrontations against Japan's Ichiro Suzuki alone should be worth watching.

"I've been kind of known to be effectively wild. Maybe it'll work out that way," Lincecum said recently. "I'll be all over the place and get lucky and he'll hit a ground ball to the first baseman."

Ichiro also happens to play for the Seattle Mariners, the team Lincecum followed when he grew up in Renton, Wash.

"You kind of get jazzed up for the big hitters, and he's been an outstanding hitter for a while now," Lincecum said.

Japan, which worked out Tuesday afternoon at Scottsdale Stadium, will face the Chicago Cubs in Mesa on Thursday. After practicing again in Scottsdale on Friday, Japan will travel to San Diego's PETCO Park to face the Pool B winner.