THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME ATHLETE?

Republicans seem troubled in two states.  First, Ohio, and specifically Springfield, a city of nearly 60,000, with a metropolitan area population of 136,000 residents.   

• It is home of Wittenberg University.
• Is now where 12,000 to 15,000 legal Haitians have legally come.  This began three years ago.  The Federal government did not send them to Springfield.  They chose this city for its low cost of living and available work.  There are more than 210,000 Haitian immigrants now in the U.S, all legally entered.

• 
  Leaders of the area are grateful for their presence.
• Ohio Republican Governor Mike DeWine was born in Springfield, and grew up in nearby Yellow Springs.  Has served as governor since 2019, and prior to that, was in both the House and Senate of the U.S. Congress.
• Ohio Republican Senator JD Vance was born in Middletown, Ohio, which is 43 miles from Springfield.
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  Governor DeWine describes his Haitian immigrants as a positive influence.  Is upset with his Donald Trump and JD Vance causing all this trouble.
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  Donald Trump knew there was a lot of doubt about a story of Haitians in Springfield kidnapping and eating pets, but went ahead and mouthed off about this toward the end of his debate with Kamala Harris on September 10.  Watch him say this in the debate. The following day he amplified those false rumors.  Then a week later, he doubled down his outrageous claim.  
• 
  JD Vance, who represents Springfield, also kept repeating this bit of fake news, causing huge problems for Springfield.  Republican Governor DeWine says this story is not true and disagrees with Trump and Vance on their attacks.

The other troubled Republican state is North Carolina.  The lieutenant governor is Mark Robinson.  

• He is a Republican running for governor, but behind, 51-41, to Democratic state attorney general Josh Stein.
• 
  Has been endorsed by Donald Trump.  However, Trump might be backing off, for he was told not to join Trump at a North Carolina rally today.
• He has a history of shooting off his mouth and entering embarrassments on social media.

• 
  Porn site Nude Africa has racial and sexual comments of his.
• Has referred to himself as a black NAZI,  peeping Tom and pervert.

• 
  Wants to bring back slavery.
• All the above announced by CNN as linked to Robinson by comparing his usernames and email address.
• The huge danger to Republicans is that Robinson could negatively influence the up- and down- ballot for them.  Most Republicans in North Carolina want him to drop out and disappear.

Fueled by the Federal Reserve's first rate cut in four years, the Dow Jones Industrial Average today closed at another record high, rising 38 points to 42,063.  Further, as a boost to a better economy, mortgage rates continue to fall.  The average rate on a 30-year mortgage is down to 6.16%, the lowest in two years.  The 15-year fixed mortgage is at 5.38%.

Yesterday, Shohei Ohtani went 6 for 6 with three home runs, two doubles, 10 RBIs and two stolen bases.  There are only five others who are in the 40-homers/40-stolen bases club: Jose Canseco, Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Alfonso Soriano and Ronald Acuna Jr.  Ohtani became the only 50-50 player in baseball history.  The Dodgers have only 9 games left, so a 60-60 regular season seems impossible.  However, if you add the playoffs, and if they make the World Series, who knows?

Greatest achievement ever?  To begin, I went golfing with some friends from high school, and one of them brought her older brother.  After a while, my mind began to think back to the early 1950's, and I remembered my most memorable baseball experience.  From my 2020 posting.

 His name was Edwin Uwaine.  My first thought was I know that name.  I remembered back 70 years ago when I was a 10-year old being at the Honolulu Stadium, and someone by that name hit four home runs in a little league baseball game.  Then I said, nah, he is too small.  Well, when you are 10 and someone else is 12, he is bigger than you.  So I asked, and yes, that was him.  At the age of 82 he's a better golfer than I am, which is not a particularly big deal, for I am definitely mediocre.  The day began to turn at this point.

Eighteen Major League Baseball players have hit 4 home runs in one game.  But I never saw any of them.  Well, what about:

• 6 hits in 6 at bats?  Rennie Stennett in 1975 went 7-7.
• Or those 10 runs batted in?  The MLB record is 12 by Jim Bottomly in 1924 and Mark Whiten in 1993.

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  However, when you put together 6-6, 10 RBIs, 3 home runs and 2 stolen bases in the same game, that would better the achievement of Ed Uwaine.  Oh, add the fact that the Los Angeles Dodgers, with their 20-4 victory over the Miami Marlins, qualified for the playoffs, which begin on October 1.

More about baseball, I have three fantasy teams:  two are in first place and one is in second.  The Major League Baseball season ends on September 29.  Counting today, I have nine days to make up the difference in that third league.  I'm behind by 10 points.  The odds of making this up in this short period left is negligible.  However.

• The #1 team only has one game left to pitch.  I have 23.
• I need to add 43 more strikeouts, 10 more wins and three more RBIs to get six points from the leader.
• The four other points would need to come from the other 8 teams to ease by that leader in other categories.
• Not impossible, and worthy of trying and dreaming.

Babe Ruth stole 123 bases in his 22-year career, or 5.6/year.  Pitching?

• Ten seasons with a 94 wins and 46 losses total.
• Earned run average of 2.28.
• But he really only pitched for 5 entire seasons.
• He did hit 60 homers in 1927.  In ballparks of today with modern rules, Bill Jenkinson in his book published in 2007 speculates that he would have hit 104 home runs in 1921 and 90 in some other seasons.
• However, 1923 was his best:  41 home runs, 131 RBIs and batted .393 in 1923.  However he stole only 17 bases and was caught stealing 21 times, compared to 4 for Ohtani.
• He pretty much gave up on pitching when he joined the New York Yankees in 1920 at the age of 25.

Shohei Ohtani underwent right elbow surgery (pitches right and bats left) and is not pitching this year.  However, he has struck out 11.4 batters/9 innings, and has a 3.01 ERA.  You wonder how many more home runs he might have had this year if he was totally healthy.  Is it further possible that he could become a closer in the playoffs this year.  When asked, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said....maybe.  Ohtani is now throwing bullpen sessions before games.  It thus could happen later in the playoffs if they make the World Series.

Ohtani is now worth about $76 million/year.  His contract calls for $70 million/year for 10 years, but there are other factors.  #2 are Justin Verlander  and Max Scherzer at $43.33 million.  #4 Aaron Judge $40 million.

To the $76 million/year for Ohtani, you need to add endorsements, etc.  Dak Prescott will get this year $86.25 million from the NFL Dallas Cowboys, plus $24 million for everything else, or more than $100 million.  Steph Curry of the NBA Golden State Warriors has a salary of $55.8 million.

However, Al NASSR of the Saudi Pro (soccer) League pays 39-year old Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal $200 million/year, to which you can add $60 million for endorsements.  #2 Jon Rahm (29), $198 million, #3 Lionel Messi (36), $135 million, #4 LeBron James $128 million, and #9 Steph Curry $102 million.

The Yankees gave Babe Ruth $80,000 in 1930, and again in 1931.  This was during the heat of the Greatest Depression, and a probable sportswriter's invention is that Ruth made more than President Hoover ($75,000) for having a better year.  That $80,000 in 1931 is today worth only $1.6 million.

Ranker lists the best 1000+ athletes of all time.  #1 Michael Jordan, #2 Muhammad Ali, #3  Lionel Messi, #4 Michael Phelps, #5 Usain Bolt, #6 Babe Ruth, #7 Roger Federer, #8 LeBron James, #9 Jesse Owens, #10 Mike Tyson, #14 Serena Williams (highest female), #28 Jim Thorpe, #36 Tiger Woods, #43 Ronaldo, #121 Walter Payton, #186 Jim Brown, #317 Gordie Howe, #339 Willie Mays, #411 Dale Earnhardt, #442 Dan Marino, #446 Cy Young, #479 Ted Williams, #565 Annika Sorenstam, #607 Billie Jean King, #660 Floyd Mayweather Jr., #686 Edmund Hillary, #687 Simone Biles, and the list goes on.

So if Babe Ruth is #6, he might have already been surpassed by Shohei Ohtani.  So if he pitches well next year, or maybe even this year, he would well supplant Michael Jordan as the #1 Greatest Of All Time athlete.