ST. LOUIS —Major League Baseball just announced the starting pitchers for Tuesday night's All-Star Game and it's a great matchup for anyone who loves watching dominant pitchers.

Tim Lincecum vs. Roy Halladay.

In Lincecum, Major League Baseball gets the benefit of having the game's first pitch thrown by one of its most marketable stars. The reigning NL Cy Young winner, Lincecum was an easy choice, going 10-2 over the first half for the wild-card leading Giants with a 2.33 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 149 strikeouts.

This is Lincecum's second All-Star appearance, but he's still waiting to dress for his first game. Last season, he missed the game in New York after suffering from "dehydration."

"I'm going to load up on a bunch of liquids and try to keep hydrated," Lincecum said of his plans for tonight before making a slight acknowledgment that the allure of the Big Apple might have proven to be too much in 2008. "I'm going to have Matt Cain(notes) put a leash around my neck, keep me in my room."

Um, yeah, moving on ... That Halladay was picked over Kansas City's Zack Greinke(notes) on the AL side is a slight surprise, but he's of course very deserving of the chance to showcase his wares to the rest of the teams. After the first half, he's 10-3 with a 2.85 ERA, a 1.10 WHIP and 106 strikeouts.

"It's very difficult to pick that one guy," explained AL manager Joe Maddon. "There's so many qualified pitchers among the group (but) Doc over the last several years has demonstrated to be, possibly, the best pitcher in the American League ... Greinke was definitely considered, but based on this season and on the body of work, I thought (Halladay) deserved the nod."

Halladay, meanwhile, addressed the constant trade rumors he's facing these days.

"It's tough," Halladay said. "I'm somewhere where I enjoy being and somewhere where I've spent my career. As a player, there's that will to win and there's that will to do it in October. Basically, that's what this is all about. I'd like that chance. I'm not saying that won't be in Toronto, but it's about having that chance." 

BONUS LINK: For a list of all the starting pitchers in All-Star history, click here, then amaze your friends by telling them that the first eight AL starters were named either Lefty or Red.

Related: BLS at the 2009 All-Star Game