National League Cy Young Award winner, Tim Lincecum of the San Francisco Giants, will be featured as the cover athlete and spokesman for next year's highly anticipated baseball video game, Major League Baseball 2K9. Lincecum led Major League Baseball with 265 strikeouts during the 2008 season and set a new team record in the process. He has quickly become a fan favorite and established himself as one of the most thrilling young pitchers to watch in baseball today.

While attending the University of Washington, Lincecum won the coveted Golden Spikes Award which is given to the nation’s top college baseball player. He was drafted 10th overall by the San Francisco Giants in 2006. Known to fans as “The Franchise” and “The Freak”, Lincecum was named to the National League All-Star team this past season while putting up astonishing numbers and leading the Majors with a remarkable 265 strikeouts. Lincecum also led the National League in other key pitching categories including win percentage (18-5, .783), opponent’s batting average (.221), and strikeouts per nine innings (10.51), along with ranking second in earned run average (2.62). For all of his historic accomplishments, Lincecum won the Players’ Choice Award as the National League Outstanding Pitcher this season, along with the National League Pitcher of the Year Award from Sporting News. Both awards were voted on by his peers. More significantly, Lincecum today was named the National League Cy Young Award winner, given annually to the top pitcher in both the American League and the National League, and voted on by members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.

X360/Playstation 3 Features:

• Living Rosters – Active roster updates guarantee your game is current. Rosters are automatically updated behind the scenes, so you’re never late on a trade and always have the hottest players in your starting lineup.
• More Signature Style – 2K Sports adds to its impressive library of player–specific animations with more than 300 new signature animations, bringing players to life at the plate, on the mound and in the field, allowing you to play ball like never before.
• Next-Gen Controls – Right stick pitching, batting and responsive fielding bring your virtual baseball experience into the next generation. Improved two-step Precision Pitching controls, deeper Swing Stick batting and quick fielding responses round out your control of the game.
• Franchise Mode – Take charge of your franchise and enjoy the all-new MLB.com presentation style, a new level of CPU customization, multi-player functionality, and real player ambitions.
• Swing Stick Advanced – Now you can really Play Ball. Improved batting controls give batters the ability to influence hits with timing and aim. Improved hit distribution and variety deliver more hit types including spray shots, pulls, line drives and long bombs.
• Inside Edge 2009 – Inside Edge produces remarkably accurate player tendencies. With more than 6 years of scouting reports infused into the action on the field, Inside Edge ensures that players react to in-game situations as they would in real life.
• 2K HD/Real-Time Atmosphere – An all-new Virtual Director brings in-game broadcasts to life in real-time with smart camera placement, angles, and cuts. Real-Time Atmosphere adds to the presentation package by bringing nuances to life throughout the duration of a game. Lighting, umpires, ball boys and coaches all move and progress naturally and seamlessly for a true-to-life ballpark experience.
• New Broadcast Team – Gary Thorne provides the play by play calls alongside color analyst Steve Phillips giving a new perspective and more depth for a true-to-life, insightful
  broadcast. With improved sound effects including real time crowd noise you’ll feel like you’re actually sitting in the park.
• Postseason Mode – New Playoffs Mode – Jump right into the post season without having to play through 162 regular season games. And if you win it all, experience a World Series® celebration in true championship style.
• Team 2K – An online competition lasting 10 weeks to compile a team of the best online players. Just play Ranked Quick Matches to compete and win prizes. * Void where prohibited. See 2Ksports.com/team2K for details.
• 2K Share – How do you play ball? Create, upload, and share rosters, sliders, and even players created with the all-new Player DNA feature. This also includes the newly added Reelmaker, where you can now direct your own digital video highlight reels and post them on 2KSports.com for all the world to watch and admire.

Wii Features:

• Pinpoint Pitching – Use the Wii Remote to control every pitch. A Flick of the remote, as you pitch, will increase velocity and movement on your pitches.
• Precise Hitting – Use the Wii Remote and Nunchuk for total control of your hitting. The Wii Remote allows you to place your hits in relation to your swing timing, swing speed and swing angle.
• Signature Style – Individual MLB player-specific batting stances, step-ins, step-outs, home run celebrations, windups and deliveries create a real life game experience.
• New Broadcast Team – Gary Thorne provides the play by play calls alongside color analyst Steve Phillips giving more depth and realism for a true-to-life conversational broadcast. With improved sound effects including real time crowd noise you’ll feel like you’re actually sitting in the park.
• New 2K Beats – Featuring Judas Priest, Cheap Trick, Coheed & Cambria, Ted Nugent, SR-71, The Romantics, Boys Like Girls, and Europe.

PS2 Features:

• GM Career Mode – Control up to 4 different franchises simultaneously. Achieve goals set by franchise owners, simulate seasons and attempt to bring home a World Series® Championship.
• Updated Rosters – Capitalize on the past winter’s biggest moves with updated rosters and Inside Edge data.
• 2K Sports Online Play – Think you got what it takes to Play ball against the rest of the world? Go Head-to-Head against the best players on the planet.
• New Broadcast Team – Gary Thorne provides the play by play calls alongside color analyst Steve Phillips giving more depth and realism for a true-to-life conversational broadcast. With improved sound effects including real time crowd noise you’ll feel like you’re actually sitting in the park.
• New 2K Beats – Featuring Judas Priest, Cheap Trick, Coheed & Cambria, Ted Nugent, SR-71, The Romantics, Boys Like Girls, and Europe.

PSP Features:

• True to Form Fielding – Real life fielding structure brings a Big League experience to the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system allowing you to play ball anywhere.
• VIP System – Unique user profile for each and every gamer creating individual tendencies for pitching, batting, fielding, baserunning, and managing style.
• New 2K Beats – Featuring Judas Priest, Cheap Trick, Coheed & Cambria, Ted Nugent, SR-71, The Romantics, Boys Like Girls, and Europe
• The Farm System – Practice your skills at scouting and evaluating Minor League talent by playing full games with Triple-A Clubs.

Developed by Visual Concepts, Major League Baseball 2K9, not yet rated, will be available in March 2009 for the X360, the PS3 and PS2, PSP, and Wii.