Latest news with #ex-Met
New York Post
18 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Post
Phillies make drastic Taijuan Walker move after 17-run disaster
Taijuan Walker is headed to the bullpen. The ex-Met is being shifted to a setup role as the Phillies shake up their starting rotation following a disaster outing from Jesus Luzardo, who gave up 12 runs in a 17-7 loss to the Brewers on Saturday. Advertisement In addition to moving Walker to the bullpen, prospect Mick Abel will go into the rotation, Jose Ruiz was designated for assignment and reliever Seth Johnson was recalled from the minors. Walker has made eight starts this season and come in twice as a long reliever, holding a 3.53 ERA over 43 ⅓ innings. This will be the first time in his career that Walker — who's currently in year three of a four-year, $72 million deal — has regularly pitched out of the bullpen. 'He's a pro,' manager Rob Thomson told reporters. 'He really is. I'm sure he's not 100 percent happy. I think he still thinks of himself as a starter. But he's a pro. And I think that he's a guy that'll do anything to help the team.' Advertisement 3 Taijuan Walker pitches for the Phillies against the Brewers on May 30, 2025. AP 3 Mick Abel pitches for the Phillies against the Pirates on May 18, 2025. AP Walker, who gave up four runs in four innings in his last start, told reporters on Friday that a move to the bullpen could be good for him. Advertisement 'If I have one inning to blow it out, whatever it is, I feel like my stuff would play up just a little bit more,' he said. 'Knowing that I got one inning, just let it eat.' Abel, who made his MLB debut on May 18 with six scoreless innings, will start in Walker's place on Thursday against the Blue Jays. 3 Phillies starter Jesus Luzardo reacts after being removed from the game on May 31, 2025. Kyle Ross-Imagn Images Advertisement The plan is to keep this setup in place for the time being while Aaron Nola continues recovering from a sprained ankle, with his return expected in mid-June. 'I have a lot of confidence in all those guys,' Thomson said. 'But I think Tai's got a chance to make us a lot better coming out of the pen.'
Scottish Sun
3 days ago
- Politics
- Scottish Sun
I watched maniac hack his own neck with kitchen knife & took on infamous ‘suicide bomber'…my life as hostage negotiator
One particularly tragic case continues to haunt ex-Met chief John Sutherland to this day EDGE OF DISASTER I watched maniac hack his own neck with kitchen knife & took on infamous 'suicide bomber'…my life as hostage negotiator Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) AS filing cabinets, chairs and shattered glass rained from the sky, John Sutherland felt like he was in a scene from the apocalypse. Hours earlier a man wearing a suicide vest and wielding a homemade flamethrower had stormed offices on London's Tottenham Court Road and taken terrified hostages, including a pregnant woman. 10 John Sutherland spent 26 years with the Met Police, working as a hostage negotiator Credit: Supplied 10 Suspected 'terrorist' Michael Green was arrested over the 'Siege of London' of 2012 Credit: Sky News 10 Cabinets, chairs and computers were thrown from the windows of an office block on Tottenham Court Road Credit: AFP 10 The suspect is led away by police Credit: David Hartley More than 1,000 workers, shoppers and tourists were evacuated as it was feared the 'terrorist' had enough explosives to 'bring the whole building down with everyone in it'. Dubbed 'the Siege of London', it was an exceptionally-high alert situation due to it being three months before the 2012 Summer Olympics. 'It was one of the most extraordinary days of my whole career,' former Met Police Chief Superintendent John, now 55, tells us. 'I was on the scene working out what on earth to do when I heard the sound of glass shattering. I looked up and a window was being broken. 'A series of office equipment - computers, furniture, cabinets, everything - rained down onto the street below. It was genuinely apocalyptic.' Fortunately, despite threatening to "blow everyone up", the suspect's bomb jacket was fake and the attacker wasn't a terrorist but a disgruntled HGV driver. Ex-BNP candidate Michael Green, then 48, carried out the siege to retrieve £1,000 he paid for a driving course after failing his exams twice and feeling he had 'nothing left to live for'. Green forced his hostages to lob office supplies through a window to 'liquidise some assets'. 'He raided their offices as way to settle his grievances after some form of meltdown,' John says. 'It could have ended terribly but we managed to get him and everyone out unscathed.' It's one of many colourful tales from the retired Met officer, who has mined his experiences over 26 years as a hostage and crisis negotiator to pen his Sunday Times bestselling crime thriller, The Castle. I'm a cop turned vigilante who hunted down a one-man crime wave after police turned a blind eye In an exclusive interview, John explains that unlike in Hollywood movies, 90 per cent of his work was 'holding out a hand' to those in crisis on 'the worst day of their lives'. He tackled dozens of threats in London and recalled the simple question he was routinely asked before being dispatched on a job: 'Are you ready to save a life?' 'Whether it was 3am or in the middle of the afternoon, when you heard those words it focused the mind, because it was the only thing that mattered,' John says. 'I've always said the greatest duty and privilege for any police officer is to save the life of another human being, and that is the exact job of a negotiator.' 10 Debris from the office equipment thrown out of a window Credit: Getty 10 Armed police and snipers raced to the scene in April 2012 Credit: Reuters Stand-off tragedy Despite that, it was a deeply challenging and emotionally turbulent role which is voluntary within the police force. When on shift, negotiators are on-call 24 hours a day for that week. Most stand-offs go on for a few hours, but John said it was not unusual for them to last two to three days. One of the longest he was involved with was the tragic Markham Square siege in London's Chelsea on May 6, 2008. John was the negotiator for the five-hour stand-off which ended with wealthy divorce barrister Mark Saunders being shot dead by police. The 32-year-old, who had represented presenter Chris Tarrant, had fired shotgun rounds from his £2.2million home during a mental health episode linked to alcohol and drugs. 10 Barrister Mark Saunders died during a stand-off with police Credit: Handout 10 John tried to talk down the shotgun-wielding barrister for five hours Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd 10 Mark Saunders during the Markham Square stand-off Credit: Handout Out of respect for Mark's widow, John only says a few words about the tragedy, admitting: 'It was one of the days that will stay with me for the rest of my life.' Previously in his memoir, Blue, John mournfully explained how "a man died on my watch", and he was "the last living soul to hold a conversation with him". Another harrowing encounter saw John talk down an Eastern European man who was threatening to throw himself from the 17th floor of a block of flats in Islington overlooking Arsenal's Emirates stadium. 'He was standing on the wrong side of the window on a ledge that was six inches wide, if that,' John recalls. 'Inexplicably, the windows opened into space with no balconies. It was one of the days that will stay with me for the rest of my life John Sutherland 'I don't know how long I was with him, all I know was that it was a hell of a long way down and any of the next moments could have been his last. 'It was difficult talking to him because I didn't speak his language, but as a negotiator you try to find common humanity and understand the story of the person you're dealing with. 'For him it was a perfect storm of being unable to get a job because he had no address, but not being able to have an address because he didn't have a job.' John admits he had no idea whether he would be able to coax the man back inside after he'd reached such a heartbreaking 'point of desperation', but thankfully he succeeded. Heartbroken OAP John tells us the key to a successful hostage negotiation is the art of listening, as was proven in an extraordinary case at an old people's home. Upon arriving, John was taken into a communal area where a man in his 80s sat in an armchair holding a large kitchen knife to his throat. 'There was almost a surreal nature to the scene, he clearly represented no threat to anyone else but a significant threat to himself,' John recalls. He approached him slowly and sat in an armchair nearby, knowing he could move much faster should he need to flee, and "asked the old boy tell his story'. It was difficult talking to him because I didn't speak his language, but as a negotiator you try to find common humanity and understand the story of the person you're dealing with John Sutherland 'It transgressed, later on in life, he'd fallen in love with a fellow resident of the home but his feelings were not reciprocated," John says. 'In fact she had been fairly unkind to him and he was an old boy with a broken heart. I listened to him and he agreed to put the knife down.' The need to be heard and 'feeling that they matter' were common themes, with John recounting many stories of people on the edge after mental health struggles. They include a man threatening to jump into an icy cold pond on Hampstead Heath at 3am and a drug addict holding a hypodermic syringe in his neck 'as a weapon'. Life in the balance 10 John has turned to writing crime novels Credit: collect By the time John arrived at one difficult incident there was already a line of territorial support group (TSG) officers on the scene, clad with long shields. He recalls: 'The man in his 20s was in the kitchen-diner of a flat on one side, with a knife to his throat, and I was safely behind the shields trying to engage with him. 'This poor young guy was seriously mentally ill. It was one of few times in my career where I've spoken to someone directly and knew mine wasn't the only voice they were hearing.' John remembers him 'pacing continually backwards and forward, like a tiger I'd seen in London Zoo', twisting the knife more and more. If there's a life hanging in the balance, you can't wait for anyone else. You have to get on and deal with what is in front of you John Sutherland 'One minute he was with us, partly lucid, the next he was somewhere else,' he recalls. The man eventually surrendered after speaking to his mum on the phone. In another incident a man with a kitchen knife was furiously 'sawing backwards and forwards on his head and neck' while holding his ex-girlfriend and child hostage. John recalls the "curtain of blood running down his face and soaking his clothes", adding it reminded him of a scene from the Stephen King film Carrie. Race against time Whenever he received a dispatch call, John says there was an element of adrenaline, which was followed by exhaustion "so deep you're almost unable to speak or walk" afterwards. But he remained motivated by the 'profound sense that today we did something good'. He retired in February 2018, and John has now turned his hand to writing books including memoirs Blue and Crossing The Line, and fiction titles The Siege, The Fallen and his latest novel, The Castle. 'Psychologically and emotionally I draw on my lived experience," he says. "Alex, one of the lead characters [in The Castle], is a version of me, but is a million times more interesting. 'But my deeper purpose to all of it, which I feel very passionately about having worked as a hostage and crisis negotiator, is for people to re-learn the art of listening. 'In the world at the moment it seems that most of us are shouting at each other and not listening. Listening is in danger of becoming a lost art. 'While I hope my thrillers are thrilling, subtly they have something to say about the ways that we listen and how it can do some good in the world. It can save people's lives.' John Sutherland's latest novel The Castle, a Sunday Times bestseller, published by Orion, is available for £9.99 in paperback, as well as in eBook and audio formats.
New York Post
7 days ago
- Sport
- New York Post
Mets persevere to eke out win against woebegone White Sox
The Mets offense, quiet all too often this season, was especially silent against the hapless White Sox for most of Monday's series opener. Access the Mets beat like never before Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mike Puma about the inside buzz on the Mets. Try it free Unable to buy a hit with runners in scoring position, they tied the game in the eighth on a Juan Soto sacrifice fly before Francisco Lindor won it in the bottom of the ninth with a bases-loaded sacrifice fly to right. The 2-1 victory was the fourth in five games for the Mets and it came against a White Sox team in the midst of another noncompetitive season, mired in last place in the AL Central and well on the way to a third straight 100-loss season. 6 Clay Holmes #35 of the New York Mets throws a pitch in the fifth inning against the Chicago White Sox. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST Tyrone Taylor opened the inning with a double to left-center and Jeff McNeil was walked intentionally to bring up Luis Torrens, who entered in the ninth as a defensive replacement after Francisco Alvarez was removed for a pinch runner. Torrens singled to left to load the bases for Lindor, who ended it. Chicago entered the game just 5-21 on the road, but ex-Met Adrian Houser blanked them for six-plus innings in his second straight excellent outing with the White Sox. He had a 5.03 ERA with Triple-A Round Rock before he was released and signed a minor league deal with the White Sox. Houser then went out and pitched six scoreless innings against Seattle last week in his White Sox debut. He continued that success into Monday, as Houser allowed just one base runner until the sixth inning and retired 14 in a row after Brandon Nimmo's double with one out in the first. Lindor finally snapped the streak with a grounder through the right side of the infield with two outs in the sixth. Nimmo then struck out to end the inning. 6 Francisco Lindor #12 of the New York Mets hits a single during the 6th inning. Robert Sabo for NY Post Clay Holmes was solid again, limiting the White Sox to one run over 5 ²/₃ innings. He gave up a run in the top of the fourth after a leadoff walk to Mike Tauchman was followed by a double to center by Miguel Vargas. A poor jump by Taylor in center left him unable to run down Vargas' shot. 6 Miguel Vargas #20 of the Chicago White Sox is caught in a run down by Jeff McNeil #1 of the New York Mets. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST With runners on second and third and no one out, Andrew Benintendi's sacrifice fly to left knocked in Tauchman for the game's first run. The Mets got Vargas into a rundown when Luis Robert Jr. grounded to shortstop and the White Sox didn't score again in the inning. Holmes also pitched around a leadoff double by Edgar Quero in the fifth. 6 Tyrone Taylor #15 of the New York Mets fields a ball when the New York Mets played against the Chicago White Sox. Robert Sabo for NY Post The right-hander ran into trouble again in the sixth. After retiring the first two batters of the inning — the first courtesy of an excellent diving play by McNeil at second base — Holmes allowed an infield single by Benintendi that Pete Alonso couldn't handle at first. Robert also reached on an infield hit before Holmes walked Joshua Palacios to load the bases. 6 Luis Robert Jr. #88 of the Chicago White Sox reaches on an infield single during the 6th inning. Robert Sabo for NY Post José Buttó entered to face Quero and got an inning-ending groundout to keep it a one-run game. Buttó issued a one-out walk to Josh Rojas in the top of the seventh and was replaced by Huascar Brazobán. Rojas swiped second and moved to third on a grounder to first, but Brazobán got Tauchman swinging to end the threat. The Mets finally got more than one base runner in an inning against Houser in the seventh, when Soto led off with a walk and Alonso singled to right to end Houser's afternoon. He was replaced by left-hander Brandon Eisert. Starling Marte, pinch hitting for Jared Young, grounded to shortstop, but beat the throw to first to avoid a double play. With runners on the corners, Brett Baty hit a comebacker for the second out, moving Marte to second. 6 White Sox's Adrian Houser throws a pitch in the first inning Corey Sipkin for the NY POST Tyrone Taylor walked to load the bases for McNeil, who was caught looking on a 1-2 slider. Francisco Alvarez opened the bottom of the eighth with a single to left. After Lindor whiffed, Nimmo singled to right, sending pinch runner Luisangel Acuña to third with one out. Soto tied the game with a sacrifice fly to left, with Nimmo moving up to second. Alonso was walked intentionally and Marte was hit by an 0-2 pitch to load the bases. But Baty lined to right to keep the game tied.
New York Post
25-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
Dodgers get bizarre run off blown call when ball bounces off shin in loss to Mets
Access the Mets beat like never before Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mike Puma about the inside buzz on the Mets. Try it free The umpires missed that one. During the second inning of Saturday's game between the Mets and the Dodgers, a ball appeared to hit Los Angeles catcher Dalton Rushing in the shin before careening into play. After Rushing's ball rolled just past home plate, Mets catcher Luis Torrens grabbed the ball and threw it to first to get the second out of the inning as Tommy Edman scored from third for the Dodgers' second run. Upon looking at the play, however, the ball clearly blasted into Rushing's shin before going into play, which should have resulted in a foul ball. 3 Dalton Rushing's grounder allowed the Dodgers to score a run during their loss May 24. Screengrab via X/@MLBONFOX It appears that even the Mets thought the ball was initially called dead, with both Torrens and pitcher David Peterson pausing as the ball was hit. Since that type of play is not under the guidelines of potential eligible plays to review, the Mets could not challenge, which led to the Dodgers jumping out to an early 2-0 lead before the Mets responded with five unanswered runs in their eventual victory. 3 Dalton Rushing swings during the Dodgers' 5-2 loss to the Mets on May 24, 2025. Jason Szenes for the NY Post The Mets also had a run-in with the umpires over a confusing call during the third inning of Friday's game. They ultimately lost a challenge over an obscure rule regarding when a player is allowed to leave for the next base on a sacrifice fly. CHECK OUT THE LATEST MLB STANDINGS AND METS STATS 3 Luis Torrens fields a hit by Dalton Rushing of the Dodgers in the second inning at Citi Field on May 24. Getty Images Mets outfielders Tyrone Taylor and Juan Soto nearly collided when attempting to catch a fly ball in right center hit by Mookie Betts, and the ball grazed both of their gloves before Taylor wound up making the play with his bare hand. Dodgers outfielder — and ex-Met — Michael Conforto left early when tagging up from second base, but he was ultimately ruled safe because the ball was first touched before being caught. Commentators on Friday's Apple TV broadcast were left puzzled by the play until former MLB umpire Brian Gorman came on and cleared up the rule. 'The reason behind the touch, as opposed to when he eventually catches the ball, is that an outfielder can actually juggle the ball all the way in and not threat the guy from advancing,' Gorman said. 'As soon as the ball hits the glove, he can take off.'
New York Post
24-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
Mets lose challenge on bizarre play that confused everyone
Access the Mets beat like never before Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mike Puma about the inside buzz on the Mets. Try it free Well, that's something you don't see every day. The Mets lost a challenge on a rule that left most of the team confused during the third inning of Friday night's game against the Dodgers. Advertisement Mets outfielders Juan Soto and Tyrone Taylor nearly collided in right-center to catch a ball hit by Mookie Betts, with the ball briefly grazing both of their gloves before Taylor eventually made the play on the bare hand. Despite leaving before the ball was fully secured, Dodgers outfielder — and ex-Met — Michael Conforto was ultimately ruled safe because the ball was first touched before being caught. According to official MLB rules, a runner is permitted to tag up to the next base once the ball is touched by a fielder, and since Conforto waited until Taylor and Soto made contact with the ball, he was called safe after review following the Mets' unsuccesful challenge. 3 Tyrone Taylor makes a barehanded catch next to Juan Soto on a ball hit by Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts in the third inning at Citi Field on Friday, May 23, 2025. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST Advertisement 3 The Mets ultimately lost the challenge. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST Players on the field were stunned by the little-known rule, with Francisco Lindor showing a confused look after asking umpires on the field for clarity on the play. Advertisement Even Conforto appeared surprised once hearing the ruling from the umpires. Apple TV+ announcers Wayne Randazzo and Dontrelle Willis also did not know about the rule, with the pair trying their best to explain what happened. 'You learn something new every day, Wayne,' Willis, a former two-time All-Star pitcher, told his broadcast partner. Former MLB umpire Brian Gorman then joined the broadcast to clear up the play. Advertisement 3 New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza (64) talks to the umpires during the third inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Citi Field. Brad Penner-Imagn Images 'The reason behind the touch, as opposed to when he eventually catches the ball, is that an outfielder can actually juggle the ball all the way in and not threat the guy from advancing,' Gorman said. 'As soon as the ball hits the glove, he can take off.' Just one batter following the confusing play, the game was delayed due to rain.
