The United States earned its 1,000th gold medal at the Summer Olympics when Jeff Henderson won the long jump at Olympic Stadium. Sam Mills Jersey . Thats over 600 more golds than any other country has won. (And no, Michael Phelps hasnt won them all.)Of the athletes who contributed to that grand total, who are the 10 greatest U.S. gold medalists? Its a matter of opinion, but such a narrow list means a lot of superb athletes wont make the podium. Cassius Clay, for instance, won gold in 1960, but he is known more for his pro boxing career as Muhammad Ali than his Olympic feat (plus, legend has it he might have tossed his medal in the Ohio River). As renowned as Bruce Jenner was for winning the decathlon and waving the U.S. flag in 1976, that was only a single victory. And the 1992 Dream Team isnt on this list because our pro players were so much better than those of the other countries that it was hardly even a competition.So with apologies to the above (along with Edwin Moses, Matt Biondi, Al Oerter and others), here are the top 10 American gold medalists in the Summer Olympics, based on performance and lasting influence:10. Bob BeamonSure, he won only a single gold medal, the only athlete on this list to do so. But he did so by breaking the world record in the long jump by nearly 2 feet at the 1968 Olympics. That would be like Usain Bolt suddenly running the 100 in under nine seconds. Beamons record stood for 23 years, inspiring many jumpers, such as Mike Powell and Carl Lewis.9. Mark SpitzPrior to Phelps, Spitz was the legend of swimming, winning seven gold medals (and breaking the world record in each event) at the 1972 Olympics. No swimmer was able to attain that gold total until Phelps won eight in 2008. Spitz famously posed for a poster with the seven golds draped around his neck while sporting his famous mustache and wearing his swimsuit -- and it was so popular the poster sold more than a million copies. Perhaps only Farrah Fawcetts sold more, but she never medaled in her swimsuit.8. Florence Griffith-JoynerFlo-Jo set the world record in the womens 100 meters at the 1988 Olympic trials with a time of 10.49. While the record in the mens 100 has been steadily declining in the 28 years since then, Griffith-Joyners mark still stands. In fact, no other woman has come closer than Carmelita Jeters 10.64 in 2009. Griffith-Joyners world record in the 200, set during the 1988 Seoul Games, also still stands. In addition to the 200 gold in Seoul, she set the Olympic record in the 100, winning by 0.3 seconds, and added a third gold in 4x100 relay. She might rank higher, but there were rumors of steroid use, though she never tested positive. Maybe it was just her ultralong fingernails that got her across the line so fast.7. Simone BilesMary Lou Rettons all-around gold medal in 1984 dazzled the country and got her on a Wheaties box, but she says Biles might be the best American gymnast ever. So do others. Biles has won two gold and a chance for more golds in Rio -- and she hasnt lost a world or national all-around in three years. Watching her leap, twist and fly through her routines is like watching Spider-Man swing through the city, only Biles is real, not a CGI creation. Expect to see her image on more than just a cereal box.6. Jackie Joyner-KerseeJoyner-Kersee won two gold medals (1988, 1992) and a silver (1984) in the heptathlon, plus a gold (1988) and two bronzes (1992, 1996) in the long jump. To compete -- and win -- in the heptathlon and the long jump? That is simply stupendous, and a reason she continues to inspire athletes. Shes a mentor to me, 2012 long jump gold medalist Brittney Reese said.5. Bob MathiasThe U.S. has dominated the Olympic decathlon, where the winner is hailed as the worlds greatest athlete. Thats quite an honor, but its even more so if you hold that title for not just four years, but eight years. Mathias did the latter, becoming the first athlete to win the decathlon in two Olympics (1948 and 1952). Only Great Britains Daley Thompson has matched that feat, but 2012 champ Adam?Eaton of the U.S. is a good bet to make it a trio in Rio. If he does, this list may need to change.4. Wilma RudolphRudolph is the first American woman to win three gold medals in a single Games. Rudolph was, and remains, an inspiration. Born prematurely, she was the 20th of 22 children in her family. She had double pneumonia, scarlet fever, whooping cough and measles as a child. She also had polio, which forced her to wear a brace on her left leg from ages 6 to 9. Rudolph overcame all that to race in the 1956 Olympics at age 16, where she won a bronze. At Rome in 1960, she won gold in the 100 and 200 meters as well as the 4x100 relay, running the anchor leg. When Rudolph died in 1994, Ollan Cassell, then the executive director of USA Track & Field, said, Shes a legend in track and field, like Jesse Owens. After Jesse died, she became the icon, a symbol of what the Olympics mean to this country and this sport. Speaking of Owens ...3. Jesse OwensWith Adolph Hitler and Nazi Germany spouting white supremacy and hatred, Owens threw their racism back in their face at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. He won the 100 meters. He won the 200. He won the long jump. And he also ran the opening leg of the 4x100 for his fourth gold medal. Owens was so amazing that even the German crowd cheered him (though not Hitler). Unfortunately, there still was enough racial prejudice in the United States at the time that when Owens returned to America and was honored with a ticker-tape parade in New York, he had to take a freight elevator to a reception for him at the Waldorf-Astoria. He also was reduced to running against horses to earn money. Even so, he remains an icon of sport. He was the inspiration for the 2016 movie Race, and the street outside the Olympic Stadium in Berlin is named for him.2. Michael PhelpsHe has been so great for so long -- Rio is his fifth Olympics -- he is essentially the Dream Team of swimming. No Olympian has ever won as many gold medals in a single Olympics as Phelps did when he took home eight in 2008 (after winning six in 2004). No Olympian has ever won nearly as many combined medals as Phelps (28 overall, including 23 gold). For that matter, hes won more gold medals than at least 110 countries! And whos to say that he wont come back and win even more at Tokyo in 2020? I honestly dont think this is going to be his last Olympics, fellow U.S. swimmer Ryan Lochte said. Im saying hes going to come back again.1. Carl LewisThe International Olympic Committee named him the athlete of the 20th century, and Sports Illustrated named him the Olympian of the century. For good reason. At the 1984 Olympics, Lewis duplicated Owens feat of winning four gold medals (100, 200, long jump and 4x100). Lewis won the long jump in four consecutive Olympics, something no one else has done. He won nine gold medals, and 10 medals overall. So how does he end up ahead of Phelps with 16 fewer medals and 13 fewer golds? Well, he competes in a sport where you cant win that many medals, because track doesnt have additional events where you run backward or with your arms maneuvering in bizarre ways. You just run and jump as fast and far as you can. And thats what King Carl did. Willie Roaf Womens Jersey . Boucher previously coached the Tampa Bay Lightning and had a 97-78-20 record over two-plus seasons. He was dismissed by the team last March after the Lightning struggled in the lockout-shortened season with a 13-18-1 record. Sam Mills Youth Jersey . -- Cam Newton pranced into the end zone, placed his hands over his chest and did his familiar Superman pose. http:///...w-brees-gold-jersey/ . In what the team had called a retirement, Ryan said Thursday that he is resigning as chief executive of the Rangers in a move effective at the end of this month. Proper player valuation -- typically represented by rankings and projections -- is important at any stage of the fantasy baseball season.In September, however, categorical needs are paramount. In Rotisserie leagues, all that matters is maximizing your categorical standings, and that often means swapping (adding/dropping) a player generally regarded as more valuable for one perceived to be less valuable, simply to address a specific team need.Here are players currently owned in no more than 60 percent of ESPN leagues who offer Rotisserie upside in specific categories you may need to gain points in your league.Home runsYasiel Puig, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers (40.7 percent owned): Home runs are hardly something easily found off the wire, but Puig has both the history and a situation in which he might quickly work his way into everyday at-bats, considering the Dodgers both could use his bat as they continue to fight for playoff positioning and stand to audition him for a possible offseason trade. This is the first time in his five professional U.S. seasons that he has posted sub-.185 isolated power (combining stats at all pro levels), but since June 21, the day he was activated off the DL by the big-league club following his recovery from a hamstring injury, his number in that category is .192. The struggles of Yasiel Puig have been greatly exaggerated.Domingo Santana, OF, Milwaukee Brewers (2.4 percent owned): He has been largely forgotten after spending more than two months on the DL with an elbow injury, then making only eight of 18 starts following his Aug. 19 activation. Power, however, is the name of Santanas game, evidenced by his two home runs on Sunday, both of which traveled 410 feet. Should the Brewers, a rebuilding team, choose to take a longer look at Santana as they plan 2017 roles, they could squeeze another 5-7 homers out of him. Keep in mind that the Brewers have seven more games at Miller Park, and three apiece at Colorados Coors Field, Texas Globe Life Park, Cincinnatis Great American Ball Park and Chicagos Wrigley Field, all of which generally favor power.Stephen Cardullo, 2B, Colorado Rockies (0.1 percent owned): If theres one team to which to look for power, its the Rockies, with their Coors Field bump. In Cardullos case, his role isnt sizable yet -- hes the right-handed, first base platoon partner for Gerardo Parra -- but in limited pro-ball time he seems to fit the profile of a fly ball-oriented hitter who might serve a perfect fit for his home environment. Cardullo did, after all, post .214 isolated power in the hitting-friendly Triple-A Pacific Coast League, and as a rookie baller in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization in 2011 he hit fly balls more than 40 percent of the time. The team might as well keep giving him chances while hes hitting, and hey, hes second base eligible.Stolen basesJose Peraza, 2B/SS/OF, Cincinnati Reds (21.0 percent owned): The Reds have been creative in getting Peraza into their lineup, giving him starts at second base, shortstop, left field and center field and 13 total starts in 16 games since his recall, and in fact have slotted him first or second in the order in nine of those contests. Peraza has swiped at least 25 bases in every one of his five professional seasons entering this one -- he needs one more for a sixth straight year -- and hes adept enough making contact to hit for a high enough average to fuel the stolen-base category.Jarrod Dyson, OF, Kansas City Royals (12.0 percent owned): With starts in 10 of the Royals past 12 games, Dyson might give a perception of a burgeoning regular, but keep in mind that much of his additional playing time has been the result of a Lorenzo Cain injury. Still, even when Dyson returns to his fourth/fifth outfielder role, hes quick enough and skilled enough with the glove to receive more playing time than your typical reserve. In fact, hes the first player in the history of baseball to steal as many as 25 bases in five separate seasons during which he came to the plate fewer than 400 times, and his came in each of the past five years.Mallex Smith, OF, Atlanta Braves (2.1 percent owned): He has started a rehabilitation assignment with Double-A Mississippi, a team that qualified for the Southern League playoffs (Sept. 7-11), and could be ready to rejoin the Braves ooutfield by mid-September. Morten Andersen Youth Jersey. Though the Braves outfield lacks an everyday path to at-bats as currently aligned, Smith has 80-grade speed and could contribute a handful of steals even if limited to pinch-running duty. After all, he has swiped 26 bases in 62 career Double-A games, 35 in 72 Triple-A games and 14 in 58 big-league games.SavesKyle Barraclough, RP, Miami Marlins (9.3 percent owned): He has the ninth-best WAR (Wins Above Replacement) among relief pitchers during the second half; thats how good he has been of late. Barraclough does have a problem with walks -- he has a 13.7 percent rate during that same time span, significantly higher than the leagues 9.1 percent -- but he has otherwise outpitched every other member of the Marlins bullpen, including by a wide margin over Fernando Rodney and A.J. Ramos, the two men who have served as the teams closer at times this season. With the postseason quickly slipping away from the Marlins, the team might soon want to give him a look.Mauricio Cabrera, RP, Atlanta Braves (4.6 percent owned): Jim Johnson has been excellent as the Braves closer -- hes 13-for-14 in save chances with a 1.66 ERA in 23 second-half appearances -- which is a lot of the reason why Cabrera has been relegated to setup duty despite good numbers of his own during that time span. Still, if youve followed Johnsons career closely, you know that as a pitch-to-contact ground baller, hes much more subject to streakiness than your average closer. If he loses the feel for his two-seam fastball, the Braves might give a brief, late-September audition to Cabrera to get a head start on 2017.Michael Lorenzen, RP, Cincinnati Reds (1.2 percent owned): There have already been whispers that Lorenzen is the Reds future in the ninth inning, and since the All-Star break he has certainly looked the part, with a 2.64 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 22.5 percent strikeout rate in 20 appearances. More importantly, however, Lorenzens two-seam fastball/slider combination has been excellent at generating swings and misses and ground balls, which is the kind of low-risk skill set you want from a pitcher in the role. Tony Cingrani hasnt necessarily done anything wrong, going 6-for-7 in save chances with a 3.94 ERA in 17 games during that same time frame, but Lorenzens ceiling is higher of the two. Were talking categorical sleepers, anyway.StrikeoutsCarlos Rodon, SP, Chicago White Sox (51.8 percent owned): The conversation at seasons start centered upon the White Soxs changing catchers during the 2015-16 offseason, and what that might mean for Rodon from a pitch-framing perspective. Well, since Rodons return to the teams rotation on July 31, he has six quality starts in seven tries, a 2.66 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 21.5 percent strikeout rate, all of those with Omar Narvaez as his catcher; they were also his first games working with Narvaez in 2016. Rodons slider, his strikeout pitch, has recaptured its elite form during that time, as his .059 wOBA allowed with the pitch is tops in the major leagues.Robbie Ray, SP, Arizona Diamondbacks (33.4 percent owned): Bargain strikeout sources tend to pitch for non-contending teams, where they fly more beneath the radar, their skills adjustments less typically noticed. Consider this: Since July 1, Ray has 83 strikeouts in 11 starts, eighth-most in the majors, and a 30.5 percent strikeout rate (calculated as a percentage of batters faced), second only to Chris Archer (30.6 percent). Ray has thrown his slider with two strikes a whopping 31 percent of the time, resulting in 29 of those Ks, while his fastball has averaged 94.6 mph in all counts.Luke Weaver, SP, St. Louis Cardinals (31.7 percent owned): Thus far, his largely low-90s-fastball/changeup combo has been successful at the big-league level, and hes in a good ballpark for his fly-ball tendencies. In Weavers case, though, its the schedule that stands out for strikeouts. Projecting forward, these would be his five probable matchups: MIL (Sept. 10), @SF (Sept. 15), @COL (Sept. 20), CIN (Sept. 26) and PIT (Oct. 1). The Coors matchup is obviously one to avoid -- and itll come in a one-start week, for you weekly-league players -- but the rest are all solid. 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