ESPN Magazine Cover

Tim Lincecum puts Clayton Kershaw into playful headlock on ESPN Magazine cover
By David Brown | Big League Stew – 16 hours ago

The headline on ESPN the Magazine's upcoming baseball preview reads "Cy vs. Cy" and that's pretty darned clever, given the Spy vs. Spy play on words. I also like the old-school Sports Illustrated-esque nature of the pose, with Lincecum of the San Francisco Giants getting Kershaw in noogie position. One quibble: Presumably, somewhere off camera, Roy Halladay of the Phillies is standing by ready to suck the snake venom out of either pitcher from the NL West.​

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It's really Kersh who has Timmy in a headlock, you know, at least since 2011. Kershaw and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat Lincecum and the Giants 2-1 on opening day, they beat them with 12 strikeouts 1-0 on July 20 and they beat them 2-1 on Sept. 20. (The Arizona Diamondbacks really remember that last one fondly.)​

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Further: Did you know that Kershaw is 6-1 with a 1.25 ERA in 11 career starts against the Giants? If San Francisco wants back in the playoffs all it has to do is even that out a little.​

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Reporter Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle blogged about the cover, and Lincecum's feelings about going to a photo shoot with a rival:​

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Given that Lincecum lost to Kershaw three times last year, this noogie must have felt good.

I asked Timmy if it was weird to meet Kershaw to take a photo together. He said no and pointed out that he's seen many historical baseball photos of opponents posing together (presumably none with hair like his).​

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Schulman also could have been referring to Kershaw's beard, which will come in anytime now.​

 

or have lincecum smoking a blunt
and ck drinking an herbal tea

 

and jism

 

turns out they had to re-shoot
with timmy (now) in the appropriate jersey...