Just $4.5 million separates the Giants and star pitcher Tim Lincecum for a new contract for 2012. In baseball terms, that's a small amount—but it's enough that Lincecum could go before an arbitrator to decide his salary.A two-time National League Cy Young Award, Lincecum put in an arbitration request of a $21.5 million salary, the largest ever sought by a player not yet eligible for free agency. Roger Clemens asked for the largest amount in big-league arbitration history, $22 million in 2005. The Giants have countered Lincecum's request with a record-high arbitration response of $17 million, far above the $14.25 million arbitration counter amount that the Yankees proposed to shortstop Derek Jeter in 2001. Giants vice president of baseball operations Bobby...