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Baseball Features - Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Ray Demarini for President? FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For More Information Contact: Jason Thome (503) 294-3010 RAY DEMARINI FOR PRESIDENT? REPORTS OF A RUN FOR THE WHITE HOUSE AND LINKS TO JESSE "THE BODY" VENTURA ABOUND AS THE 2000 RACE DRAWS NEAR PORTLAND, OR, April 1, 1999 -Reports are circulating that Ray DeMarini, President and CEO of DeMarini Sports, may have political interests which could very well land him in the White House. There are also rumors that DeMarini may announce his bid on an upcoming showing of a national pro wrestling program with the endorsement of Minnesota Governor Jesse "The Body" Ventura. Although DeMarini has never exposed his political leanings, a recent poll shows that he would be a strong contender in a race against Vice President Gore or Texas Governor George W. Bush. Ray DeMarini is well known by softball and baseball athletes as an outspoken public figure and TV personality. He has been dubbed the "King of Softball," and those who have competed with him, on the softball field and in the bat industry say that he is "insanely dedicated." However, his popularity is not solely limited to ballplayers. DeMarini just recently launched Moto DeMarini, a company that manufactures high-tech motocross parts, and he owns Team DeMarini, a team of pro motocross racers. "Motocross is hugely popular and combined with softball's over 50 million players, DeMarini can count on a great deal of support in 2000," says Political Analyst Josh Puckett. And that is not an understatement, studies show that those who favor DeMarini products range from your average workaday Joe, to Fortune 500 business leaders. "It's grassroots popularity that wins elections, and today, Ray is far more recognizable and likable than, say, Steve Forbes or Ross Perot were before they entered the political arena," says Puckett. Though a surprise to most, insiders have been aware of DeMarini's political interests for some time. DeMarini Chief Engineer and Vice President Mike Eggiman, describes an encounter he had with DeMarini two years ago. "After hearing him go on and on about ways to help the community, I finally told him, jokingly, 'Ray, why don't you just run for President?'" Evidently, DeMarini didn't catch the humor. "He just looked at me with a distant stare, then he walked off," added Eggiman. "Ever since then, things have been a little different around here," he said. For example, it is reported that DeMarini has made a number of visits to the residence of Jesse Ventura, former WWF wrestler and now governor of Minnesota. DeMarini's reported strong ties with the new governor, as well as other political figures in Ventura's camp seem to substantiate the report. Other sources say that NWO and WWF wrestlers are often seen coming and going from DeMarini Headquarters in Oregon. Insiders say that the pro wrestling leaders, who favor DeMarini, may be using their runaway popularity to promote DeMarini as a presidential candidate. Most recently Ross Perot and Former President Carter were reportedly spotted at the DeMarini facility, although both men were not available for comment. "It's definitely strange to see pro-wrestlers and politicians running around," says one DeMarini employee, who chose not to be named, "but I mind my own business." |
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