Former Major League Baseball player Larry Stahl died at age 84 Tuesday at Caseyville Nursing and Rehab in Caseyville, Illinois.
Stahl, who played 10 seasons with four different teams, was best known for spoiling a perfect game.
On Sept. 2, 1972, Chicago Cubs pitcher Milt Pappas had retired the first 26 batters he had faced and was one out away from etching his name into the history books.
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Stahl, a left-handed hitter, was playing for the San Diego Padres at the time and was sent out to pinch hit against the right-handed pitcher by manager Don Zimmer.
Zoilo Versalles (2) of the Minnesota Twins attempts to turn a double play as Larry Stahl (24) of the Kansas City Athletics slides into second base during an MLB game at Metropolitan Stadium in Minneapolis in 1965.(Bruce Bennett Studios via Getty Images Studios/Getty Images)
Stahl worked the count full and, on the payoff pitch, checked his swing and controversially drew a walk, ending Pappas’ perfect game bid. Pappas retired the next batter and ended the game with a no-hitter.
Pappas blamed the home plate umpire for making the incorrect call years later.
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“They were strikes or ‘that close’ to being strikes that he should’ve raised his right hand,” Pappas told ESPN in 2007. “I had the opportunity for a perfect game, and, unfortunately, Bruce Froemming did not help me at all.”
Larry Stahl played 10 seasons in the big leagues.(Aaron Doster/Getty Images)
In 10 seasons, the Belleville, Illinois, native had a .232 batting average with 36 home runs and 163 RBIs.
He spent the first three seasons of his career with the Kansas City Athletics, then two seasons with the New York Mets, four with the Padres and the final season of his career with the Cincinnati Reds.
Stahl played for four teams in his MLB career.(Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)
Stahl’s best season came with the Padres in 1971, when he hit .253 with eight home runs and 36 RBIs.
The only time Stahl made the postseason was in 1973, the final year of his career, with the Reds. He played in four games and had two hits in four at-bats.
“You… are… toxic!”, Kit Wilson spat at Jelly Roll last Friday, as around 1m viewers watched WWE SmackDown live. You may know Jelly Roll – a US music star with 21m monthly Spotify listeners at the time of writing, and the latest in a long line of celebrities to cross the divide into professional wrestling. Pertinently, though, he is also the latest perceived offender in Wilson’s crusade on toxic masculinity.
Wilson is a layered personality. One moment, he’s all gyrating hips, flexed biceps, and sparkly, sleeveless jacket, while his Charli XCX-inspired theme music plays; the next, he’s accusing his WWE colleagues of embodying a problematic hyper-masculinity.
The 31-year-old from Buckinghamshire (real name Samuel Stoker) has emerged as a captivating character in recent months, with fans frequently crediting him as one of the most entertaining parts of SmackDown. And Wilson is keen to stress that he is playing a character, to which he brings a quintessentially British satire, yet woven within these satirical strands are important issues.
British WWE star Kit Wilson is calling out his ‘toxic’ colleagues (WWE)
While Wilson has been received by his fellow wrestlers as a kind of villain, his character would no doubt suggest he is a role model – the hero of the piece, perhaps, if such self-aggrandising was not an example of “TOXIC!!!” masculinity.
As we chat, though, he gets into the intricacies of his stance. “This is a TV show, it’s an exaggeration of who I am,” he tells The Independent over Zoom, seated by a window but leaning right up against the metaphorical fourth wall. “So, I do want to be a role model, but I’m not gonna be a martyr in saying: ‘You should follow everything I do.’
“However, I do want men to rise up together,” he continues, before adding three more “however”s: “Sometimes I’m gonna have beef with Jelly Roll, and I’m gonna talk some trash.”
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As he speaks, he’s sporting a pearl necklace, a short-sleeved blue shirt over a white vest, and his hair is slicked back into a ponytail. “Even with pearl necklaces,” he says, “you see a lot of hyper-masculine wrestlers wearing gold chains, and I think that can be attributed to bravado. A pearl necklace leans slightly more feminine, but I’m gonna do it in my own, powerful, masculine way.
“I hope it can send a message. If there’s a boy or girl in the audience who wants to wear a pearl necklace and express themself… If I have a small part in someone feeling okay with expressing themselves, that’s what I’m here for.”
Our conversation feels especially timely given this month’s release of Inside The Manosphere, a Louis Theroux documentary on Netflix, which also streams various WWE shows.
The documentary has sparked ubiquitous debate, opening the eyes of some viewers and confirming what others already knew: there are countless disillusioned, angry young men worldwide. Some of these males are being manipulated by opportunistic members of their own sex, who push the narrative that women are to blame for their struggles.
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Wilson brings a very British satire to his performances but addresses important topics all the while (WWE)
“I really enjoyed the documentary,” Wilson starts, “and it kind of rings true to something I’m diving into, when it comes to my character in the WWE. I talk a lot about toxic masculinity, and I have a lot of problems with my fellow roster members because they are…” – he suddenly emphasises the final word – “toxic!”
“Now, I don’t have a problem with masculinity and men in general,” he clarifies. “I think we should all rise up, but I do think there’s a certain problem that Louis highlighted massively. It could be due to a lack of education on the subject matter, naivety, maybe past trauma, but these men often enhance masculine personality traits.
“I don’t know if it was in this documentary or an article I read, but Louis said their projected strengths are just compensations for their weaknesses. I think he expertly showed that in the documentary. He interviews these guys, they have an answer for his initial question – it’s a very bravado-driven answer – but in classic Louis style, he leaves a pause and it creates an awkward bit of tension… and they often answer to relieve that tension. In that second answer, you get a much more honest, vulnerable answer.
“I view myself and the character I portray as very open to all aspects of personality – masculinity, femininity, vulnerability – and I think that openness makes us stronger as men. I think that’s true masculinity. The classic thing of ‘boys don’t cry’… You should cry; we should let these emotions out. These are healthy things. It’s like anger: I support anger, that’s a natural emotion; it’s aggression that I have a problem with.
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US music star Jelly Roll (right) hits Wilson’s signature pose – hip gyration included (WWE)
“These men are a negative influence, but I don’t think they realise it.” Perhaps they could take a few tips from Wilson when it comes to figuring out who they are.
He has built his in-ring character with a meticulous approach, and in honing a catchphrase (“TOXIC!”), pose and look, he has ticked key boxes that make for a memorable wrestler. He also had granular input into his theme music, which charted on iTunes earlier this year, sending WWE’s production team not only songs but specific production elements as references.
“I’m trying to make every single aspect as big as possible, but I’m only one half of the decision-making process,” Wilson explains. “The company’s got so much input as well, but I think you see how much of an effect it has when it all comes together.
“I’m still trying to create a massive entity,” he concludes. Either way, this entity is a layered one.
Netflix UK & Ireland subscribers can watch Raw, SmackDown, NXT and all WWE Premium Live events as part of their subscription, including WrestleMania live from Las Vegas on 18 and 19 April. Tickets for the WWE European Summer Tour are available now from wwe.com/events.
Mar 7, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; TCU Horned Frogs guard Olivia Miles (5) attempts to drive the ball past Kansas State Wildcats forward Nastja Claessens (4) during the second half at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: Nick Tre. Smith-Imagn Images
Olivia Miles assembled her sixth triple-double of the season and Taylor Bigby added a career-high 27 points to help No. 3 seed TCU coast to an 86-40 win over No. 14 seed UC San Diego during Sacramento 4 region first-round play in Fort Worth, Texas.
The Horned Frogs (30-5) will host No. 6 seed Washington in Sunday’s second round.
Miles (12 points, 16 rebounds, 14 assists) joined Oregon’s Sabrian Ionescu and Stanford’s Nicole Powell as the only Division I women to produce multiple triple-doubles in the NCAA Tournament.
Clara Silva (13 points, 11 boards) and Marta Suarez (11 points, 10 rebounds) added double-doubles for TCU, which doubled up UC San Diego (24-9) on the glass while shooting 49.2% from the floor and 50% from the perimeter.
Erin Condron (12 points) was the only UC San Diego player in double figures. The Tritons never led as they shot 22.7% from the floor (15 of 66) aand were held to 15 second-half points.
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No. 6 Washington 72, No. 11 South Dakota State
Avery Howell amassed 30 points and nine rebounds while canning seven 3-pointers as the Huskies snapped the Jackrabbits’ 10-game winning streak in Fort Worth, Texas.
Brynn McGaughy added 14 points for Washington while Sayvia Sellers handed out 10 assists and posted three of the Huskies’ 12 steals. Washington also owned a 40-25 margin on the glass and forced 18 turnovers that resulted in 16 points.
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Brooklyn Meyer scored 29 points on 13-of-20 shooting for South Dakota State (27-7), but she finished with three more field goals than the rest of her teammates combined. Emilee Fox contributed 14 points and made four of the five shots the Jackrabbits sank from the 3-point arc.
The game was tied at 15 after the first quarter, but Washington took charge by outscoring the Jackrabbits 23-9 in the second. Howell, McGaughy and Yulia Grabovskaia each scored six points in that defining quarter.
Abi Burton’s try three minutes from time clinched Trailfinders’ 21-17 Premiership Women’s Rugby victory over Harlequins at the Stoop.
The visitors had gone in front through Tanya Kalounivale, but Harlequins hit back through Connie Powell before half-time.
Nicole Wythe then nudged them in front following the restart, but Brooke Bradley scored quickly for Trailfinders who soon found themselves with a player advantage as Wythe was given a yellow card for a series of penalties.
The home side managed to regain the lead thanks to Beth Wilcock, but could not keep Burton out late on from close range and another Niamh Gallagher conversion followed with her perfect record on the night proving crucial.
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Harlequins, who claimed a losing bonus point, have not won at home since late January and sit fifth in the PWR table, one place and one point below Friday’s victors.
The real video that caused Tama Tonga to be fined by WWE has now been revealed. The video came out soon after the report broke earlier in the day.
Tama Tonga’s video that caused him to be fined has been revealed
Thanks for the submission!
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Tama Tonga has been vlogging regularly on his TikTok and X account in recent weeks. The MFT star has been posting his day and what he has been doing behind the scenes as he prepares for another day in WWE. Given the existence of WWE Unreal, such behind the scenes footage along should not be grounds for any star to be punished or fined, but earlier today, news broke that thanks to his posting a video of a rehearsal, he had broken a long-standing rule.
The video has now emerged of the moment as well. Fans found the video that had shown the rehearsal, and it showed in-ring rehearsals before a WWE show as a lot of stars were present.
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In the video, Solo Sikoa and other stars could be seen seated outside the ring, while rehearsals went down inside as well. The video showed the practice sessions of the stars before the show.
Unfortunately, given that this is against the rules, Tonga is losing out on a “significant” amount of money, as he will pay a fine.
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Chayan held no Golden Slipper credentials three months prior.
Co-trainer Annabel Archibald even eyed a paddock spell for the filly, skipping any official trial.
That notion flipped after a basic jump-out, which revolutionised Chayan.
‘She had an unofficial jump-out at Christmas and I said to Eric Koh, her owner, “she will probably just have this jump out and go out” because mentally, she was a little bit hot,’ Archibald recalled.
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‘But she jumped out really well and really relaxed after that. She started mentally going the right way.
‘We sent her down to Melbourne and she had those couple of runs there, and I think that has held her in really good stead.’
Her Victorian efforts yielded second in the Blue Diamond Fillies’ Prelude (1100m) and a seventh placing from a poor draw in the Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) amid a hard run.
Resuming in Sydney, connections gambled on a Golden Slipper path race.
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Chayan powered to a three-length romp in the Reisling Stakes (1200m), clinching her Saturday slot, and from post 12, she’s the outright favourite for the Slipper.
The filly has aced all prep markers per Archibald, including a sharp trackwork hit-out on Tuesday.
‘I couldn’t be any happier with her. She started her campaign off in Melbourne and didn’t have much luck with the draws down there, but ran really well,’ she said.
‘It was pleasing to see her come up here and put it all together. All of the ratings guys said she ran really good time, and the figures were good, and that’s all we can ask for as a last start heading into this race.’
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Slipper campaigns are known to Archibald, who entered perfect Learning To Fly in 2023 at $6.50 in what she dubbed a ‘character-building’ tilt after a pre-straight stumble unseated Chad Schofield.
This time, Schofield rides rival Stretan Ruler for Phillip Stokes, fresh off a stirring Silver Slipper (1100m) win and eye-catching close for second in the front-runners’ Todman Stakes (1200m).
Schofield, on for recent starts, sees potential.
‘I just think he wants tempo,’ Schofield said.
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‘In the Silver Slipper, we got tempo. It was free-flowing, and he unlocked that devastating turn of foot.
‘The other day in the Todman, it was just a trot and canter and a dash home for three hundred metres. He was still really good, but if we get a solidly run 1200 metres, which the Slipper generally is, we will see the best of him. And I think the best of him is going to be hard to beat.’
Paul Wight is still very much a part of AEW despite his absence. At the same time, he is taking care of his health and provided an update on the same.
The World’s Largest Athlete gained prominence as ‘The Giant’ in WCW and ‘The Big Show’ for his lengthy tenure in WWE. However, Wight jumped ship to All Elite Wrestling in 2021, primarily serving as a commentator, and has wrestled on a few occasions. His last match in AEW was in November 2023, and Wight made his appearance on Collision in January 2026.
On the other hand, Paul Wight took to Instagram to share a video of himself doing a leg workout. The former WWE World Heavyweight Champion revealed that he underwent knee and hip replacement surgery and was making great progress in his recovery.
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“Making great progress! Two knees two hips replaced better than yesterday. #fitnessjourney #suckitupbuttercup😎💪❤️ #legday.”
Paul Wight on if he has retired from in-ring competition
AEW legend Paul Wight has been an icon in professional wrestling, having competed in the ring for almost two decades. Fans had questioned whether he would retire from in-ring action after not having a match for more than two years.
This led the former Intercontinental Champion to say he wanted to retire on his own terms and looked forward to returning to the ring once after making some recovery.
“The last thing I’m gonna do is go out in that ring and have people go, ‘aww, poor Paul. They should just kill him, like Old Yeller or something.’ We’re not gonna have that. If I’m not out there humping and bumping and getting after everything and slapping people’s souls out of their chest… then it’s time to hang up the boots. We’re still moving forward, there’s progress being made. Everything I’m dealing with now is mostly soft tissue, getting that stuff to work… we’ll get that back and we’ll be in the ring,” he said.
With the WWE legend not being done as an in-ring competitor, it remains to be seen what he would actually wrestle in AEW.
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Maduka Okoye has opened up on the recent struggles of the Nigeria national football team, admitting the team is still searching for answers after a difficult period on the international stage.
The Udinese Calcio goalkeeper reflected on Nigeria’s disappointing campaign at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, where the Super Eagles fell short of expectations despite reaching the semi-finals. They were eventually knocked out on penalties by hosts Morocco national football team before settling for a third-place finish.
Okoye, who was not part of the squad as Stanley Nwabali took over as first-choice goalkeeper, said watching from home was not easy.
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Maduka Okoye told SportyTV, “I was watching from home as a supporter, like all the other 200–300 million Nigerians. We deserved to win the Cup, but next year is already the next opportunity for us, and we will do everything to bring it home again.”
Nigeria’s AFCON disappointment was followed by an even bigger setback after failing to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Okoye admitted that the team is still trying to understand why results have not matched their quality.
“National team football is a different kind of football, and the answer might be in the World Cup,” Okoye said.
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“I don’t really know, because we have the quality, we have great players, top-level players, top characters in the team. Hopefully, we get it done next time.”
Despite the setbacks, the 24-year-old remains hopeful that the team can recover and achieve success in future competitions.
Okoye has now been recalled to the Super Eagles squad for upcoming friendly matches against Iran and Jordan, signalling a new phase for the team as they begin to rebuild.
Born in Germany to a Nigerian father, the goalkeeper also explained why he chose to represent Nigeria at international level despite having the option to play for Germany.
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Okoye said, “I grew up in Germany, but my father was very, very present in my life, especially in my young and early ages. So, I keep a lot of Nigerian inside of me, and I’m very proud of it.”
“I always knew I wanted to play for Nigeria, and back then I didn’t have another option. Of course, I went to youth German selections, but when the time came for Nigeria, I knew this was a dream, and I made it come true, by God’s grace.”
With 18 caps to his name, Okoye remains part of Nigeria’s goalkeeping setup as the Super Eagles look to move past recent disappointments.
Eric Robinson, on a penalty shot, K’Andre Miller and Jordan Staal had the other goals for Carolina (44-19-6). Brandon Bussi made 23 saves. Seth Jarvis and Sebastian Aho had two assists apiece.
John Tavares, William Nylander and Dakota Joshua replied for Toronto (29-28-13), which got 32 stops from Joseph Woll. Matias Maccelli added two assists.
Nikishin scored the winner in the extra period when he ripped a shot beyond Woll’s blocker.
The Metropolitan Division-leading Hurricanes entered Friday third in the NHL’s overall standings and first in the Eastern Conference.
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The severely underperforming Maple Leafs, meanwhile, sat 26th out of 32 teams, second-last in the East and at the bottom of the Atlantic Division.
Hurricanes: Aho became the third player to hit at least 70 points in five seasons with the Hurricanes/Hartford Whalers. Ron Francis (11) and Eric Staal (seven) top the list.
Maple Leafs: Auston Matthews underwent surgery on his left MCL in New York on Thursday. Toronto’s captain was injured last week after taking a knee-on-knee hit from Anaheim Ducks defenceman Radko Gudas. The Maple Leafs said the recovery time for Matthews is expected to be 12 weeks.
Robinson scored on a second-period penalty shot after being hooked on a breakaway by Maple Leafs defenceman Troy Stecher. The Carolina winger moved in on Woll as a sleepy Scotiabank Arena came to life, and fired his 12th goal of the campaign past the netminder’s glove.
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Benoit-Olivier Groulx picked up an assist on the opening goal to give him a point in three straight home games since joining Toronto. Five other players in the past 20 years have had a run of at least that length to start their time with the Original Six franchise: Eric Lindros (six games in 2005-06), Mike Van Ryn (five games in 2008-09), Ron Hainsey (four games in 2017-18), Michael Bunting (three games in 2021-22) and Nikita Zaitsev (three games in 2016-17).
Maple Leafs: Visit the Ottawa Senators on Saturday.
Hurricanes: Visit the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday.
Speaking to the media following the loss to Walsh, Conlan explained his decision to retire.
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“In this last run, it was only for me. That’s why I have no shame in saying that’s enough. I did it for me and my family trying to reach the goal of being world champion. It’s not meant to be. That’s it.
“It doesn’t matter what way I was going to lose. If it was wide, if it was a robbery, it wasn’t enough to win clearly, so it’s enough to say goodbye.
“The last defeat before this one I’d have been kicking myself saying I should have given it another go, the fact that I did come back and try. That was the third time I’ve come back, god loves a trier. Hope he loves me.
“I want to say thank you to every single person. I’ve fought all around the world, New York, Vegas, Australia, England, Ireland. I always have had a great following and always stuck by me, even through defeats they’ve stuck by me. The appreciation goes beyond.”
After turning professional with an extremely loyal fan base behind him, Conlan would challenge for world honours on two occasions, and ends with a final record of 20 wins from 24 fights.
Cristiano Ronaldo has honoured his late father, Jose Dinis Aveiro, with a touching message to mark Father’s Day, reflecting on the lasting influence of his dad on his life and career.
Aveiro, who worked as a kit man at local club Andorinha, played a key role in Ronaldo’s early development in football. However, he passed away in 2005 due to liver failure when Ronaldo was just 20 years old and still in the early stages of his career at Manchester United.
To mark the occasion, the Al-Nassr forward shared a series of photos on Instagram, including a family picture with his children and a throwback image of himself with his father. In his caption, Ronaldo wrote, “Where I come from and who I live for. Happy Father’s Day,” alongside a heart emoji.
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Despite his rise to global stardom, Ronaldo has often spoken about his difficult relationship with his father, who struggled with alcoholism. In a past interview with Piers Morgan, he admitted, “I never spoke with him, like a normal conversation. It was hard,” adding that he “didn’t know his father 100 per cent.”
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner also revealed that he has avoided cemeteries since his father’s death, explaining his absence from the funeral of a teammate’s father in recent years.
Ronaldo also recalled the support he received from his former manager Sir Alex Ferguson during that difficult period. He said, “My father was in hospital, and I was so emotional, very low. I spoke with him and he said: ‘Cristiano, go there for two or three days.’ We had difficult games coming up and I was a key player.
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“He said: ‘It will be tough… but I understand your situation and I’ll leave you out and you can go and see your father.’”
Now playing for Al Nassr FC, Ronaldo continues to reflect on his humble beginnings, with his Father’s Day message serving as a reminder of the deep personal experiences that have shaped his journey.
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