Rally

To get Washington fans ready for the coming baseball season, all spring (err...and Winter) I will be interviewing a blogger from each team in the league. To continue our journey I talked with Mercurial Outfielder from Another Cubs Blog, one of the top Cubs blogs on the net. The Cubs are constantly looking towards next year, so lets take a look at what Another Cubs Blog says about this coming season:

The Nats Blog: Can the Cubs compete for that elusive World Series Title in 2010? Why?

Mercurial Outfielder: In a word, no. I mean, there's always some minuscule statistical chance that they could contend, but there's no reason to expect them to do so.  The reason, simply put, is that the talent just isn't there.  At the start of the 2009 season, by our WAR calculations, the Cubs were a 92-95 win team on paper, depending on if we used Rally's WAR or Fangraphs WAR. OF course, that didn't pan out, and I think the 2010 offseason has seen a classic case of over-general managing. The Cubs let 4-6 wins walk out the door when they refused to re-sign Harden and traded Bradley, and they haven't really replaced them. Marlon Byrd is the biggest acquisition so far, and even the most optimistic projections have him ~2 WAR. Moving Fukudome to RF helps defensively, as Fukudome is an excellent defensive RF, but having his bat in the lineup every day doesn't do much for me. Soriano is...well, who knows? He was having a typical Soriano season until mid-May when he smashed into a wall and banged up his knee, but I think there's a lot of uncertainty there. If we can chalk up his struggles to the injury, then there's some reason to be optimistic about a return to form--but I'm not sure we can really do that.  There's a very good chance that Soriano will never again be the offensive force he was when the Cubs acquired him.  Having a healthy Ramirez back helps, and Lee looks resurgent, but Baker is, IMO, a big question mark at 2B. A lot is riding on him continuing to hit.  As for the rotation, Zambrano, outside of the completely useless W-L stat, had a pretty typical season in 2009. Dempster should continue to be steady. Lilly's coming off a shoulder injury, so trying to project him, is, IMHO, an exercise in futility.

And here's where the real problems with this team start.

Today the Dakar Rally went from one extreme to another, following yesterday’s short stage with a 483km long epic, skirting Chile’s Atacama Desert between Copiapo and Antofagasta.

The result was one was of those days the Dakar Rally is famous for, with stage leads shifting and changing like the sands of the desert they’re racing through, and some competitors’ chances of an overall victory seem to have slipping though their fingers.

Nowhere was this more evident than in the bikes. Frenchman Cyril Despres started the day leading from David Casteu by a little under nine minutes, with Spaniard (and reigning champion) Marc Coma trying to stage a comeback after winning yesterday’s stage trying to fight back from several delays.

And early on in the stage it looked like the Coma renaissance would continue, as he took the stage lead from Despres in time for the second checkpoint at 138km. Coma was flying Despres by six minutes at the next checkpoint as he moved into the overall top five and toward a second consecutive stage victory—the first this year for anyone outside of the Truck class.

But it too was short lived as the Spaniard was stopped again by mechanical issues and lost 40 minutes fixing his bike. That, of course, saw Despres back into the stage lead, followed by Chilean Francisco Lopez Contardo and Casteu.

Or at least it should have been Casteu, had the Frenchman and his 450cc Sherco not been the latest victim of what is turning into an unforgiving race. The man who had won the opening stage fell heavily after 395km severely injuring his leg.

Such was the severity of his injury he was unable to set off his emergency beacon with David Fretigne and Paulo Goncalves stopping to help Casteu for the five minutes before a helicopter evacuated him to the bivouac for medical attention.

Casteu’s misfortune left Despres and Lopez Contardo alone at the head of the stage times, Fretigne third fastest, now twelve minutes adrift. In the closing kilometres, the home country hero eclipsed Despres, leading at the fourth and final checkpoint by 1:14, extending his lead by another sixteen seconds to take the stage win in his home country and giving the Italian manufacturer better known for Superbike exploits its first Dakar stage win.

Fretigne finished the stage third ahead of Despres’ teammate Ruben Faria and Norwegian privateer Pal Anders Ullevalseter.

It was a similarly topsy-turvy day in the cars. The VW army were in fine form early on in the stage with the five Race Touareg 2 machines of Mark Miller, Giniel de Villiers, Carlos Sainz, Mauricio Neves, and Nasser Al-Attiyah locking out the top five positions at the first checkpoint.

And then the day got better for VW, as it got worse for Stephane Peterhansel.

The BMW driver, then the only man who stood between VW and domination, stopped apparently with driveshaft problems at 135km. He tried to repair the car and minimize the time lost to the Touareg phalanx, but it was to no avail.

When the X-Raid car finally got going again it had lost over and hour to Miller, the leading VW, and was struggling as the problem had left the normally 4WD BMW languishing with 2WD.

That handed the non-VW stage win challenge duties over to a car that was intended to be 2WD: Robby Gordon’s Hummer Buggy.

Gordon, starting first today after his narrow win yesterday, was fast throughout the day looked like he could spring another surprise as he gained on Miller through the second half of the stage.

He was six minutes behind at 224km, four minutes 100km later, and had pulled in to scarcely two minutes behind before the final, mostly downhill, 27km blast to the stage finish.

And when the results came in it was an American at the top.

But that American was not Robby Gordon, it was Mark Miller (from Phoenix) who won the stage ahead of teammates Sainz (who took the overall lead) and Al-Attiyah, Gordon’s Hummer losing two minutes and slipping to fourth fastest.

Struggles for the pre-stage leaders were again a theme of the quad class, as the curse of the stage win struck again, with Alejandro Patronelli the latest victim as the Yamaha ride lost nearly 90 minutes between 138km and 187km.

With his brother disappearing down the order, Marcos Patronelli had the opportunity to extend his overall lead. Having taken the stage lead after Martin Plechaty had crashed into retirement at 127km, the younger brother exchanged the lead with Uruguayan Luis Henderson before pulling out nearly a 20 minute lead at the third checkpoint at 339km.

Patronelli won the stage in 7h39:49, underlining the huge proportions of the day, beating his countryman Jorge Miguel Santamarina by 29:41.

Stage Five Results

Bikes :

1. Francisco Lopez Contardo (Aprilia) 5h52:40

2. Cyril Despres (KTM) +0h01:30

3. David Fretigne (Yamaha) +0h13:13

4. Ruben Faria (KTM) +0h15:09

5. Pal Anders Ullevalseter (KTM) +0h18:24

Cars :

1. Mark Miller (VW) 5h06:15

2. Carlos Sainz (VW) +0h02:10

3. Nasser Al-Attiyah (VW) +0h04:27

4. Robby Gordon (Hummer) +0h04:48

5. Mauricio Neves (VW) +0h09:21

Quads :

1. Marcos Patronelli (Yamaha) 7h39:49

2. Jorge Miguel Santamarina (Can-Am) +0h29:41

3. Juan Manuel Gonzalez (Yamaha) +0h32:54

4. Rafal Sonik (Yamaha) +0h40:18

5. Bernardo Graue (Can-Am) +1h31:04

Trucks :

1. Firdaus Kabirov (Kamaz) 5h48:50

2. Vladimir Chagin (Kamaz) +0h00:19

3. Joseph Adua (Iveco) +0h37:48

4. Ilgizar Mardeev (Kamaz) +0h42:28

5. Marcel Van Vliet (Ginaf) +0h43:12

 

Overall Standings After Stage Five

Bikes :

1. Cyril Despres (KTM) 16h38:26

2. Francisco Lopez Contardo (Aprilia) +0h37:37

3. Helder Rodrigues (Yamaha) +0h44:01

4. Alain Duclos (KTM) +1h01:34

5. Pal Anders Ullevalseter (KTM) +1h08:07   

Cars :

1. Carlos Sainz (VW) 16h10:51

2. Nasser Al-Attiyah (VW) +0h04:37

3. Mark Miller (VW) +0h09:39

4. Robby Gordon (Hummer) +0h59:55

5. Carlos Souza (Mitsubishi) +1h13:22

Quads :

1. Marcos Patronelli (Yamaha) 20h48:02

2. Jorge Miguel Santamarina  (Can-Am) +1h00:36

3. Juan Manuel Gonzalez  (Yamaha) +1h07:13

4. Alejandro Patronelli  (Yamaha) +2h07:45

5. Oldrich Brazina  (Polaris) +2h47:23

Trucks :

1. Vladimir Chagin (Kamaz) 18h20:32

2. Firdaus Kabirov (Kamaz) +0h26:08

3. Marcel Van Vliet (Ginaf) +3h07:26

4. Ilgizar Mardeev (Kamaz) +3h41:12

5. Johan Elfrink (Mercedes) +4h06:14

Ever since I received an invitation to the groundbreaking ceremony for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks Spring Training Facility in Scottsdale, I had been counting down the days, hours, and minutes until the day the ceremony would arrive.

My friend Andre and I planned to go to the groundbreaking ceremony, much to the chagrin of my daughter Tiffany. In an effort to help maintain my status as a good father, the Diamondbacks graciously gave me another ticket for my daughter to attend as well.

I was up early, well before daylight. Sleep was the furthest thing from my mind. I laid in bed until I could not stand it any longer, and I got up and showered. I stood in my closet surveying my wardrobe wondering what one wears to a groundbreaking ceremony?

On the one hand I would be mingling with local dignitaries and celebrities. On the other, there was dirt to be tossed and wheelbarrows to push, and I know how much Trina hates me to play in the dirt in my Sunday church clothes.

After stressing out about this for longer than I should, I decided to wear a Diamondbacks polo shirt under a Diamondbacks sweatshirt and my Diamondbacks jacket. I once again lamented to my wife the fact that I have yet to find Diamondbacks underwear (a situation for which she is very grateful).

The ceremony was to begin at 11 a.m. By 9 a.m. I was pacing the floor, willing the clock to move faster. Finally, by 9:30 a.m., I could not stand it any longer and left the house with my daughter and two cameras to record the events.

We picked Andre up along the way and drove to the Pavillions shopping center in Scottsdale. From there we went north, following the signs to parking areas that had been set up for our use. I think I stopped and talked to every parking attendant along the way to make sure I knew exactly where to go.

We parked the car. Walking towards the ceremony area, I actually had butterflies in my stomach. I am not sure why. After all, I didn't have to shovel the dirt. The Diamondbacks were very clear that I was not to bring either a shovel or a wheelbarrow.

As we walked to the area, there were wooden chairs set up in front of a large stage with a podium. Behind the chairs was the location of home plate in the new stadium. It was marked not only with the plate itself, but also with batters' boxes and a catcher’s box. Behind the plate was another stage filled with video cameras and crews to document this occasion.

Besides the stage and chairs there were booths offering bags of Poore Brothers potato chips, peanuts with special commemorative stickers, Pepsi products, hot dogs, and Cold Stone Creamery ice cream. Though they didn't appear busy, it was understandable because of the cool weather and breeze blowing in from what would be the outfield.

The Rally Backs provided an inflatable batting toy for the kids, and Baxter the Bobcat entertained the crowd.

Tents offered everything from artist renderings of the Spring Training complex to information about the Salt River Indian community, as well as check-in booths for media and VIPs. 

Andre and Tiffany kept pushing for VIP check-ins, but I was just happy to be there. The last thing I wanted to risk was getting in trouble and possibly kicked out for impersonating a VIP.

One of the most special giveaways was a white baseball featuring the logo of the day's event. I definitely plan on integrating that into my family room display right next to the base I am going to mount on the wall. Some people had black baseballs, and Andre is sure those were given to VIPs, but we don't know for sure.

A who's who from the Diamondbacks organization were in attendance. Managing partner Ken Kendrick, CEO Derrick Hall, many season ticket representatives, including my rep, Mandi Howard.

I thanked her profusely for allowing me to attend. Her first question to me was, “You didn’t bring your shovel or wheelbarrow, did you?” I assured her that I did not, even though my shovel was in the trunk just in case.

I also saw Dustin Payne and again thanked him for the opportunity to cross off No. 2 on my bucket list . Though it was great to see everyone, I was a little depressed to think it would be another 140 days, 3 hours, and 10 minutes until Opening Day.

Soon we took our seats and the ceremony started. The master of ceremonies was Diamondbacks announcer Daron Sutton. He did a great job keeping things moving and brought enough humor to keep the audience actively involved.

Derrick Hall spoke and thanked Pima County and the City of Tucson for all the wonderful memories and for hosting the Diamondbacks for Spring Training since the team’s inception. It was a very classy thing, and I appreciated his statement.

He also talked about how exciting this move was for the fans in Phoenix to no longer have to make the drive to Tucson to see the team play each spring. He went on to say the Diamondbacks would not forget their Tucson fans and are planning to make it easier for them to come to Scottsdale to see the team play.

The Rockies team officials likewise thanked Tucson and said how much they looked forward to working with the Indian community to make this Spring Training complex the best in all of Major League Baseball.

After the speeches, the guests on the podium grabbed a hard hat and shovel. I was a little disappointed that the hard hats weren’t Sedona Red but given the Rockies' presence I guess that should be expected.

The shovels were much nicer than the one I had in the trunk of my car. These had bright silver blades that were polished to mirror consistency. The logo of the event was engraved on the blade, and the handles were shaped like baseball bats.

After the dirt was turned, the event came to a close. I have to be honest, if that is all the dirt they are going to move, that park is never going to get done. Someone is going to need to work some overtime, that’s for sure.

Tiffany walked around taking pictures of the event, the people, the memories, and the emotion of the day. Luis Gonzalez stood tirelessly autographing baseballs for everyone who wanted one.

Manager AJ Hinch was there surveying the site, trying to envision what it would look like finished. General Manager Josh Byrnes was there, as was former GM Joe Garagiola Junior.

I did get an opportunity to talk to Derrick Hall for a moment. I had to ask whether the shovel handles were maple bats or northern ash. He laughed, and said since none of the handles broke they must be northern ash.

He did say there would be one, perhaps two practice fields in the exact dimension of Chase Field to give players an opportunity to practice on a diamond just like it. On more than one occasion, he referred to this venue as Disneyland for baseball fans.

Fans will be able to walk through the complex with the players, in keeping with the plan to make this the most fan-friendly Spring Training facility in baseball. Given his success with Chase Field, I am confident he will do just that.

As the crowds died down, I took a walk where the playing surface will be in 2011. It is hard to imagine this large, mostly dirt lot will be a thriving baseball complex in just over a year. I walked in what will be the outfield and tried to imagine what it would be like to be at the first Fantasy Camp at the new facility.

The outfield dimensions looked huge, but once it is finished and the crowds file in to watch that first game, it will seem small and intimate, just the way the fans want it.

While Trina has threatened that I cannot go to the site every night and check progress, I do plan on making the trip along the 101 to see how things are going as often as I can. This was indeed a special event today, and I am grateful I was there to share it with my daughter and my friend. The photos we took captured the unforgettable moment.

While we all have been focused on the future of Formula 1 tires, there is some uncertainty in the World Rally Championship, as well.

Autosport is reporting that Pirelli is not sure it will try to re-up its deal with the WRC after the 2010 season:

“We’ll sit down and look at the document,” said [Pirelli motorsport director Paul] Hembery, “but the world has changed significantly since the last time we made our proposal to the FIA.

“We will study the interest in the sport and gauge the effect of our current supply contract to the WRC. I can then present to the board of Pirelli, but it’s not a given that we will get the nod from them.

“Don’t forget, we’ve had to close factories, lay people off and sometimes the sport has to come second. This is purely a financial thing.”

Hembery was at pains to point out that he firmly believed in the direction the WRC is now moving in.

“I like the way the sport’s going,” he added. “ISC as a global promoter is perfect, the events are working well and the calendar’s coming to what we want. But if you want me to say that I’m happy to sit down and re-sign for another three years, well that’s a board decision.

“We have stuck with the sport through what have been some pretty tough years, with low entry levels and manufacturers pulling. We’ve lived through those difficult times and we would want some assurances on the levels of manufacturer interest and assurances on the calendar front – on things like Monte Carlo returning.”

When Hembery says “the world has changed significantly” he really means: "I doubt we can cough up 11 million Euros again."

Autosport does say that Michelin is expected to make a go for the contract via the BFGoodrich brand, which now supplies teams in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge.

My question is: What might this mean for Formula 1?

Pirelli is certainly one of those names that came up as soon as Bridgestone announced it was leaving. Would a change from WRC to F1 make sense given the timing? Of course, if the F1 deal is 10 times the size of the WRC one, and money is a concern, it is hard to imagine Pirelli making the switch.

Do you think it is possible that economics, in the end, will force F1 back to multiple tire suppliers? Maybe there is not one brand that can handle the commitment.

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Maybe Renault should have thought of this a few weeks ago as a way to get Kimi on board?

Autosport is reporting today that Robert Kubica’s maiden race with his new team, Renault, likely will happen later this month—at the Rally du Var:

Kubica is a long-time supporter of rallying—even running his own Skoda Fabia WRC for private testing—and has been linked to an entry in a Clio R3 rally car for the final round of the French Rally Championship on the Cote d’Azur. The Saint Maxime-based Rallye du Var runs for three days from November 26-29.

Kubica was quoted on French website autohebdo.fr as saying: “It’s [the entry on du Var] not 100 percent certain yet, but there are very big chances.

“It will be only for fun, I’m not interested in times. I already asked for a video of the stages. I know some roads in this region and I realise how difficult task it will be for me.”

I think it was Cale Yarborough who I saw say that there is no better training for driving than driving. I also believe he was commented on some of the NASCAR drivers of recent years, such as Carl Edwards, who emphasize the gym.

In that sense, I think getting into a car and doing some different driving makes sense. Plus, it is good cross-promotional PR.

Ah…PR. That’s why they didn’t bother with Kimi Raikkonen.

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Wow.

But think about it for a second. He just made in the neighborhood of $50 million last year. He stands to make $20 or so million next year for doing nothing. So, that’s $70 million in two years. You think he could do “other things?”

Still, the snark aside, Kimi’s lack of commitment—or clever negotiating tactic—is at the center of the entire silly season at this point. Both McLaren and Toyota are waiting his decision, and with Nico Rosberg seemingly committed to Brawn GP next year, I’ve got to wonder what Plan B is for McLaren. [Could be Timo Glock. Could be, maybe, Adrian Sutil.] But Toyota is looking out of luck if Kimi doesn’t put on the white and red.

Does a Jarno Trulli/Kamui Kobayashi pairing really fire anyone up?

Whether you like Kimi, or not, or think he’s a good driver when behind the wheel but not when it comes to working hard and developing a car, there is no arguing that for Kimi to slightly pull himself out of the mix is a game-changer.

Or, again, it could just be a negotiating tactic. But which other driver could credibly say he has other options? That may very well sum up Kimi better than anything else.

Here’s the full exchange courtesy the official F1 site .

Q: Kimi, what are your thoughts on leaving Ferrari?

KR: Well, it is not any different than a few races ago. I don’t have a contract anymore with them. It is the last race and we try to make a good result and we will see what happens in the future.

Q: Is your focus totally on Formula One or would you like to pursue your rallying career?

KR: Basically I have a few different options and we will see what is the best one overall and then make my decision.

Q: Would rallying be a consideration?

KR: It is definitely one of them, but I mean it is not just Formula One and rallying. There are other things I could do and we will see what happens.

Q: Just looking back at the second part of the season. You have only scored two points less than the person who has scored the most points. Considering that development has stopped on the car it is a pretty remarkable record, isn’t it?

KR: Yeah, I think we had a good second half. The car is definitely not the fastest but we found a pretty good way of working with the car and getting the best out of. It has been more normal to drive than for a long time before. Once you get something that you have a good feeling with, then usually you get good results. The bigger teams or the better teams who have been faster this year should have done better; better cars, better results and better points overall in the last part but they haven’t and I think we did pretty well.

Q: It seems almost unfair that the focus has been on your team-mates and how fast they have been going whereas you have been racking up points all the time.

KR: It makes no difference for me really. I don’t think they have been going very fast and they can talk to them as much as they want. We just try to score points and get good results. That has been our aim and is still our aim in the last race and hopefully we can get a bit more than McLaren.

And then later there is this addition:

Q: (Andrea Cremonesi – La Gazzetta dello Sport) … and Kimi, we heard something about you taking a sabbatical next year in 2010. Is that true, it’s an option or not?

KR: I can if I want. I can do whatever I want, but like I said before, I haven’t made my decision what I want to do yet.

And finally, one more question for the Kimster:

Q: (Jonathan Legard – BBC Sport) Question for Kimi: you talk about your options. I just wondered how important it would be if you decided to stay in Formula One, if you found another team, that you could do some rallying as well, like you did with Ferrari or whether that’s something of a stumbling block, wanting to do another form of motor sport as well as doing Formula One?

KR: It’s definitely going to be Formula One, it’s going to be in the contract that I’m allowed to do it (rallying). It’s not going to hurt you. Any kind of driving is always going to give you some experience, so I don’t see what’s the issue. It’s been working well this year, so as long as it doesn’t disturb what you’re doing in Formula One or whatever you do, I don’t see that there’s any problem.

Then, on a slightly other topic, one last thing I noted. Check the decreasing size of the answers the drivers give to this question, starting with Fernando, then Adrian Sutil, then Jarno Trulli, and ending with the always tight-lipped Kimi. (I will give him the benefit of having to go last, but he still is delightfully terse!)

Q: (Joris Fioriti – AFP) Do you think, the four of you, that Jenson Button is a good champion for the sport, or just that he had the best car this year?

FA: I think he’s a good champion for Formula One and he deserved it. He did a very good job this season. It’s true that in the second half he maybe didn’t score the points that people expected but it was very difficult to keep the same average points as in the first half, when he won all the races. For that reason, you have the feeling that he stepped back a little bit but I think he did a very good job. If you look at the overall view of the championship from race one to the final race, he was the best of us, so he deserved it. It’s good for him, good for Brawn and good for the sport, I think.

AS: Yes, I think he deserved it, definitely. I think it was quite hard in the last races because he was maybe struggling a little bit with the car and the car just wasn’t the fastest anymore, so they were harder races for him, but I think he always made the best of his possibilities and scored points, a few points, sometimes more points but it was definitely enough for the championship, so my congratulations to him. He did a good job this year, yeah.

JT: I think he’s a very well deserved champion because it’s turned out a good season. Obviously he’s had some ups and downs but he managed to handle the situation; when he had the best car he proved he was a race winner and when he had to defend he just drove well, always keeping his head cool. I think in the end, he deserved it.

KR: Yeah, he had the most points, also at the end of the season but whoever gets the most points deserves it, so he’s definitely the right man for that.

I thought that World Rally Championship drivers were tough.

But apparently a “loose bonnet” being worn by title challenger Mikko Hirvonen allowed Sebastian Loeb to win the Rally GB and claim his sixth consecutive WRC title.

No wonder Loeb didn’t pass the FIA physical for a Formula 1 drive in Abu Dhabi.

[Hold on, hold on. I'm getting messages from Grace and Todd. Wait, a bonnet is what? Seriously? OK. That is different. Back to our story.]

Loeb led the Rally GB throughout the weekend, but what really sealed the victory was the hood—aka bonnet—on Hirvonen’s Ford coming loose and restricting his vision. Loeb ended up cruising to victory with more than a minute’s cushion.

Here’s the key details via Autosport :

Sebastien Loeb has won the World Rally Championship for a record-extending sixth time after claiming Rally GB victory.

The Citroen driver had arrived at the season finale one point behind Mikko Hirvonen and facing his toughest title battle in many years, but led the rally throughout.

Hirvonen (Ford) admitted he had been too cautious on Friday’s opening loop, and mounted a fightback and cut Loeb’s lead from 9s to 2.4s by SS7.

But then Loeb all but secured the championship with an incredible performance on the next two stages, where he extended his lead to a comfortable 25s.

Hirvonen started closing in again this morning until his bonnet came loose and obscured his view on the penultimate stage, forcing him to stop and remove it, and leaving Loeb free to cruise to victory and the world championship.

It was great to see all the excitement that the competition between Loeb and Hirvonen caused this year. And now that we in America may actually be able to watch WRC, thanks to its recent TV deal, maybe that tight racing will generate some new fans in the U.S.

[And, I do know what a bonnet is! It was just too good to pass up. Don't believe me? Ask Todd what American MINI drivers mean when they talk about their car's boot.]

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Rain has put the status of Game 6 of the ALCS in doubt. The rains been falling for a while and is showing no signs of letting up in time for the game. There’s quite a bit more of it expected throughout the night so there is a decent chance of a postponement. The debate amongst New York Yankees fans has been do you start C.C. Sabathia over Andy Pettitte in Game 6, if it is moved to Sunday night?

Every time that question has come up, I’ve answered with an emphatic NO. Andy has been an absolute gamer for the Yankees in past postseasons. He’s thrown up his fair share of duds but he has a career 3.90 era in 37 postseason starts. (Side note that’s only 0.01 lower then his regular season career mark but still impressive)

In series clinchers, Andy has done what he’s done throughout his entire career Yankees career. He threw some gems, he threw some duds but more often then not he did what he had to do to keep his team in the game. In his career he is 4-2 with a 4.14 era in series clinchers, his teams are 6-4 overall in those games. Not exactly great numbers but enough to say let him pitch Game 6 and save the horse CC if a Game 7 takes place. If it doesn’t then you’ve got him well rested for Game 1 against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Joe Girardi seems to agree. He made his decision and said Andy Pettitte will be pitching Game 6 no matter when it takes place, “Andy’s going to start the next game for us.”

While Girardi never officially mentioned he wants to keep his ace in the pocket for Game 1, you know that’s what he’s thinking. Yea, I know I’m assuming that’s what he’s thinking, but it’s really not an assumption its just obvious.

When it comes to the World Series you want your best well rested. The Phillies will have Cliff Lee ready to go on long rest, possibly even for a Game 1, 4, and 7 if need be. Girardi and the Yankees will want their ace well rested to do the same.

Which makes it that much more important that the Yankees get the Andy Pettitte who is lights out in clinchers.

The one from the 1996 ALCS Game 5 – 8 innings, 3 hits and 2 runs.

The one from the 1998 World Series Game 4 – 7.1 innings of shut out ball.

The one from the 2000 World Series Game 5 – 7 innings pitched with 2 unearned runs and 5 strikeouts.

The one from this years Game 3 against the Minnesota Twins – 6.1 innings pitched, 3 hits and 1 run with 7 strikeouts.

(Thanks to River Ave Blues for the stats)

That’s the Andy us Yankees fans want to see tonight, or tomorrow night, or whenever this game is played. And that’s the Andy I think the Yankees will get.

The weather is nasty. Andy’s staff is still nasty (at times). The hitters aren’t going to have fun up there at all and more importantly the Rally Monkey will be running for cover when he hears the thunder from the Yankee ghosts tonight.

In Andy, We Trust.

As we posted yesterday, Sebastian Loeb has announced that he would not be competing at the Abu Dhabi GP.

[As for his day job, Loeb is off to a great start as he attempts to defend his World Rally title. At the end of the first day of the Rally GB, Loeb leads Mikko Hirvonen by 5 seconds.]

Since Loeb released his very measured statement announcing he would not compete at Abu Dhabi, there have been a lot of rumors and Internet back-and-forth about why the five-time WRC winner did not get a chance to get behind the wheel of a Red Bull [probably a Toro Rosso] car.

The focus has been on Loeb’s failure to secure his FIA super license. Here’s the start of Loeb’s “interview” from his official site announcing the news:

Rumours, stories spreading, denials, the wagers… For several months, ever since the first time Sebastian tested an F1 car, the rumours were rife. What is more natural than to imagine a five-time World Rally Champion starting a Grand Prix, exciting and simply unique!

All the lights were green, and although nothing official had been communicated, Sebastian was to be present in Abu Dhabi on 1 November. And then the decision of the FIA was made: no super licence for five times World Rally Champion.

Now, we always have to be careful about what gets lost in translation, but the lead-up to “no super license for five times World Rally Champion” is — well, I think maybe the best way to describe it is passive aggressive. There is a huge build up, all “exciting and simply unique” and then the blow: The FIA wouldn’t allow it.

The scuttle is about why the FIA would deny the super license. Yesterday, I focused mostly on Loeb’s professional handling of the FIA decision and how he highlighted the physical requirements of driving an F1 car. Today, people are wondering if it wasn’t just, or even, some concern about Loeb’s physical well-being. One person I saw called Loeb’s not getting the license “preposterous.”

So, was it something more?

We can file this away as, most likely, one of those question for which we will never have a satisfactory answer.

I post what amounts to a rumor, though, for two reasons:

1. I agree that it is hard to imagine that Loeb wasn’t physically up to an F1 drive. And I’d like to get more from the FIA about why the license was not granted. [I can't find anything at the FIA's web site.]

2. I think the reaction shows, again, how little faith fans have in the FIA. When nearly every one of its decision is met with skepticism, the FIA has lost the average fan. Yes, there will always be conspiracy theories and there always will be people who disbelieve the FIA [or any government]. But when the sentiment is the norm, there is something seriously wrong with the organization’s transparency and openness, its communications and its interaction with its constituency.

And that in a nutshell is what new FIA president Jean Todt has to fix. Immediately.

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While the rest of us were going about our work-a-day lives on Monday, Sebastien Loeb apparently was sitting around waiting for a call from Red Bull inviting him to drive in next week’s Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi.

It’s a call that didn’t come. And now Loeb is saying that he pretty well assumes there will never be another opportunity for him to get behind the wheel of an F1 car in an official race.

I didn’t think this was ever so close to reality, but apparently it was. And according to Loeb, it mainly came down to his not getting a super license from the FIA.

Loeb is spilling all on his official web site , and it makes for some interesting reading.

Rumours, stories spreading, denials, the wagers… For several months, ever since the first time Sebastian tested an F1 car, the rumours were rife. What is more natural than to imagine a five-time World Rally Champion starting a Grand Prix, exciting and simply unique!

All the lights were green, and although nothing official had been communicated, Sebastian was to be present in Abu Dhabi on 1 November. And then the decision of the FIA was made: no super licence for five times World Rally Champion. Interview.

The possible adventure in F1 has come to an end today. Are you disappointed?

Not necessarily. I take things as they come. Anyway, there are no regrets because there was no ambition. The only regret I have is that I’d have had fun doing it. It was a fun project. But hey, that’s how it is! At least now I know. There are no more questions. It would have kept the journalists busy: they have been able to make assumptions, analyses, etc. … it will have kept them well occupied right up until today.

Driving in F1 requires well above average fitness. Did you follow special training?

I tried to work on my endurance and my neck. All this without knowing if it was going to happen or not. It was with a view to prepare myself seriously just in case… And then I told myself that whatever my decision, this would prepare me anyway for the racing track, especially the 908. Despite all my efforts, I could not claim to be ready. F1 is so specific! Physically, it is much harder than rallying and I know I would have had a hard time. Regarding the heart, you have to realise that the heart beats at over 180 beats per minute driving an F1 car! My physical abilities, among others, made me doubt my ability to meet this challenge.

You have carried out a lot of tests, trials and races on racing tracks (endurance, Carrera Cup, F1 tests) and it was not enough for the super licence?

The regulations for getting it are very precise. I do not meet any of the conditions stipulated in the regulations. So it’s logical that I failed to obtain such a license. It’s like that, it is the rule, it is the decision of the FIA. There’s no crying foul.

Is it a good thing to have the outcome of this matter before the start of the rally?

In fact, Citroën had urged Red Bull to have a definitive answer by Monday night just so we could be relaxed about this Grand Prix question. Initially, this was to have been announced on Sunday evening, but because of the problem with the super licence, it has dragged on until yesterday.

Has it inconvenienced you during your preparation for the rally of Great Britain?

Not at all. The rally has always been my priority. The participation in a Grand-Prix was a bonus; a gift that Red Bull made to me. It did not work out, it is not so serious. I will certainly have the opportunity in coming years to do such fun things again.

What does Olivier Quesnel think about this matter?

I do not know, we have not spoken yet. He agreed to my participation in this last Grand-Prix provided it didn’t interfere with the WRC championship. And he’s not crazy; I know he prefers that I drive a Porsche or an F1 car than a motorcycle or an ATV (all terrain vehicles or mountain bikes)! He knows that I have less risk of getting hurt! (Editor’s note: his mountain bike accident in 2007).

Have you definitely crossed off the thought of participating in an F1 Grand Prix?

I told myself that I will probably only have one opportunity like this in my life. That was why I accepted. There, it is gone. I did not get the super licence this time, I do not see how I could get it without preparation and the necessary tests in F1. All the more since the two championships would have been finished. Button won his world title last weekend, and the WRC title is at stake this weekend. So, my participation would not have got in the way of either championship. Finding an opportunity like that again seems very unlikely. All this put together, I do not think this opportunity will present itself again.

On the other hand, if you had an offer to test in F1, would you go?

If my boss lets me go, yes! It’s always a pleasure to drive an F1 car. If I have another opportunity to get back into a single-seater car, I will not pass it up.

Do you realise that your possible participation in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix has created an incredible buzz?

Yes, I know. Anyway, you should not have expected me to get a result. It was clearly impossible. Don’t think I am saying this with false modesty. I know what I lack when I’m on a race circuit: on average, a second a lap. I imagine that in F1, there would have been a little more. I know that a World Rally Champion lining up for a Grand Prix creates a stir. I also know that everything would have been analyzed, but after all there is not so much to analyze. It was just a privilege offered to me by Red Bull, that is all!

In any case, it would have been a dream for many fans…

And me too! But hey, that’s how it is. Now I will focus only on Rally Great Britain with my sights set on the world title. It is just as exciting or more exciting than an F1 Grand Prix.

© Sebastienloeb.com – Interview by Thomas Matera and Thierry Pirkelbauer

Loeb, for all his scruffiness, sounds pretty put together here. Of course, it is a pre-packaged PR piece, but we all know those don’t necessarily come out well. [See Schumacher, Michael.]

But his statement that participating after the two championships were decided, so he didn’t wreck those (can you imagine his punting Button if the drivers title were on the line!), strikes me as very smart and professional. He even doubts his physical ability to do it.

Very humble stuff.

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