In a somber announcement on Friday, the New York Mets shared the heartbreaking news of the passing of Butch Huskey, a cherished player and an unforgettable slugger in the team’s history. He was 54 years old.

The cause behind the Oklahoma native’s untimely death has not yet been disclosed, leaving fans and friends searching for answers.

“We are saddened to learn about the passing of former Met Butch Huskey,” expressed the Mets on their social media platforms, conveying the deep sense of loss felt within the baseball community.

Huskey holds a unique place in baseball history as one of the last men to sport the iconic No. 42 jersey following Major League Baseball’s decision in 1997 to honor Jackie Robinson by retiring the number across all teams. Given the special status of players like Huskey, who wore No. 42 at the time, he was granted a grandfather clause, allowing him to retain the number for several more beloved seasons.

Remarkably, Huskey was seen donning No. 42 on April 15, 1997, witnessing history firsthand alongside Jackie Robinson’s widow, as the monumental decision to retire the number was formally declared.

‘It was a great feeling [to get to continue] to wear that number,’ Huskey told MLB.com in 2022. ‘I also had [Robinson’s wife, Rachel] sign my jersey that I wore that day. I still have that jersey to this day. I’m ecstatic every year when I see everyone wearing No. 42. It puts a smile on my face. For the whole league to be wearing the jersey is amazing.’ 

Mo Vaughn, who also benefited from the grandfather clause, would later become the last player to wear the famed jersey for the Mets.  

Huskey was a seventh-round pick out of Lawton, Oklahoma’s Eisenhower High School, where he was an All-State tight end on the football field. In fact, he was offered a scholarship to play for the home state Sooners, but instead went with the Mets’ offer and began his minor league career. 

He wouldn’t reach the majors until 1993, and due in part to the 1994 MLB strike, he wouldn’t really get to enjoy life in the majors until 1995. 

But things began to click for Huskey in 1996, when he finished with 15 home runs and a .278 average while platooning with the left-handed hitting Rico Brogna at first base.

He had his best offensive season in 1997, getting a career-high 505 plate appearances and finishing with 24 home runs and a .287 average. But Huskey was forced to play third that year, which did not go particularly well, and he was later shifted to right field and a reserve spot in favor of Edgardo Alfonzo.

Huskey would go from Seattle to Boston to Minnesota and Colorado over the next two years before leaving the game in 2001 as a member of the Rockies Triple-A affiliate.

Mets fans were crushed by the news and dealt with their grief by sharing some stories about Huskey. 

‘[In] 2000 my family and I (11 at the time) went to spring training,’ read a post from the popular Art But Make It Sports social media account. ‘[As] we were watching the players come through, Butch Huskey walked up to me and said “kid, hold this bat.”

‘I stood there while he went to talk to someone, and he came back two minutes later and said “what are you still doing here, that bat was for you to take,”‘ the post continued. ‘[Before] I could even process, he said “follow me” and proceeded to take me around Twins spring training to have every player sign the bat. core memory, rest in peace legend.’

Another Mets fan added: ‘One of those players you looked forward to getting his chance, enjoyed while he was doing his best for your team, and now and then looked back on fondly when his name crossed your mind. Thanks for the Met times, Butch.’ 

Paulette Thompson stood face to face with Luigi Mangione on Friday as he admitted guilt in the federal case linked to the murder of her husband, former UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

Emerging from the courthouse following Mangione’s plea, Paulette Thompson witnessed the man responsible for her husband’s death acknowledge his crime. Mangione confessed to federal stalking charges connected to the assassination of Brian Thompson, in a dramatic moment that unfolded in a Manhattan courtroom.

In a significant turn of events, Mangione conceded to the grave charges of federal stalking related to the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO, before a judicial audience in New York City.

During the hearing, Judge Margaret Garnett questioned Mangione on whether he was aware of the life sentence potential accompanying his plea. His answer was a resolute affirmation: “Yes.”

When given the opportunity to address the court, Mangione told a judge he called UnitedHealthcare and posed as an investor in order to get more information about the scheduled conference.

“After years if enduring severe pain from a broken back…I learned UnitedHealthcare will hold an investor’s conference,” Mangione said.

“Before traveling to New York,I used a 3-D printer to make a gun,” he added. “On the morning of Dec 4, 2024, I shot Mr. Thompson in Manhattan…I knew what I was doing .”

Federal prosecutors said they intended to show several pieces of evidence at trial, including security footage apparently showing Mangione arriving in New York on a bus and then following Thompson around the Hilton shortly before he was killed.

Garnett scheduled Mangione’s sentencing hearing for Dec. 18.

After the hearing, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch sent a sharp message to people who support Mangione.

“To those who idolize Luigi Mangione. I say this violence is not a cause. Murder is not a message. And a killer is certainly not a hero,” Tisch said. “From the moment that Mr. Thompson was assassinated on the morning of December 4th. The NYPD mobilized an enormous investigative effort. Our detectives combed through thousands of hours of surveillance video, followed up on hundreds of tips, and worked through an extraordinary volume of forensic and digital evidence.”

ESPN sports betting analyst Erin Dolan shared a memorable moment with her boyfriend, Phillies’ third baseman Alec Bohm, after Philadelphia secured a 7-1 victory against the Minnesota Twins during Thursday night’s Field of Dreams game.

Following a spectacular fireworks display that celebrated the Phillies’ win in Dyersville, Iowa, the couple took to the field to capture some photos together.

“The Field of Dreams game was one of the coolest sporting events I’ve ever attended (After [the] Eagles won the Super Bowl of course lol),” wrote Dolan, a dedicated Philadelphia sports enthusiast.

Dolan’s TikTok featured footage of Bohm and his fellow players emerging from the iconic cornfields, reminiscent of the classic 1989 film “Field of Dreams,” which starred Kevin Costner, James Earl Jones, and Ray Liotta.

This Phillies-Twins showdown marked the third installment of MLB’s “Field of Dreams” series, making a return to the movie’s original site after a four-year hiatus due to the construction of a special ballpark.

Dolan and Bohm went public with their relationship last February, when they attended Super Bowl 2025 in New Orleans, as seen in photos on her Instagram.

The Delaware County native was at the Super Bowl working for ESPN, and she took Bohm with her to the big game — a 40-22 Eagles win over the Chiefs.

In a wide-ranging interview with The Post, Dolan opened up on her relationship with Bohm after keeping things fairly private for some time.

“I think the biggest thing is, it’s nice having somebody in the same space as you that understands you [and] gets it,” Dolan said of both of their careers being in the public eye. “He has a crazy schedule. I have a crazy schedule … I know that things are going to be different in terms of, he’ll have an off day on a Monday or a Thursday, and I’ll have an off day on a Wednesday. It’s just all over the place, but somehow it just works.

“When he’s in his busy season, I’m not — and when I’m in my busy season, he’s not. So, it’s just a balancing act. But he’s the best. It’s awesome to have somebody who’s in your corner, and again, gets the criticism and the daily pressure that you’re under. Because not many people can relate to that.”

MLB and Universal Pictures announced on Friday that the Kansas City Royals and the Boston Red Sox will play in the “Field of Dreams” Game next year Aug. 12, 2027.

RUSH COUNTY, Ind. — The Midwest is grappling with relentless storms as Friday marks the sixth consecutive day of heavy downpours, exacerbating an ongoing flood crisis. Hundreds have been displaced in recent days, with the situation worsening by the hour.

In response, Indiana’s Governor, Mike Braun, has appealed for a Presidential Emergency Declaration via FEMA, aiming to secure essential support for flood relief and recovery efforts.

Among the heroic rescues during this turbulent weather pattern, a local farmer’s quick action prevented tragedy when he rescued a toddler from a perilously flooded basement, according to the sheriff’s office.

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Earlier this week, parts of Indiana faced unprecedented weather, recording a 1-in-1,000-year rainfall on Wednesday. This prompted officials to execute emergency water rescues and mandate evacuations, as riverbanks overflowed and waters inundated homes and roads. In response, Gov. Mike Braun issued a statewide disaster emergency and activated the Indiana National Guard.

As additional rainfall looms, millions in the Midwest remain under flood watch, where even slight precipitation could compound the existing flood devastation.

Toddler hospitalized after falling into flooded basement in Indiana

The Rush County Sheriff’s Office in Indiana responded around 7:30 p.m. Wednesday to a report of a 2-year-old drowning in the basement of a home.

When emergency personnel responded, they found a home surround by deep water and were helped by farmer with a tractor to get to the home. They got the child and other family members to safety.

The toddler was airlifted to a hospital in Indianapolis for treatment, but there was not update on their condition as of Friday afternoon.

“This is a tragic situation. Our thoughts are with the child and the family,” Detective Randy M. Meek said in a statement as the child recovers. “We also appreciate the quick response from emergency personnel and the local farmer who helped reach the residence during the flooding.”

Flooding pours into Indiana homes and businesses

Photos and videos out of Indiana show scenes of destruction as floodwater rushed into homes and businesses.

Timothy Hicks, a father of six, told the Associated Press it was “a panic to get out of here” when floodwater began pouring into their Cambridge City, Indiana, house on Wednesday.

“I just started grabbing them, running them out to the car without even getting shoes, clothes or anything like that,” he said. Video of the home shows ruined bedrooms, a damaged bike and flooded yard. “It just crushes me. My kids’ house is gone,” Hicks added.

Security camera photos show the devastation caused by flooding in Metamora, Indiana, where numerous businesses were damaged Wednesday.

Bill Smith, owner of Village Smith and Village Smith Coffee Bar, told CNN many residents are facing significant losses.

“We won’t know until we see how much more flooding may occur with the incoming rain,” Smith said. “There’s not much we can say about the degree of loss until we can access our buildings.”

Disaster emergencies declared

Yorktown, in Indiana’s Delaware County, declared a local disaster emergency Thursday afternoon, with first responders working around the clock to assist with evacuations. Drone footage shared by the city showed houses, vehicles and roads submerged in muddy floodwater.

In the town of Muncie, water is deep enough in the streets that rescuers are using motorized boats and essential infrastructure is failing. “I’ve been with the department for 29 years, and I’ve never seen flooding like this,” the city’s Fire Chief Dan Burford told CNN Thursday.

Authorities in Delaware County are also continuing to search for 18-year-old Matthew Morey, who went missing after he and three others reportedly jumped from a bridge into the Mississinewa River Wednesday night, according to the sheriff’s office.

Crews had to pause search efforts Thursday afternoon due to rising water levels. They were still checking river banks and using thermal drones Friday morning, Sheriff Tony Skinner told CNN, but operations in the water remain suspended due to the dangerous conditions. “We will do everything we can short of putting others at risk until the river goes down several more feet,” Skinner said.

In nearby Anderson in Madison County, Indiana, the mayor declared a local disaster emergency and issued evacuation orders Thursday along the swollen White River and other waterways.

Fire departments in Anderson’s Madison County “have been busy all day” with evacuations and “some water rescues,” and more than 300 animals are being evacuated from a flooded animal shelter, Sheriff John Beeman told CNN Thursday night.

Renewed flood danger Friday

Iowa and northwestern Illinois face the greatest risk of flooding rain Friday – a Level 3 of 4 – but more storms are targeting communities in Indiana and Ohio already soaked this week.

Storms stretched from the Plains to Indiana late Friday morning and were slowly sinking south and starting to ease up. Another round of storms will likely move through the same area Friday night through early Saturday.

Exactly where the heaviest rain lands remains uncertain, but forecast models suggests more than 5 inches could fall in the hardest-hit areas, with isolated totals topping 8 inches through Saturday.

A broader Level 2 of 4 risk of flooding rain is in place through Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and West Virginia. Rainfall totals may be lower there, but intense downpours could quickly renew flooding in waterlogged communities.

The flood threat should ease somewhat Saturday but won’t disappear.

The main corridor for heavy rain will shift north and east. A Level 2 of 4 risk of flooding rain is in place, but another risk level upgrade is possible depending on which areas are hardest hit Friday.

Report from CNN’s Dalia Faheid, Sarah Dewberry, Meteorologists Briana Waxman, Mary Gilbert.

ABC7 Chicago and ABC News contributed to this report.

The-CNN-Wire