Ever since he made his debut with San Francisco on April 5 at Milwaukee, right-hander Johnny Cueto has had a unique appeal for Giants fans. It's easy to understand. He has dreadlocks that drape down to the numbers on his jersey. He flashes a contagious smile throughout games he pitches.
And most importantly, he is 13-1 with a 2.47 ERA midway through the season, with the National League West-leading Giants winning 16 of the 18 games he's started. On Tuesday night, Cueto was the NL starter in the All-Star Game in San Diego.
Cueto credits an old-school approach to his early success with the Giants, and expects that to help him survive the rigors of a 162-game season.