MLB Hall of Fame manager Whitey Herzog dies at age 92

MLB Hall of Fame manager Whitey Herzog, who led the St. Louis Cardinals to a World Series in 1982, has died at the age of 92. Herzog’s last public appearance had been in the stands at the Cardinals’ home opener 12 days ago, when he was introduced to the crowd along with the other Hall of Famers present.  The Cardinals said in a statement on X: “The entire Cardinals family is heartbroken to learn of the passing of Hall of Famer and World Series champion manager Whitey Herzog.”

The Herzog family said in a statement released by the Cardinals: “Whitey spent his last few days surrounded by his family  We have so appreciated all of the prayers and support from friends who knew he was very ill. Although it is hard for us to say goodbye, his peaceful passing was a blessing for him.” Cardinals chairman and CEO Bill DeWitt Jr. added: “On behalf of the entire St. Louis Cardinals organization, I would like to offer our condolences to the family and many friends of Whitey Herzog. Whitey and his teams played a big part in changing the direction of the Cardinals franchise in the early 1980s with an exciting style of play that would become known as “Whitey Ball” throughout baseball. Whitey loved the Cardinals, their fans and St. Louis. He will be sorely missed.”

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred also said in a statement: “Whitey Herzog was one of the most accomplished managers of his generation and a consistent winner with both ‘I-70’ franchises. He made a significant impact on the St. Louis Cardinals as both a manager and a general manager, with the Kansas City Royals as a manager and with the New York Mets in player development. Whitey’s Cardinals’ teams reached the World Series three times in the 1980s, winning the championship in 1982, by leaning on an identity of speed and defense that resonated with baseball fans across the world. On behalf of Major League Baseball, I extend my deepest condolences to Whitey’s family, his friends across the game and the fans of the Cardinals and the Royals.”

Herzog, born Dorrel Norman Elvert Herzog, was given the nickname “Whitey” due to his light blonde hair. Herzog reached the majors in 1956 and played for the Washington Senators, Kansas City Athletics, Baltimore Orioles, and Detroit Tigers for a total of eight seasons in MLB – hitting .257 with 25 home runs and 172 RBIs- before retiring as a player in 1963. (per Yahoo Sports).

Through Herzog’s post-playing career, he served as a scout for the Athletics and then as a third base coach/director of player development for the NY Mets. He took his first managerial job in 1973 when he succeeded Ted Williams as skipper of the Texas Rangers (lasting less than one season), and was then the interim manager for the California Angels for four games in 1974 before taking over the Kansas City Royals in the middle of the 1975 season. Herzog went on to manage in KC and brought the Royals to three division titles and a second-place finish from 1976-79. Herzog’s greatest managerial success came with St. Louis, where he led the Cardinals for 73 games in 1980 before being promoted to general manager, later returning as manager for the 1981 season. The Cardinals returned won the National League pennant in 1982 and defeating the Milwaukee Brewers in seven games in the World Series. He led the Cardinals to World Series appearances in 1985 and in 1987, where the Cardinals lost, before moving on to serve as the Angels general manager in 1992-1993 before ending his 45-year association with MLB. Herzog was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame for his accomplishments as a manager as part of the Class of 2010.

Herzog is survived by his wife of 71 years, Mary Lou Herzog, their three children; Debra, David and Jim, and their spouses; nine grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren. The Herzog family is planning a private celebration of life service, and asks that any donations be made to Shriner’s Hospital for Children.

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Legendary NY Yankees broadcaster John Sterling announces his retirement

The New York Yankees announced that legendary New York Yankees radio broadcaster John Sterling is retiring from the broadcast booth, effective immediately. Sterling, 85, will be honored on Saturday, April 20th in a pregame ceremony before the Yankees game against the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Yankees statement read: “Fans find a certain comfort in the daily rhythms of baseball. Day in and day out, season after season, and city after city, John Sterling used his seat in the broadcast booth to bring Yankees fans the heartbeat of the game, employing an orotund voice and colorful personality that were distinctly, unmistakably his own. John informed and entertained, and he exemplified what it means to be a New Yorker with an unapologetic and boisterous style that exuded his passion for baseball, broadcasting and the New York Yankees * There is no shortage of adjectives to describe John and what he means to this organization and our millions of fans around the world. But what makes John a goliath of the sports broadcasting world was how sacred he held his role as voice of the Yankees. Showing up to perform virtually every single day since 1989, he was a pillar for Yankees fans who relied on the comfort and familiarity of his voice to be the soundtrack of their spring, summer and fall. Given the tremendous care he had for the team and his performance on the air, it’s not a stretch to believe that our fans live and die with every pitch because John Sterling did the same * We congratulate John on a remarkable and illustrious career. His contributions to this great game and to the Yankees franchise will echo long into the future.”

Sterling made his final broadcast during the Yankees’ 8-3 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on April 7 in New York. Sterling shared in a statement: “I am a very blessed human being. I have been able to do what I wanted, broadcasting for 64 years. As a little boy growing up in New York as a Yankees fan, I was able to broadcast the Yankees for 36 years. It’s all to my benefit, and I leave very, very happy. I look forward to seeing everyone again on Saturday.”

Sterling, a NYC native, was best known for his enthusiastic, personalized home run calls. He started his broadcasting career in 1970 as the play-by-play announcer for the NBA’s Baltimore Bullets, and is in his 36th season as a Yankees broadcaster — overall, Sterling has been in the broadcasting industry for more than six decades. He has called more than 5,600 games, including 5,420 during the regular season and 211 playoff contests, which included a stretch of 5,060 consecutive games spanning from 1989 to 2019.

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Sam Hunt to embark on 2024 ‘Locked Up’ summer tour

Sam Hunt has revealed details of his North American summer headlining Locked Up Tour, named for Hunt’s Locked Up EP that dropped earlier this month.

According to Taste of Country, the 20-city tour will kick-off tin Bend, Ore. on June 28, traveling across the U.S. with stops in Auburn, Washington; and Nampa, Idaho and continuing through September with dates across the US and Canada. The tour will feature support from Russell Dickerson and George Birge in the US, and Dalton Dover in Canada.

Tickets are available now via Ticketmaster.

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Henry Cavill expecting first child with girlfriend Natalie Viscuso

Henry Cavill is expecting his first child with his girlfriend, Natalie Viscuso.

While walking the carpet at the premiere for his new film ‘The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare,’ the 40-year-old actor confirmed to Access Hollywood that he and Viscuso are expecting their first child together, saying: “I’m very excited about it. Natalie and I are both very excited. I’m sure you’ll see much more of that.”

Cavill had previously hinted at Viscuso’s pregnancy while discussing his girlfriend with E! News: “We’re not shy of a kitchen dance party, I’ll tell you that much. A bottle of wine goes down range …Obviously not now — but previously.”

Cavill and Viscuso went public with their relationship public in 2021. Viscuso is the vice president of Vertigo Entertainment, the production company involved with projects like It, Five Nights at Freddy’s and The LEGO Movie.

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is a spy action comedy inspired by the Damien Lewis book ‘Churchill’s Secret Warriors: The Explosive True Story of the Special Forces Desperadoes of WWII.’  The film is directed and co-written by Guy Ritchie, and also stars Eiza González, Alan Ritchson and Alex Pettyfer. The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare opens in theaters Friday.

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Tom Petty tribute LP “Petty Country” features Chris Stapleton, Dolly Parton, and more

Petty Country: A Country Music Celebration of Tom Petty, an upcoming Tom Petty tribute album, is set to drop on June 21.

The 20-track album will feature country artists including the legendary Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson; in addition, Chris Stapleton, Marty Stuart, Margo Price, Dierks Bentley and former Heartbreakers Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench are also among the other acts that will feature on the upcoming tribute album.  Parton’s cover of Petty’s song “Southern Accents” has just been released off the LP; you can stream it: here.

Bentley, whose cover of “American Girl” for the tribute album was also recently released, shared of Petty: “Petty’s southern roots shined through across his songwriting and storytelling. He might not have ever been considered as country but you can’t go into a bar in Nashville without hearing this song. It is one of the greatest songs in a life’s work of great American songs … I’m convinced the second verse of this song is some of the best singing in the history of any rock or country band because his voice, there’s so much angst. You know, it’s just his voice has that kind of brokenness to it to begin with, so it’s just so, just the emotion behind his voice is just unparalleled.”

Check out Bentley’s video for ‘American Girl’ – here.

Take a look at Parton’s video for ‘Southern Accents’ – here.

To pre-order Petty Country: A Country Music Celebration of Tom Petty, head here.

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Adele announces rescheduled Las Vegas Residency dates

Billboard reports that Adele has rescheduled a run of dates of her ‘Weekends With Adele’ Las Vegas residency that were originally scheduled to take place in March.

Adele, 35, wrote via Instagram that the postponed dates at the Colosseum in Caesars Palace will now take place on the final weekend of October, as well as every weekend in November: “The postponed dates for Weekends With Adele at The Colosseum, Caesars Palace from March have been rescheduled to the below dates later this year. Ticket holders for the postponed dates will be sent an email regarding their new allocated date,” adding that “all other shows remain unaffected.”

Adele first announced back in February that she would be delaying her residency due to health issues: “Sadly I have to take a beat and pause my Las Vegas residency. I was sick at the end of the last leg and all the way through my break. I hadn’t quite gotten the chance to get back to full health before shows resumed and now I’m sick again, and unfortunately, it’s all taken a toll on my voice.  And so on Doctors orders, I have no choice but to rest thoroughly. The remaining 5 weekends of this leg are being postponed to a later date. We are already working out the details and you will be sent the information asap.”

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‘Rust’ armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed sentenced to 18 months for fatal shooting of Halyna Hutchins

“Rust” movie armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, 27, was sentenced to 18 months in prison in a Santa Fe, New Mexico, court on Monday in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who was shot when actor Alec Baldwin was handling a gun during the film’s production in 2021. Prosecutors sought the maximum penalty of 18  months in state prison.

Gutierrez-Reed, the chief weapons handler for the Western movie, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter last month after mistakenly loading a live round into the revolver Baldwin was using on the movie set. Following Gutierrez-Reed’s conviction, the judge ordered her to be held in police custody pending her sentencing. Per Reuters, the shooting is believed to be the first time in modern times that a member of a film crew or cast was killed by a live round accidentally loaded into a gun.

Gutierrez-Reed was responsible for the firearms on the New Mexico set of Rust. In October 2021, a gun held by Alec Baldwin was discharged during a rehearsal for the Western film. Although the weapon was not supposed to be loaded with live ammunition, a bullet was fired, killing 42-year-old Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza. Gutierrez-Reed was charged in January 2023 with one count of involuntary manslaughter and one count of tampering with evidence for allegedly handing off a bag of cocaine following her police interview after the shooting. She pleaded not guilty to both charges.

Gutierrez-Reed, who was dressed in a khaki prison uniform, wiped away tears as she was sentenced by New Mexico District Court Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer. She cried as she addressed the court asking for probation, saying (per US Weekly): “My heart aches for the Hutchins family and friends. … Helena has been and always will be an inspiration to me. I understand she was taken too soon and I pray that you all find peace. My heart goes out to the film industry for the devastating pain that this tragedy caused. …When I took on Rust, I was young and I was naive, but I took my job as seriously as I knew how to do. Despite not having proper time, resources and staffing, when things got tough, I just did my best to handle it.”

Baldwin’s trial is set for July 10 after a grand jury indicted him on a charge of involuntary manslaughter in January.

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‘Rust’ armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed sentenced to 18 months for fatal shooting of Halyna Hutchins

“Rust” movie armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, 27, was sentenced to 18 months in prison in a Santa Fe, New Mexico, court on Monday in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who was shot when actor Alec Baldwin was handling a gun during the film’s production in 2021. Prosecutors sought the maximum penalty of 18  months in state prison.

Gutierrez-Reed, the chief weapons handler for the Western movie, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter last month after mistakenly loading a live round into the revolver Baldwin was using on the movie set. Following Gutierrez-Reed’s conviction, the judge ordered her to be held in police custody pending her sentencing. Per Reuters, the shooting is believed to be the first time in modern times that a member of a film crew or cast was killed by a live round accidentally loaded into a gun.

Gutierrez-Reed was responsible for the firearms on the New Mexico set of Rust. In October 2021, a gun held by Alec Baldwin was discharged during a rehearsal for the Western film. Although the weapon was not supposed to be loaded with live ammunition, a bullet was fired, killing 42-year-old Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza. Gutierrez-Reed was charged in January 2023 with one count of involuntary manslaughter and one count of tampering with evidence for allegedly handing off a bag of cocaine following her police interview after the shooting. She pleaded not guilty to both charges.

Gutierrez-Reed, who was dressed in a khaki prison uniform, wiped away tears as she was sentenced by New Mexico District Court Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer. She cried as she addressed the court asking for probation, saying (per US Weekly): “My heart aches for the Hutchins family and friends. … Helena has been and always will be an inspiration to me. I understand she was taken too soon and I pray that you all find peace. My heart goes out to the film industry for the devastating pain that this tragedy caused. …When I took on Rust, I was young and I was naive, but I took my job as seriously as I knew how to do. Despite not having proper time, resources and staffing, when things got tough, I just did my best to handle it.”

Baldwin’s trial is set for July 10 after a grand jury indicted him on a charge of involuntary manslaughter in January.

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2 officers and suspect killed in shootout in Syracuse, NY suburb

Authorities confirmed on Monday that a sheriff’s deputy and a police officer were killed after a shootout Sunday night in Liverpool, N.Y., a suburb of Syracuse. The person authorities consider the prime suspect in the case was also killed, police confirmed.

The shooting occurred as police investigated a stolen vehicle in Salina, New York (Liverpool is one of five small suburban communities in the town of Salina, according to Salina’s website.) Syracuse Police Chief Joseph Cecile told a news conference that at about 7 p.m., two Syracuse officers “initiated a traffic stop on a suspicious vehicle” that took off; the officers initially lost sight of the vehicle, but were able to track it to an address in Liverpool via its license plate.  At a little after 8 p.m., Syracuse officers and deputies from the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office got to the address and were inspecting the suspicious vehicle when they saw what they thought were firearms inside. Then, shots suddenly rang out and there was “an exchange of gunfire.”

Per CBS News, the Syracuse police officer and Onondaga County sheriff’s deputy were initially taken to a local hospital in critical condition following the shooting; after which, both were pronounced dead at University Hospital. Police Chief Cecile said “we lost two heroes tonight,” adding that the officer who was killed had about three years on the job; while Onondaga County Sheriff Toby Shelley told reporters the slain deputy was “seasoned” and “very well-liked in his community. … (He was) just a great guy.”

Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh said at a press conference: “This is a dark day for Syracuse. This is our worst nightmare come true. “Our thoughts right now are with the families of those two officers, two heroes, and if anyone knows the family member of a police officer, give them a hug. This is their worst nightmare and we just need to be there for everyone in the law enforcement community today.”

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Wide receiver DeVonta Smith agrees to $75M contract extension with the Philadelphia Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles announced Monday that they’ve exercised the fifth-year option on wide receiver DeVonta Smith’s rookie contract, who agreed to a three-year contract extension. The Eagles posted on its social media pages: “Happy Monday Eagles fans ‼ We’ve exercised the fifth-year option on WR @DeVontaSmith_6 and have agreed to terms on a 3-year contract extension through 2028. @Toyota | #FlyEaglesFly”

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the extension is worth $75 million with $51 million guaranteed. Smith’s deal with the Eagles works out to a four-year, $90.5 million agreement, including the fifth-year option  Smith’s agent, Kelton Crenshaw, confirmed the news of the deal as well.

Smith, 25, came off a Heisman Trophy-winning season and two national championships at Alabama to be drafted 10th overall by the Eagles in 2021.  Smith logged 81 catches for 1,066 yards and seven touchdowns over 16 starts last season, and set a team record as a rookie with 916 receiving yards. Additionally, his 95 receptions for 1,196 yards and seven scores in 17 starts in 2022-23 were also the most by a wide receiver in franchise history (until A.J. Brown surpassed him the following season with 106). Throughout his career, Smith has 240 catches for 3,178 yards and 19 touchdowns in three seasons.

Smith is to make $15.5 million in 2025 under the terms of his rookie option. He will then be paid an average of $25 million per season from 2026 through 2028.

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