Tim Lincecum looks more like a skateboarder than a starting pitcher for the San Francisco Giants.

With a his long black hair flowing under a ski cap at a press conference Monday, it seemed Lincecum should be answer questions about a half-pipe instead of the pitching mound.

But there he was, looking like a X Games participant, looking more rock star than baseball star.

Wow. What a breath of fresh air.

Lincecum, with his Whirling Dervish delivery, will start for the National League in the All-Star Game tomorrow, even though he looks like he should be one of the kids lurking by the dugout trying to get autographs.

Lincecum has been dominant this season. He was dominant last season, winning the NL Cy Young. He was dominant the year before that, too.

And, it is hard to see him dominate — hard to see his boyish charm on the other side of the country when he could have been doing that here, in Pittsburgh.

But the Pirates passed on Lincecum to take Brad Lincoln, mostly because he was signable.

The Pirates made the mistake in 2007 when they took Daniel Moskos, a relief pitcher, one spot ahead of can’t-miss catching prospect Matt Wieters.

Thankfully, that thinking in Pittsburgh has passed. That is obvious by the selection of Pedro Alvarez last season. But how different would the Pirates look in 2009 with Lincecum — and his Rock Star locks — pitching every fifth day to Wieters for the Buccos?

I guess we will never know.