SUNDAY, JANUARY 4, 2015 SPORTS

Randy Johnson looks to be shoo-in for Hall of Fame

PHOENIX: At 6-foot-10, Randy Johnson Since his retirement in 2009, Johnson cally when it comes to a major league Randy ran down to the bullpen, then “Doesn’t mean it was the right way - it stood on the mound and looked down has mostly detached himself from base- pitcher,” Brenly said. “For him to go from when the door opened and he came out just worked for me. Whether it was on batters, an intimidating presence ball, concentrating on his love of pho- where he was at the beginning of his of it, that was the seminal moment in working out the way I worked out, my before he even threw the ball. tography, traveling the world, shooting career in Montreal when he was just a that World Series.” regimen, my offseason training, my And when he let it fly, his talent pictures of his many rock musician wild, hard thrower to where he finished Johnson retired all four batters he demeanor on game day, my demeanor matched his imposing stature. With a friends, meeting with soldiers on USO his career - this guy would regularly faced, then Arizona scored twice off working up to game day, it worked for menacing fastball and devastating slider, tours to Kuwait, Iraq and Guantanamo strike out 300 more guys than he walked Mariano Rivera in the bottom of the me.” The Big Unit had a career that rivaled Bay. in a season.” ninth to win it all in just the franchise’s In 2001, he became the third pitcher any other left-handed pitcher who Johnson pitched 22 seasons with That’s a slight exaggeration, although fourth season. Johnson was 3-0 in the to strike out 20 in nine innings in a 43, played the game. There is a long list of Montreal, Seattle, Houston, Arizona, the Johnson did accomplish it once. In 2001, series and earned co-MVP with Curt 11-inning victory over Cincinnati. In statistics to back that up, and he seems a New York Yankees and San Francisco, he fanned a career-high 372 and walked Schilling. 2002 he won the pitching version of the shoo-in as a first-ballot selection when compiling a 303-166 career record. 71. It was the greatest season in A lot of left-handed hitters on oppos- triple crown, leading the National the new Hall of Fame class is announced He led his league in strikeouts nine Johnson’s career, largely because of the ing teams took the day off when League in wins, strikeouts and ERA. Tuesday. times, third-most in baseball history way it ended. Johnson pitched. The rest of the lineup And in 2004, at the age of 40, he His best seasons came with the behind Walter Johnson and Nolan Ryan. In the seventh game of a World Series knew they were in for a challenge. became the oldest person to throw a Arizona Diamondbacks, where he won His average of 10.6 strikeouts per nine considered by many to be the best ever “It’s almost like you’re going into a perfect game, a performance against four consecutive Cy Young awards - he innings ranks first among all pitchers. played, with the New York Yankees lead- game with a 1-0 lead because of the psy- Atlanta that still can be viewed on had a total of five - and his only World Johnson had six seasons of at least ing 2-1, Johnson jogged down to the chological advantage he gave to the YouTube. Johnson has said he’s not the Series championship. Every start was a 300 strikeouts, tied with Ryan for the bullpen to thunderous cheers from the team,” teammate Luis Gonzalez said. “... same intense person he was back then. display of searing intensity. “We knew most ever. A hard-throwing but home crowd. When he emerged from He thrived on intimidating other teams.” He stepped away from baseball for a that every fifth day we were going to get extremely wild pitcher as a youngster at the bullpen to pitch with two outs in the Johnson talked about his approach to long time, enjoying the easing of the one of the most competitive efforts in USC and in his early professional years, eighth inning, the reaction was even baseball in an interview with reporters internal pressure he always put on him- the history of the game,” said Bob Brenly, Johnson worked with Ryan and pitching louder. when he appeared at Chase Field last self. “I didn’t have any problems retiring his manager for most of his time in coach Tom House in 1992 to fix his “For all the great moments there May for the commemoration of the 10th because I felt like I did what I wanted to Arizona. “He pitched every game like it mechanics. And he developed remark- were in that World Series,” Brenly said, anniversary of his perfect game. do,” he said in May. “I deserved to walk was the most important of his life.” able control. “He’s out of the mold physi- “people continuously tell me that when “I did what worked for me,” he said. away.” —AP Sainz, Peterhansel eye golden Dakar return

BUENOS AIRES: Peugeot return to the a Volkswagen, completed a Mini lockout of Dakar Rally after a 25-year absence with the podium 12 months ago, but 2010 winner Carlos Sainz and 11-time Peterhansel was angry over the issuing of champion Stephane Peterhansel handed team orders in the closing stages of the the job of shattering Mini’s hopes of a suc- race. cessive cleansweep. “The biggest problem we have is the Sainz, also a two-time world rally cham- fact we know we are quick-we just don’t pion, will be racing for his third team in the know how quick compared to everyone gruelling 9,000km event which starts today else,” said Peterhansel of his new Peugeot. and crosses into Chile and Bolivia before “So the first phase of the rally will be just ending in the Argentine capital on January to test our pace: to know what we can 17. “The team has come up with a unique, achieve comfortably or not. This is actually innovative car which promises to be the most important part of the strategy, as extremely versatile for the different types we will base everything on this knowledge.” of terrain we are likely to come across,” said Peugeot’s three-man line-up is completed Sainz, whose 2010 Dakar title came behind by France’s five-time motorcycle winner the wheel of a Volkswagen. Cyril Despres, who is tackling the race on “The concept works well. The test pro- four wheels for the first time. gramme has shown that it is a very fast Roma became just the third man to win machine, although it is obviously difficult the Dakar title on two and four wheels after to be 100 percent sure of its reliability at Peterhansel and Hubert Auriol when he this early stage.” won in 2014, 10 years after his maiden Peugeot won the Dakar for four succes- motorcycle triumph. He will again lead the sive years from 1987-1990 when it was still Mini challenge along with Al-Attiyah. “The staged in Africa. This year’s event, the sev- first few years were tough,” said 42-year-old enth in South America since its enforced Roma, who made his Dakar debut in 1996. transfer for security reasons from Africa, is “2014 was far from easy. However, I had the 37th of all time and Sainz insists that absolute faith in the Mini and the team did Peugeot will be amongst the favourites. a super job.” The 2014 race takes the Dakar “I have often competed against Peugeot caravan from the Atacama, the driest spot Sport in the past and I have known for on the planet, to the Iquique dunes and years just how passionate it is about motor- crossing the Andes at the highest point on sport,” said the 52-year-old Spaniard. Argentina’s Route 40, the 4,970m mountain “I also know that when they decide on a pass of Abra del Acay. programme, they put everything into it. I’m “It’s going to be a marathon for every- the same. Given how much I love the Dakar, body,” said Dakar race director Etienne it was too good a proposal to resist when Lavigne. In all, there will be 4,600km of spe- Peugeot asked me to be part of its line-up cial stages including a 781km time trial for its comeback to this unique adventure.” from the Bolivian city of Uyuni to Chile’s Peterhansel, six times a champion in the Pacific Coast. motorcycle competition, and five times on At today’s Buenos Aires start, more four wheels, was second overall in the 2014 than 400 machines-cars, motorcycles, event, finishing just behind Spain’s Nani quads and trucks-will set off for what Roma. Lavigne describes as “the Everest of FRANCE: RC Toulon’s Drew Mitchell (center) vies with Montpellier’s winger Anthony Tuitavake (left) during the Rugby Championship Top14 Nasser Al-Attiyah, the 2011 champion in motorsport”. —AFP match. —AP Shiffrin, Maze to compete Montpellier stun Toulon in women’s slalom race PARIS: South African World Cup winning coach Stade Francais who fell 12-9 at Lyon on Friday Maxime Machenaud scoring all their points Jake White got off to a winning start at in a game which saw South African fly-half through penalties. Castres, meanwhile, suf- ZAGREB: US teen Mikaela Shiffrin and one win in slalom this season, but has nev- Montpellier as the Top 14 strugglers beat Morne Steyn red-carded. fered a second straight loss for the first time Slovenia’s overall leader Tina Maze will be er won at Sljeme. European and French champions Toulon 16-12 Steyn, the 30-year-old top-scorer at the this season-falling 30-15 to relegation rivals La the focus in today’s World Cup women’s Today, the hosts will be represented by yesterday. White was brought in as a consult- 2011 World Cup, had confidently kicked Stade Rochelle. In a bottom-of-the-table clash Brive slalom race in the Croatian capital. four skiers, but expectations are far ant to replace the suspended Fabien Galthie in into a 6-0 lead courtesy of a 40-metre penalty were carried by Gaetan Germain who scored all The event is being staged at Sljeme, the removed from the days of glory when an aim to stem the tide of eight losses in their and a quick-thinking drop goal. their points in a 25-9 win over Bayonne. mountain peak overlooking Zagreb, where Janica Kostelic, the first woman to win four last nine matches in European and domestic But after Mosese Ratuvou had cut the deficit It was a lift for Brive a week after their ham- Croatia’s skiing stars-the Kostelic siblings- golds in Olympic skiing history, was com- action. with the night’s opening try, Steyn saw red in mering by Bordeaux and allows Nicolas made their debuts. peting. And powered by a second-half Alex Tulou the 31st minute for kicking the Fijian winger as Godignon’s side to move up to ninth, three Reigning Olympic and world champion Croatians are emotional when it comes try converted by Ben Lucas, Montpellier the two tussled on the ground. points above the relegation zone. Shiffrin from Vail, Colorado, seems to be to the race due to Janica and her brother grabbed a determined victory in front of their It left Stade to play 50 minutes with 14 men “It’s not a relief because the season is still getting into excellent shape for Zagreb Ivica, both born in Zagreb, who made their home crowd to move up to seventh with 35 and Lyon took full advantage when Ratuvou long but it was an important match, in the after winning at Kuhtai, Austria on Monday. first skiing steps at the venue with their points, a point behind Bordeaux (36), who fell added a second try early in the second period, heart of winter, and I’m proud of the boys for It was her first slalom podium this season. “I father and coach Ante. 12-9 at Racing-Metro, and ahead of Toulouse muscling his way over after a sharp pass from doing what they needed,” said Godignon. like this slope a lot, it is long. You have to Janica retired from competitive skiing in (33) who play in Clermont today. Ricky Januarie. Racing-Metro came from “It’s satisfying to see them leave with zero invest a lot of effort and give the maximum. 2007 at the age of 25 due to long-standing I’m excited and hope for a great race and health and injury problems. Today’s women Benoit Paillaugue had put Montpellier behind to beat visiting Bordeaux-Begles 12-9 points because they’re a team we’re neck and excellent atmosphere,” Shiffrin told slalom is dubbed the Snow Queen Trophy ahead with two early penalties as the score was and are now fourth equal on 41 points with neck with in the battle against relegation.” Croatian state-run HRT television. The 19- in honor of Janica who was known as the balanced 6-6 at half-time while all of Toulon’s Clermont. Bordeaux have been overtaken by Grenoble year-old American won the Sljeme race in “Snow Queen.” The winner also receives a points came off the boot of Welsh full-back Racing had trailed 6-9 at the break following who are now fifth after bouncing back from 2013 while last year’s event was cancelled crystal crown. Leigh Halfpenny. three Lionel Beauxis penalty kicks for Bordeaux consecutive defeats with a bonus point in a 33- due to unfavourable weather conditions. Ivica Kostelic, a former World Cup cham- Toulon remain second two points behind but powered back in the second half with 19 win over Oyonnax. —AFP In the World Cup slalom standings, after pion and serial Olympic silver-medallist, four races, Shiffrin is currently fourth with has stayed in competitive skiing. 219 points. In the overall standings, after 13 However, the 35-year-old’s results this races, she is third with 445 points.Her main season have been modest. The 2011 World rival and Olympic champion Maze is lead- Cup winner has also endured a series of Saracens cruise past London ing the overall standings with 732 points. health problems notably with his right Like Shiffrin, the 31-year-old Slovenian has knee. —AFP LONDON: Saracens director of rugby Mark over in the right corner for his second try of McCall saluted Billy Vunipola after the the match, it looked like third placed Saracens England international inspired a 22-6 victory would go on to claim the last two tries they over London Irish at Allianz Park yesterday. needed for a bonus point as they chase lead- Matches on TV Vunipola’s England career hit a slump dur- ers Northampton. (Local Timings) ing the November Tests when the 22-year-old But London Irish held firm as McCall’s men was dropped by Stuart Lancaster after start- failed to score another try in the final quarter. Spanish League ing in the defeats to New Zealand and South In yesterday’s other match, Gloucester Africa. secured a tense 26-25 win at Exeter. The Saracens number eight was left out of Greg Laidlaw kicked two penalties to put Getafe v Vallecano 14:00 the match squads for the victories over Samoa Gloucester 6-0 ahead at half-time. When Billy and Australia, with his replacement Ben Twelvetrees added to the visitors’ lead with a beIN SPORTS 2 HD Morgan subsequently named England’s play- drop-goal, it seemed Gloucester were on Valencia v Real Madrid 19:00 er of the series. course for an easy victory. But tries from Jack “He was great today,” said McCall. “What’s Nowell and Matt Jess put Exeter in front for beIN SPORTS 16 HD impressive is how he recovered from the huge the first time. beIN SPORTS 2 HD setback he got. From being the starting num- Gloucester responded well and Tom beIN SPORTS 12 HD ber eight in the Six Nations to not even going Savage and Ben Morgan scored tries to regain into the England camp for the last couple of the lead, before Gareth Steenson’s missed Espanyol v Eibar 21:00 weeks. It’s a hell of a blow for a young fella. conversion for Exeter after Thomas Waldrom’s beIN SPORTS 7 HD “You can only judge him by how he’s react- try proved costly. ed and how he’s responded. That’s five games The lead swapped four times after Savage beIN SPORTS 13 HD in a row when he’s been there or thereabouts went over, with Steenson kicking two penal- Sociedad v Barcelona 23:00 in terms of getting close to man of the match. ties and Laidlaw adding a third of his own. “He was really good out there today. It’s Gloucester’s victory was only their second beIN SPORTS 11 HD AUSTRIA: Tina Maze of Slovenia competes during the Women’s Slalom during the FIS good for us and it’s good for him that he’s in their last seven Premiership matches, while beIN SPORTS 2 HD Ski World Cup. —AFP back in top form.” After David Strettle surged Exeter have now lost three in a row.—AFP