LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif.
Johnny Bower Jersey . -- Amid the jerseys and baseball bats held in a secure room at SCP Auctions, theres a piece of sports
memorabilia that speaks to much more than athletic prowess: an Olympic medal won
by track star Jesse Owens at the 1936 Games in Berlin. The medal -- being
auctioned online -- recalls both the Nazi propaganda myths that Owens busted
with his world record-setting 100-yard dash, and the American segregation that
he came home to when he returned to the U.S. after the Games, which Adolf Hitler
had orchestrated to showcase his ideas of Aryan supremacism. "Almost
singlehandedly, Owens obliterated Hitlers plans," SCP Auctions partner Dan Imler
said. "Youve got an African American, son of a sharecropper, grandson of slaves
who overcame these incredible circumstances and delivered a performance for the
ages." Owens won gold in the 100- and 200-metres, the 400 relay and the long
jump. But when he returned from the Berlin Games, he struggled to provide for
his family. His job options were limited by segregation and because he decided
to return home instead of going on tour with the U.S. Olympic Team, he was
stripped of his amateur athletic status. "When they came back, the U.S. was just
as it was when he left -- segregated. Even though he came back an Olympic hero,
he wasnt offered opportunities that Olympic heroes of today are offered," said
his daughter, Marlene Owens Rankin, 74, of Chicago. "We lived well, a middle
class life. We didnt want for much. But like many black men of that era, he
struggled to provide for his family." Owens gave one of his four Olympic gold
medals to dancer and movie star Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, another supremely
talented African-American whose career was hemmed in by limited roles for black
men, Imler said. Robinson befriended Owens after the athlete return from the
Olympics. "They formed a friendship and also a professional relationship.
Bojangles helped Owens get work in the entertainment field," Imler said. "Owens
gave him this medal out of gratitude and as a token of their friendship." Owens
worked for a short time as a band leader but eventually returned to his hometown
of Cleveland where he worked for the parks department and eventually found his
way into public speaking, his daughter said. "The black community revered him
for what he had accomplished," she said. "Had it been an even playing field, my
father and Bojangles would have been super-stars." The medal comes from the
estate of Robinsons widow. The Robinson family declined to comment but Imler
said they plan to use the proceeds to pay college tuition and contribute to
charity. SCP Auctions confirmed that the medal is genuine. The whereabouts of
the other three original gold medals is unknown. "We just hope that its
purchased by an institution where the public could have access to it, a museum
or something like that," his daughter said. The auction closes on Dec. 7.
Tim Horton Jersey . -- Andrew Wiggins is from Canada, Wayne Selden from Massachusetts and Joel Embiid from the African nation
of Cameroon.
Peter Holland Maple Leafs Jersey .Murray has played 20 matches in five weeks, winning three titles to climb to fifth in the
ATP Race.The two-time Grand Slam champion also seeks to qualify for next months
ATP World Tour Finals.Murray said: I always wanted to qualify for it, but also I
want to get back into the top 8 players in the world and it makes a huge
difference for seedings in the major events.NEW YORK -- The latest high-priced
addition to the New York Yankees stood on the dais in front of a large news
conference, put on his pinstriped jersey with No. 19 and smiled. "Hello. My name
is Masahiro Tanaka," he said slowly in English. "Im very happy to be a Yankee."
After chartering a Boeing 787 Dreamliner for his trip from Tokyo to New York,
the 25-year-old right-hander with the $155 million, seven-year contract was
presented Tuesday not in the news conference room downstairs at Yankee Stadium,
but in the Legends Suite Club, where the high rollers congregate on game days.
Yankees spokesman Jason Zillo concluded the teams latest Pacific overture drew
New Yorks most-attended news conference since Hideki Matsui was introduced in
January 2003. Managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner said obtaining Tanaka
was worth the economic pain of exceeding the $189 million luxury tax threshold
New York had hoped to stay under. "We needed another starter, and when we do
things, we try to do them right," Steinbrenner said. "And this guy, hes tough.
Hes got tremendous ability. We all know that. And hes going to be very exciting
to watch. And hes going to be great for the team, a great teammate. And $189
(million) or not, we wanted a good quality starter, and we got it." Tanaka
charted a Japan Airlines plane, which seats about 200, for the trans-Pacific
trip to New York, reportedly costing about $200,000. There were just five
passengers on the plane, including his pop star wife Mai Satoda, plus their
poodle Haru. The flight, originally scheduled to depart at noon, was delayed
many hours by a snowstorm. "There wasnt many choices of planes," he said through
a translator when asked about the big jet. And a lengthy commercial trip could
have been uncomfortable. "I thought about my conditioning, just wanted to get
here in the best condition possible," he said. For his first meal in New York,
he ventured outside his room at the Mandarin Oriental hotel overlooking Central
Park. "I ate a sushi," he said, "which I bought at a grocery store nearby." New
York, which also added Brian McCann, Jacoby Ellsbury and Carlos Beltran during
the off-season, figures to have a big following in Japan this year. Tanaka joins
pitcher Hiroki Kuroda and outfielder Ichiro Suzuki on the roster, and reliever
Yoshinori Tateyama will be at spring training with a minor league contract.
"This would make the Boss proud," general manager Brian Cashman said in a
reference to late owner George Steinbrenner. "The Yankeees obviously are about
always trying to acquire the best talent and a collection of talent that can
compete for a championship, but he also liked a lot of attention, and this
certainly represents a lot of attention.
Bruce Boudreau Jersey. So this is Yankee big. This is Steinbrenner big." Tanaka was 24-0 with a 1.27 ERA last year, leading
the Rakuten Golden Eagles to the Japan Series title. That left him with a 99-35
record and a 2.30 ERA in Japan, where he had 53 complete games in 172 starts.
New York had one of the most successful Japanese players in the major leagues
with outfielder Hideki Matsui, the 2009 World Series MVP. And the Yankees
experienced costly flops with pitchers Hideki Irabu and Kei Igawa. Manager Joe
Girardi was behind the plate for Irabus debut in 1997. "They feel a little bit
more weight of representing their country than maybe players that are here on an
everyday basis, because they kind of pave the way for the next guy and then the
next guy," he said. Girardis advice: "Dont feel like you have to live up to the
contract." On a tour of the U.S. with a Japanese high school all-star team in
2006, Tanaka met Matsui when one of the young pitchers games was rained out.
During the off-season, he spoke briefly by telephone with Matsui about his
pending decision. New York appealed to Tanakas desire to pitch on the biggest
stage. "This is where you need to be. A great star. The biggest franchise. The
biggest brand. The biggest city," Yankees President Randy Levine remembered
saying during the teams pitch session with the player on Jan. 8 in Beverly
Hills, Calif. "He said some other teams he had met with wanted him to transition
in, and he didnt like that. He wanted to take the ball on Day One, and that told
us a lot about him." Tanaka sounded prepared for the Yankees win-or-else
mentality. "Ive heard that this place is -- it could be very harsh to you at
times," he said. "Just wanted to put myself, though, in this environment and try
to see where I can get to with my ability." Cashman is trying to lower
expectations, saying Tanaka will slot in as No. 3 in the rotation behind CC
Sabathia and Kuroda. "We could be getting more than a three. Maybe its a two.
Maybe its even a one at some point," Cashman said. "I think that the adjustments
are real, and as excited as we are to have and as much as we need a player of
his capabilities, I want to make sure that people understand how difficult this
game is over here and that there should be expectations of growing pains."
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