San Francisco ? Dan Haren has always lacked the luster of his big-name teammates, quietly putting up big numbers and impressing opposing hitters.

With Barry Zito out of Oakland and the spotlight mostly his own this year, Haren has shown he has the stuff and the composure to be a No. 1 pitcher on any staff, including a star-studded one at the All-Star game.

Haren was picked Monday to start for the American League just across the bay from his home ballpark in Oakland.

“I had been always kind of under the radar,” Haren said Monday. “Now that I’m in the limelight so to speak, at least for the next couple of days, I’m just going to try to have as much fun as I can rather than putting so much pressure on myself and have this be a rough couple of days.”

Haren will be on center stage tonight, facing a power-packed National League lineup featuring Barry Bonds, Ken Griffey Jr. and Prince Fielder. Opposing him on the mound will be San Diego’s Jake Peavy, another young pitcher just starting to come into his own.

Haren is 10-3 with an AL-leading 2.30 ERA. He certainly had the credentials to earn the All-Star start, but there was plenty of competition for AL manager Jim Leyland to sift through, including his own no-hit stud Justin Verlander of Detroit.

Two-time Cy Young winner Johan Santana, C.C. Sabathia, Josh Beckett and John Lackey also are on the staff.

“I felt that Danny’s numbers certainly should give him the right to start this game,” Leyland said. “And I would be lying if I said that it wasn’t a nice extra touch since he pitches right across the Bay here in this area. Truthfully, if this game was in Cleveland, it would probably be Sabathia and if it was in Detroit it would be Verlander. So there was a little added incentive for me.”

Haren certainly earned this start with his performance on the mound. After losing his first two starts – despite allowing one earned run in 13 innings – Haren reeled off 10 straight wins before losing to Seattle on Friday. Despite that loss, he still took a league-leading 2.30 ERA into the break.

He has helped the A’s survive the free agent departure of Zito and another injury-plagued season for Rich Harden, becoming the latest star pitcher for the A’s. The last Oakland pitcher to start the All-Star game was Mark Mulder in 2004. Just five months later Mulder was traded to St. Louis in a deal that sent back a 24-year-old pitcher who had made only 19 career starts.

Getting the start gives Haren a chance to face Barry Bonds without having to worry about the standings. Bonds is 4-for-12 in his career against Haren, hitting his only homer on a 3-0 pitch on June 24, 2006, that Haren said he still regrets.

“I’m definitely not going to lay one in there,” Haren said. “I’m going to try to make my pitches. I’ll challenge him.”