Latest news with #rings
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
With a new pitch and in a new clubhouse, Jesús Luzardo is finding another level with the Phillies
It didn't take long after he was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies for Jesús Luzardo to start recalling encounters with his former-rivals-turned-new-teammates. 'Those were some of the first conversations we had,' Luzardo told Yahoo Sports. Acquired from the Miami Marlins in December in exchange for three prospects, Luzardo was the most prominent addition for the Phillies this past offseason. Having competed in the same division the previous four seasons, his new squad was plenty familiar with the caliber of pitcher they'd added. Luzardo made six regular-season starts against the Phillies as a Marlin, plus another in Game 1 of the 2023 NL Wild-Card Series. 'We definitely had some good battles,' Luzardo said, reflecting on who in his current clubhouse gave him the most fits. '[Edmundo] Sosa was one of my toughest battles.' Indeed, the utilityman proved to be unlikely kryptonite for the left-hander, swatting two homers and a double in just seven at-bats against Luzardo. 'We had a good time competing because everyone is so talented here … I'm glad I don't have to face them anymore.' Luzardo's relief at no longer having to navigate the Phillies' lineup is a common sentiment expressed by ballplayers when they join new teams — and it's reciprocated by Luzardo's new teammates. But it rings true for some more than others. "Thank goodness he's on our club," said Bryce Harper, who is 1-for-14 in his career against Luzardo, between the regular season and the postseason, with seven strikeouts and zero walks. Harper's lone hit against Luzardo? A nifty bunt to beat the shift. Otherwise, Luzardo has carved up the two-time MVP at every turn, coaxing whiffs from Harper with his fastball, changeup and slider along the way. 'He was always a tough at-bat for me,' Harper said. 'He threw that hard slider and had that sinker coming up and in. … He's just really smart. He understands what he needs to do.' Now, Harper is a benefactor of Luzardo's excellence. 'What a great pickup,' he continued. 'I was really excited when we got him, just knowing how he was in Miami. He's fit in really well with us, and it's been a lot of fun.' Luzardo was not coming off an especially inspiring campaign at the time of the trade; elbow and back injuries limited the lefty to a dozen subpar starts in 2024. The Cubs reportedly backed out of a potential trade for Luzardo due to concerns regarding his injury history. But evidently, the Phillies viewed Luzardo — who was one of the best pitchers in the NL in 2023 — as well worth the potential risk, and thus far, they've benefitted greatly from the pickup. The 27-year-old has been brilliant to begin his Phillies tenure, further strengthening a rotation that already looked like one of the National League's best. Through nine starts, Luzardo hasn't just lived up to his previously lofty standards; he has exceeded them. Another sterling outing Wednesday against St. Louis, in which he allowed one run over seven innings, lowered his ERA to a squeaky-clean 2.00. His 1.9 fWAR is fifth among MLB starting pitchers. The Phillies have won seven of Luzardo's nine outings, and Luzardo has yet to be saddled with a loss on his ledger. The results speak for themselves, but the process behind Luzardo's success has evolved. New to his arsenal in 2025 is a sweeper, an intriguing development considering he wasn't exactly in need of an additional offering. Firmly intact are his Luzardo's fastballs — a four-seamer and a sinker — that average 96 mph, well above average for a lefty. His excellent changeup — the pitch that stood out as his best secondary weapon dating to his days as a prospect — still accounts for nearly 20% of his pitches. And the slider that has served as Luzardo's go-to breaking ball since he broke into the big leagues remains a useful pitch as well. So with four good-to-great pitches, why bother with a fifth? Well, there's simply no such thing as having too many pitching weapons nowadays. That and the sweeper was the product of a humble suggestion from Phillies pitching coach Caleb Cotham and Luzardo's determination to keep improving. 'Right when I got traded, he asked me if I had ever tried [throwing a sweeper], and I told him no, and he just left it at that. But then that sparked the thought in my mind: 'Maybe I can try to throw one,'' Luzardo recalled. 'If he asked me that, then there's a reason. So I looked into it, started messing around with it, then I brought it to them, and they were like, 'Yeah, we're all for it.'' While it is thrown with similar velocity (about 86 mph), Luzardo's sweeper features significantly more horizontal movement than his slider. That makes it an especially difficult pitch for left-handed hitters to deal with, as the ball darts much more dramatically away from the batter relative to the slider, which features more vertical, downward tilt. In turn, the sweeper has become Luzardo's primary weapon against lefty bats; he's deploying it 52% of the time so far this season, a notable uptick from the roughly 40% slider usage he previously maintained against lefties. And regardless of the handedness of the opponent, the sweeper has proven incredibly effective: Its 49% whiff rate ranks eighth among all pitches thrown at least 200 times in 2025. That's not to say Luzardo's slider has fallen by the wayside. It might be his least used offering now, at roughly 9%, but it still serves a purpose. And Luzardo recognizes that he's still in the process of figuring out the right balance of breaking balls and how to ensure the two pitches remain distinct. 'It's start-to-start,' he said. 'At times, you're going through a good patch where you're feeling both, and you can kind of separate them ... and then certain starts, they maybe blend a little bit. So it's finding that right mix. You don't want them to blend — you want them to stay two different pitches.' The addition of the sweeper is the latest plot point in a career that has been defined by change. The trade to Philadelphia was the third time Luzardo had been dealt. He was traded to the Athletics just a year after being drafted out of a Florida high school by the Nationals in 2017. Two years after making his MLB debut with Oakland, Luzardo was on the move again, this time to Miami at the 2021 trade deadline. By the time he arrived in Philly, he was no stranger to new ideas and new coaching upon joining a different organization. It was with the Marlins that the talented southpaw began to translate his raw physical gifts into consistent run prevention, and Luzardo hasn't lost sight of that. He credits former Marlins pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre Jr. with helping him make massive strides with his fastball command at the top and inside parts of the strike zone, which helped his changeup play up even further. With his heaters and offspeed stuff in a good place, Luzardo's focus with Philadelphia turned to the breaking ball, and the addition of the sweeper has only amplified his high-octane arsenal. 'It's been a long road,' Luzardo said. 'But progressively, every stop, I'm getting better and better.' For the next step along his journey as a pitcher, Luzardo is focused on deploying his pitches in ways that enable him to go deeper into outings. 'I think it's just getting in the zone, getting in and out of at-bats quicker,' he said. 'Finding ways to put guys away, whether it's weak contact or swing-and-miss, but finding ways to do it more efficiently, as opposed to letting the pitch count build up. I think that next step is longevity in games, consistently going six, seven, eight innings, hopefully every time.' As Luzardo continues to hone his craft, it doesn't hurt to have a wealth of veteran knowledge at his disposal in the Philadelphia clubhouse. 'Everyone's been super welcoming, and being able to work with the starting staff, I think it's awesome. It's a lot of guys that we can bounce ideas off of,' he said. 'Obviously, I'm trying to learn as much as possible.' 'He wants to learn,' Harper agreed. 'Being able to have a catcher like J.T. [Realmuto] behind the plate to kind of throw things off of is huge. But you can't say enough about him. He's a great clubhouse guy and incredible pitcher. Every night he goes out there, we got a chance to win.' And while Harper and the Phillies hitters are happy to not have to face Luzardo anymore, he has also made a strong impression on his new rotation mates. 'He's a big, strong kid,' said staff ace Zack Wheeler, who outdueled Luzardo in that wild-card showdown a couple of years ago. 'He looks like he repeats his mechanics well, he has a good mentality going out there, and his stuff plays. The more he throws, the better he'll get. 'But he's already pretty freaking good.'
Scottish Sun
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Hilaria Baldwin reveals she was ‘ready to walk' away from marriage to Alec and ‘took her rings off'
The mother of seven tells all about their relationship in her upcoming memoir BRINK OF DIVORCE Hilaria Baldwin reveals she was 'ready to walk' away from marriage to Alec and 'took her rings off' Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) HILARIA Baldwin has revealed she nearly filed for divorce from her husband Alec in her new memoir. In her upcoming book Manual Not Included, the mother of seven, 41, lifts the lid on her May-December marriage to Alec, 67, and admits to "rocky" times where they almost ended the relationship. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 7 Hilaria Baldwin, here supporting Alec in the aftermath of the Rust set shooting, admitted to dark times in their marriage Credit: The Mega Agency 7 Hilaria supported Alec in court in 2024 Credit: EPA 7 Hilaria, here with baby Carmen and Alec in 2015, said this time was the hardest in their marriage Credit: Getty 7 Hilaria and Alec, here on April 30 of this year in NYC, are now stronger than ever, she said Credit: Getty In the book, Hilaria claimed the pair suffered a difficult period before and after the birth of their second child, son Rafael, in June 2015. During that pregnancy, she said they "fought a lot" as he traveled for work, and she stayed home alone in New York with infant daughter Carmen and their dogs. She claimed he was working so much, he even took calls and responded to emails while she was in labor. "It really pissed me off, and I didn't hesitate to tell him so," she wrote. Alec immediately went back to work after Rafael's premature birth, which left Hilaria "fuming" and feeling "disrespected." "That year was probably the rockiest for us, and not just in terms of juggling a baby and a toddler," she wrote. "I was so focused on how I thought things should be, and Alec was so set in his ways. "Neither one of us would budge. "I took my rings off as a sign that I was potentially ready to walk." At the time, Hilaria wore a four-carat round-cut diamond engagement ring. Rust trailer sees Alec Baldwin play an outlaw as first footage is released after tragic on-set death She admitted they were headed for a divorce, but decided to take a step back and work on their marriage. They eventually renewed their vows for their fifth wedding anniversary in 2017. In 2019, Alec upgraded Hilaria's engagement ring to a 10-carat emerald-cut diamond, reportedly worth $1.2 million. The couple welcomed five more children, and have now been married for almost 13 years. In her book, Hilaria also touched on accusations she faked her Spanish accent and background. In addition, she detailed how she and Alec handled the aftermath of the Rust shooting. Alec's involuntary manslaughter charge was dismissed in July 2024, nearly three years after cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was shot and killed on the film's New Mexico set. Hilaria supported Alec in the courtroom, and burst into tears and embraced him when the judge delivered her ruling. Manual Not Included will hit bookstores on May 6. 7 Hilaria and Alec took their seven kids to the Hamptons International Film Festival in 2023 Credit: Getty 7 Hilaria stood by Alec during his volatile trial for the Rust shooting Credit: AFP 7 Alec and Hilaria embraced and burst into tears after his involuntary manslaughter charge was dismissed Credit: Reuters
Times
30-04-2025
- Business
- Times
The best home security: how the elite protect their property
What do you buy the man who has not just one Rolex, Vacheron Constantin or Audemars Piguet, but a whole collection of luxury watches valued at more than £8 million? Easy. You buy him a watch safe. This may sound dull, but when it is made by Luke Wycherley, it is a sophisticated storage unit as intricately designed as the watches themselves. A cabinet-maker by training, Wycherley realised safes did not need to be ugly steel boxes; they could have bespoke handles, intricate etching — perhaps even a family crest — and inside they could be lined in the finest leather. In short, his company, Little Halstock, specialises in 'pimping up your safe', as he calls it. Crucially, the device holding the watches inside the safe gently rotates, replicating the movement of a wrist, to ensure the precious timepieces keep accurate time — even when locked away. Welcome to the world of ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) domestic security, where sash windows have motion detectors instead of latches, where the downstairs loo doubles up as a panic room, and where a necklace isn't stored in a sock drawer but in a swanky safe. 'The world I work in is pretty unusual,' Wycherley says. His company, based in Dorset, makes a lot of drinks cabinets and humidors for superyachts but he also specialises in safes for shotguns and jewellery. He shows me pictures of a safe designed for a client that has — once you open the door — butterflies embedded into the birdseye maple marquetry, made from mother of pearl with 24-carat gold outlines. He won't tell me exactly how much it cost, nor the client, beyond that they are 'European', but his prices range from £17,000 to north of £100,000 for something of this size, no bigger than a hotel minibar. Isn't that quite a lot for, well, a safe? 'They're now seen as a kind of modern jewellery box,' he says. 'Some of my clients have rings that are worth £3 or £4 million each. Their collection of jewellery is just incredible.' He has one client who spent £140 million on a property in Europe, so spending a fraction of that to secure some of its contents makes sense. Of course, anyone with serious valuables has a 'decoy safe' as well as their main one. This should contain a wad of cash, maybe a fake Rolex and some paste jewellery, and is usually found in an obvious place, such as a dressing room. 'If somebody is looking to break into your home and steal something, they see that as a first port of call, take what's in it and leave,' Portia Fox, an interior designer, says. Fox specialises in UHNW clients and has found that two trends have taken hold in recent years: rich homeowners tend to be less flashy than the days when Russian oligarchs were snapping up Mayfair penthouses, and they seem keener on security. This manifests in a request for biometric entry systems — which require a fingerprint or facial recognition to enter — not just to the front of the house, but also individual rooms. 'We recently did a London project with biometric panels on a lot of rooms,' Fox says. 'It used to be just maybe on the swimming pool to stop children accessing them for safety reasons. But here they were everywhere.' This was to limit access to 'trusted members of staff, who all have different accessibility, depending on perhaps how long they've worked for the family'. She also works on panic rooms — secure spaces where a family can hide from an intruder and call the police. In most cases, they are an existing room, such as a cloakroom or guest bedroom, that doubles as a safe zone. 'We make sure that the space doesn't feel like a panic room; if you looked at it you would have no idea of its purpose,' she says. Unless, that is, you investigated more carefully, in which case you would notice the heavy door and lock. For the actual security specifications, Fox liaises with a security consultant such as Steve Moore, who runs a company called SMC that counts Mick Jagger among its A-list clients. Apart from the unbreakable door, a panic room needs to have a communication link to the outside world — often using Starlink or another satellite connection, rather than the home's wi-fi. Moore has noticed an increasing paranoia from some clients. 'We've done a couple recently that have independent air and air filtering, water filtration, with back-up energy to run their homes,' he says. The most common method to keep the electrics going is a Tesla Powerwall, a large battery made by the car company that stores solar power. 'Some people are a little bit anxious about societal breakdown,' Moore says. 'We've got a couple of American clients who are pretty wealthy, one of whom is reasonably high profile, and for whatever reason, they have this as a priority.' He doesn't think they've gone loopy having such a high-spec panic room, he adds. 'I think there's something to be said for being able to buy yourself time. Most places in London can be got to by the police within an hour.' • The best smart home security devices to buy now Even those who do not fear riots in the streets or the water being poisoned might worry about the rise in criminals targeting London's super-wealthy. Between 2019 and 2024, 29,000 watches were reported stolen to the Metropolitan Police, with one in five of the thefts involving violence, according to a freedom of information request by the Watch Register database. One option, especially if London is your secondary or tertiary residence, is to live in a portered block with a full-time security person. Fox has just finished doing up a residence in Knightsbridge for a Middle Eastern family where the teenage children had their own flats. 'More and more families want to be able to travel but know that their children, if they're being educated in the UK, have that concierge service,' she says. Those living in detached homes can secure them by getting a security company to lay underground cables around the perimeter of the site. 'If someone crosses those cables, we can detect the volume of water in their body — so I could tell it's not a fox or a squirrel — I can then direct the [CCTV] cameras to that point,' Moore says. 'I can then signal to the householder or the security team and they can lock down or take whatever preventative action they need to.' This, of course, costs money. Moore has just finished working on a new-build six-bedroom home in Hampstead, north London, that cost £40 million. 'Our budget was £2.5 million, of which security was £500,000,' he says. The rest was installing energy systems to power the property, digital walls, wi-fi and audiovisual kit throughout the home and garden, including a cinema room and speakers hidden in trees. • The best additions to step up your home security The greatest cost is rarely the kit but staff. Darren Andrew Smith runs Special Forces Security, based in Chelsea, which supplies wealthy families with what they refer to as close protection — bodyguards. For as much as £50,000 a month, he offers a residential security team (RST) who work in shifts, manning the CCTV and the property's entrance, along with someone to occasionally accompany the client and their expensive watch. 'When they want to go to Annabel's [the nightclub] or the kids want to go out shopping for the day, or the parents want them to take the kids out to the park, that's our bread and butter,' he says. 'Violent robberies are definitely on the increase.' Of course, if you wanted to deter the burglars, the easy solution is to wear an Apple Watch. But then you'd have nothing to put in your special watch safe. This article contains affiliate links that can earn us revenue
Mint
29-04-2025
- Business
- Mint
Kenrik Industries IPO booked 21% on Day 1 so far, retail portion subscribed 39%; check GMP, subscription status, more
Kenrik Industries IPO has opened for subscription today (Tuesday, April 29) and will close on Friday, May 2. Kenrik Industries IPO price band has been fixed at ₹ 25 per equity share of face value of ₹ 10 each. Bids can be made for a minimum of 6,000 equity shares and in multiples of 6,000 equity shares thereafter. Established in 2017, Kenrik Industries Limited specializes in the design and distribution of traditional Indian jewellery. The company's offerings include handmade gold jewellery adorned with precious and semi-precious stones, such as diamonds, rubies, and cubic zirconia. Kenrik Industries boasts a broad portfolio that features rings, earrings, armlets, pendants, nose rings, bracelets, chains, necklaces, bangles, watches, luxury items, and wedding jewellery. These products are tailored to fulfill specific customer needs and are produced on a job-work basis at the company's facility situated in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Currently, Kenrik Industries functions under a Business-to-Business (B2B) model, serving clients in high-end, mid-market, and value market segments. The company places a strong focus on quality control, inventory management, and business development, ensuring that all jewellery comes with BIS Hallmark certification. As per the red herring prospectus (RHP), the company's listed peers are Veerkrupa Jewellers Ltd (with a P/E of 4.06), Motisons Jewellers Ltd (with a P/E of 38.68), and Khazanchi Jewellers Ltd (with a P/E of 28.15). Kenrik Industries IPO subscription status is 21%, on day 1, so far. The retail portion was subscribed 39%, and NII portion was booked 2%. The company has received bids for 6,90,000 shares against 33,18,000 shares on offer, at 14:24 IST, according to data on Kenrik Industries IPO consists of a fresh issue of 34,98,000 equity shares, aggregating to ₹ 8.75 crore. There's no offer for sale (OFS) component. Kenrik Industries plans to use the net proceeds from its IPO for several purposes, including fulfilling working capital needs and covering general corporate expenses. Turnaround Corporate Advisors Private Limited serves as the book-running lead manager for the Kenrik Industries IPO, whereas Skyline Financial Services Private Ltd functions as the registrar for this issue. The market maker for the Kenrik Industries IPO is Mnm Stock Broking Private Limited. Kenrik Industries IPO GMP or grey market premium was ₹ 0, which meant shares were trading at their issue price of ₹ 25 with no premium or discount in the grey market according to 'Grey market premium' indicates investors' readiness to pay more than the issue price. Disclaimer: The views and recommendations above are those of individual analysts, experts and broking companies, not of Mint. We advise investors to check with certified experts before making any investment decision. First Published: 29 Apr 2025, 02:37 PM IST
The Sun
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Stunning celebs you forgot were boxing ring girls from I'm A Celeb star to Playboy model & presenter who made a million
WEARING their tiny hot pants and low cut tops, ring girls have become a popular part of boxing. Over the years, many of these stunning women have gone on to be celebrities themselves. 14 Olivia Hawkins Olivia Hawkins revealed her time as a boxing ring girl was 'empowering'. Before Love Island fame, she worked part-time at matches and covered huge fights for rapper-turned-boxer KSI. Previously speaking about the job, Liv said: 'Obviously they got rid of the Formula 1 grid girls, but I feel so empowered. 'Everyone within the boxing community makes me feel so welcome. 'And you always feel so supported with all the security and everything, but I just think every woman should embrace themselves and do whatever they want. 'Obviously, I get the odd wolf whistle, but I don't really tend to pay too much attention to that. 'Once I'm finished, I'm just ready to get in my car and get the heater on really.' 14 14 Maura Higgins Long before finding fame on Love Island, Maura Higgins was once a ring girl for boxing superstar Anthony Joshua. Photos previously emerged of the star at the weigh-in of Joshua's clash with Alexander Povetkin in 2018. Maura was also be spotted next to 2012 Olympic gold medallist Luke Campbell in the build-up to his rematch against Yvan Mendy. Maura Higgins stuns in risque dress as she cheers on fellow Love Island star Tommy Fury in huge KSI boxing fight She is now a huge star who works as a model and TV presenter. Last year she won over a new army of fans when she appeared on I'm A Celebrity. 14 14 Emma Milton Emma Milton has worked as a boxing ring girl for the Super Six Boxing series. Over the years she has been part of many big matches including George Groves and Eubank Jr in October 2017. Hailing from Whitefield, Emma also earns her living from being a promotional model with a big social media following. She has worked for fashion brands including Baby Boo Fashion, and Nasty Girl. Emma also appeared on the reality TV show Shipwrecked in 2019 and news circulated in 2017 that she was dating former Premier League footballer, Nathan Redmond. 14 Apollonia Lewellyn Apollonia Lewellyn, who is originally from Leeds, made a name for herself during the Elle Brooke and KSI fight card at Wembley. The model revealed her earnings rose nine-fold after joining the KSI -led Misfits organisation. But she explained most of her income is still through OnlyFans. Apollonia said: "I love being a part of Misfits events. It's like one big family! It's more like a social event for me rather than work. "The whole package. I love all the hype for it and the leading up days. It's so fun!" Ebanie Bridges 14 14 Ebanie Bridges has made no secret of her ring girl past. She has since risen up the ranks to become a boxer herself. However, Ebanie hasn't forgotten her ring girl roots and regularly shared throwback pictures on social media from that time in her native Australia. Anna Robey It looks like Love Island has been a playground for rings girls, as Anna Robey has also been one. The brunette stunner shot to fame on the winter version of the hit ITV2 show, back in 2023. She wasn't the only ring girl in the villa at the time, as Liv Hawkins was also on that season. In December, Anna teased that she was heading back to the ring with an Instagram pic of her in the uniform, and writing: "Back in the game." 14 14 Dessie Mitcheson Sexy Dessie Mitcheson is an American boxing ring girl who appears at major fights sponsored by Tectate. She is best known for being one of the main round girls for the Maywearther vs Pacquiao fight in 2015. Dessie has made herself known by becoming Miss Pennsylvania Intercontinental, the Face of Playboy Intimates, the Face of the MGM Grand Las Vegas, and Maxim magazine's 'Hometown Hottie'. film and TV industry.
