Jiménez driven at Rays camp: 'You guys are going to see'February 16th PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- doesn’t mince words when talking about how frustrating last season was nor can he hide how happy he is for a fresh start “Last year was a disaster,” he said Sunday morning Jiménez looks like something of a new man this spring The former White Sox slugger reported to Rays camp at Charlotte Sports Park with a fitter physique having lost 25-30 pounds during the offseason and a smile on his face as he begins his pursuit for a spot on the Rays’ Opening Day roster The Rays signed Jiménez to a non-roster Minor League deal in December that will reportedly pay him $2 million if he makes the team He said he jumped at the opportunity to sign with Tampa Bay and passed up other offers for a few reasons: the proximity to his family the club’s reputation for being competitive on the field and fun in the clubhouse and the opportunity to re-establish himself after a rough season The injuries have piled up for Jiménez in recent years as he has averaged 89 games per season since 2021 and played only 82 total games in the outfield during that time He went on the injured list twice last season first with a left adductor strain and again with a left hamstring strain he hit just .238/.289/.336 with six home runs and 23 RBIs in 98 games and he thinks he can get back to the hitter he was early in his career with the White Sox won a Silver Slugger Award after posting an .891 OPS in 2020 and posted a 141 OPS+ in ‘22 I always believe in me,” Jiménez said Sunday but this is a new year and a new organization Jiménez took batting practice on the main field at Charlotte Sports Park on Sunday morning joking around with new teammates like Yandy Díaz and Junior Caminero He said he had some familiarity with those two a friend dating back to their time in the Cubs’ Minor League system The Rays already like what they’ve seen from Jiménez physically He said he incorporated more running into his offseason workouts -- “Way more than I used to,” he said -- and feels like he’s in good shape after dropping so much weight happy with the work that I put in this offseason Sign up to receive our daily Morning Lineup to stay in the know about the latest trending topics around Major League Baseball Jiménez will have to earn a spot on the roster likely as a right-handed-hitting designated hitter or corner outfielder Manager Kevin Cash said the Rays will look at him in the outfield and have him work at first base “This is a guy that has shown a track record of hitting -- really hitting Camp notes• hit off a tee in the batting cage and took ground balls with the rest of Tampa Bay’s infielders on Sunday Cash said Kim was “adamant” that he wanted to be as involved as possible with the team even though he’ll miss Opening Day to complete his rehab Even just the arm action flipping the ball in “That’s really encouraging that he is to the point where he can come out there and do a lot of the activities.” • Díaz reported a day early and joined the club’s workout on Sunday Díaz and a handful of other hitters took batting practice on the main field at Charlotte Sports Park hitting off a pitching machine firing higher-velocity fastballs and breaking balls • The Rays will hold their first official full-squad workout of the spring on Monday morning Nearly everyone has already reported to camp and the rest are expected to arrive in time for the workout he accepted the significant change in scenery that was presented to him The 28-year-old slugger has kept that mindset alive as a member of the Durham Bulls this season trying things he never did with the Chicago White Sox or Baltimore Orioles Jiménez started at first base for Triple-A Durham on Saturday in the second game of their doubleheader against the Buffalo Bisons An outfielder by trade and a designated hitter more often than not Jiménez's appearance there marked the second of his 12-year professional career With two outs in the bottom of the second inning Damiano Palmegiani sent a pop fly Jiménez's way The veteran camped under it and made then catch before smiling and throwing his arms up in the air in celebration on his way back to the dugout Eloy Jimenez is playing 1st base for just the 2nd time in his pro career todayWe dare you to watch his reaction to catching a popup without smiling 😁 pic.twitter.com/eDmhWUfMXc Jiménez's first career appearance at first base came on April 5 He has now logged 17.0 innings at the position without making an error He hit .244 with a .694 OPS in spring training Jiménez finished fourth in AL Rookie of the Year voting in 2019 He was a .275 hitter with an .811 career OPS in the big leagues through 2023 before he hit .238 with a .626 OPS between Chicago and Baltimore in 2024 Jiménez could be on the shortlist of options that the Rays can turn to if any of their veteran hitters go down with injuries he will continue to set the stage for his career resurgence in the minors suiting up for the Bulls wherever necessary Continue to follow our Minor League Baseball On SI coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook You can also follow Sam Connon on Twitter @SamConnon The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Sports Illustrated or its affiliates All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not a guarantee of success or profit If you or someone you know has a gambling problem crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER In an interview for the cover story of the January 2025 issue of Modern Drummer magazine SLIPKNOT's Eloy Casagrande was asked for his opinion of his replacement in SEPULTURA who joined the latter band at around the same time in his life as Eloy did in 2011 I used to watch him playing videos he posted on social media when he was playing more jazz and drum solos He's a brilliant player and I wish him and the rest of the band all the best Maybe we could bring all the SEPULTURA drummers together "Greyson came to my studio in São Paulo when he joined the band to do some rehearsals "He had just two or three weeks to learn all the songs Be careful with this song because we used to play it slower.' I wasn't teaching him how to play the songs because he can play anything he wants to play Asked what it was like getting the call from SLIPKNOT and how he got the gig Eloy said: "Everything happened at the end of 2023 when I got a call from SLIPKNOT's manager asking me if I was interested in doing an audition for SLIPKNOT so it was a very natural decision for me to keep playing with someone else instead of just retiring At the end of [2023] and the beginning of [2024] I wasn't supposed to talk to anyone about that it was just something between me and the guys from SLIPKNOT I'm interested in doing an audition because SEPULTURA is going to stop I have one and a half years left of working with them and I'm going to be done.' I have played many times with SLIPKNOT," he continued "We shared stages when I was playing SEPULTURA and that was the place that I always wanted to be so I wanted to have the experience playing live with SLIPKNOT with a mask on my face In my first show with the band I was thinking I took my drums to a studio in São Paulo and did a proper sound and video recording," Eloy explained I chose three songs and then they asked me to play three specific songs My flight was booked to go to the audition the whole band was rehearsing like it was a live show Modern Drummer magazine's readers voted Casagrande as the No 1 metal drummer in the publication's 2024 Readers' Poll After parting ways with Jay Weinberg in November 2023 SLIPKNOT teased fans with a hint about a new drummer 10 months ago posting a photo of a single broken drumstick online with the caption "Rehearsal." The band explained in a statement that the split with Weinberg was a creative decision Jay followed up with a statement of his own saying that he was "heartbroken and blindsided" by his dismissal Weinberg has since joined SUICIDAL TENDENCIES and INFECTIOUS GROOVES Casagrande abruptly quit SEPULTURA 11 months ago shortly before he was supposed to begin rehearsals for the band's recently launched 40th-anniversary farewell tour drummer Eloy Casagrande informed the band that he was leaving SEPULTURA to pursue a career in another project," the band said in a statement Casagrande joined SEPULTURA more than 13 years ago as the replacement for Jean Dolabella It marked the band's the last full-length LP before the departure of both keyboardist Craig Jones SLIPKNOT recently completed the North American portion of the "Here Comes The Pain" tour The band was celebrating the 25th anniversary of its seminal debut album In an interview with Tone-Talk SLIPKNOT guitarist Jim Root spoke about how Casagrande came to join SLIPKNOT and his impact on the band's overall sound about wanting to be a part of it and started sending a bunch of videos in I think him and our bass player [Alessandro 'Vman' Venturella] might've had a little bit of a relationship before And Vman's really in tune with a lot of really great heavy musicians that are passionate about their instruments And he's really respectful of the legacy of [SLIPKNOT's original drummer And you could tell he just lives and breathes his craft to the point where I see his passion and it ignites my passion for my instrument he was out to dinner with four or five promoters from South America 'It's so good you've got a Brazilian drummer in SLIPKNOT now We kind of feel like we've won the World Cup.' It's a cool feeling there's a lot of things I can say about it And we're lucky to have him — we are really lucky to have that dude." The January 2025 Issue of Modern Drummer is Here Start your year with an explosive issue packed with drum.. Posted by Modern Drummer Magazine on Friday, January 3, 2025 Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application grandfather and great-grandfather and will be greatly missed Eloy is preceded in death by his dearest parents; Arnulfo Anaya and Julieta Lujan; his loving wife; Leonor Anaya; and his siblings; Joel Anaya He is survived by his dearest children; Eloy Anaya Jr. Jesus Anaya and Yvette Anaya; and his 7 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren He is also survived by many extended friends and family to cherish and honor his memory.  A Visitation will be held from 5:00 to 9:00 pm 2025 with a Rosary at 7:00 pm at Sunset Funeral Home- Americas A Funeral Mass will be held at 10:30 am on Friday Services are entrusted to Sunset Funeral Home- Americas Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text Click to watch This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors Jiménez chooses to stay with Durham to start the seasonCash hoping to get Jansen back in action before end of campMarch 22nd but chemistry can play a big part in the decision-making process Just ask Jiménez was informed on Friday that he will be optioned to Triple-A Durham and though the Rays gave him the option to pursue a Major League career elsewhere It was a choice Jiménez made after talking things over with his family and one he said was made that much easier by the environment he’s found himself in this spring so we just want to give it a try and see what happens,” Jiménez said In a testament to just how well he’s gelled with his new team since he signed a Minor League deal with Tampa Bay on Dec. 23 a line of Rays filed past Jiménez’s locker on Saturday morning to shake his hand and wish him well “It was fun; I really loved it,” Jiménez said of his camp “One of the reasons I’m staying [is] because I feel really good Jiménez hit .310 (9-for-29) with one double two homers and six RBIs over his past nine spring games showing flashes of the big bat that drew such hype during his first two MLB seasons The 28-year-old ultimately lost the battle for Tampa Bay’s final open utility spot to Curtis Mead but that didn’t dim Jiménez’s smile for long: He feels like this spring is the start of a turning point and said he has “no doubt” that he’s back to being able to do damage against big league pitching Saturday marked the Rays’ final game at Charlotte Sports Park for the spring though they have two Grapefruit League games remaining (Sunday vs Tuesday is a full off-day for the position players while some pitchers will return to Port Charlotte to throw in backfield games the Rays will play a roughly five-inning intrasquad game at Steinbrenner Field to get a final lay of the land at the Yankees' spring complex before opening the regular season there against the Rockies at 4:10 p.m “I think they're pretty acclimated to that field but we'll have plenty of days leading into Opening Day where we can get their reps and see .. how the ball plays off the outfield walls and different angles and stuff like that,” manager Kevin Cash said , whom Tampa Bay signed to a one-year deal on Dec. 12 has not played since March 19 due to discomfort in his intercostal area Cash said he’d like to see the catcher back in action either Monday or Wednesday “We're trying to just manage and keep him off the field for a couple days,” Cash added so we're still optimistic about everything.” In a new interview with ProMark Drumsticks former SEPULTURA drummer Eloy Casagrande explained how he came to join SLIPKNOT earlier this year prior to the launch of the heavy metal giants' 25th-anniversary North American tour He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I just got a call from the manager He asked me if I was interested in doing an audition for the band We were just jamming so we could check if there was some kind of chemistry between us four or five days just recording new stuff I think they wanted to check if I was able to compose some drum parts and to check if I was also able to record drums in the studio And they gave me a call two days later saying that I was in the band Reflecting in more detail on his SLIPKNOT audition 15 days to learn the songs; they gave me a big list of songs that I was supposed to learn picking different stuff from different albums I already knew how to play some of their songs "I remember the first day that I was there because I was so in shock to see everybody in front of me we understand that you're in a difficult situation right now We're just here to see the vibe.' And then from the second day I was more relaxed to play the drums and just let the music flow." Casagrande said that it's a huge honor and a dream come true for him to be an official member of SLIPKNOT "I have been listening to SLIPKNOT since I was a teenager and it was very important to my musical formation," he said I never imagined that this was something possible," he added "There is the difference of countries — I live in Brazil; it's an American band We don't forget that I was lucky to be at the right moment in the right spot bringing back the 1999 red jumpsuits and elements of their early masks into their modern versions tying into the fact that SLIPKNOT is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year After parting ways with Jay Weinberg last November SLIPKNOT teased fans with a hint about a new drummer more than seven months ago Casagrande abruptly quit SEPULTURA six months ago Casagrande joined SEPULTURA nearly 13 years ago as the replacement for Jean Dolabella included arena plays nationwide this summer Highlights included New York City's Madison Square Garden Austin's Moody Center and more with direct support from Kentucky's young and vibrant hardcore/metal forerunners KNOCKED LOOSE ORBIT CULTURE and VENDED also provided support on select dates DH Jiménez agrees to join Rays on Minor League deal (sources)December 23rd TAMPA, Fla. -- Looking to bounce back after a tough season at the plate, designated hitter has agreed to a Minor League deal with the Rays and terms of the agreement were not available Jiménez will have a chance to return to form with the Rays who are taking a low-risk opportunity to potentially add power to their lineup was a productive-when-healthy hitter for the White Sox from 2019-23 The Dominican slugger hit .275/.324/.487 with 89 homers and 275 RBIs in 436 games for Chicago during his first five seasons in the Majors although injuries prevented him from ever topping the 122 games he played as a rookie in ’19 But Jiménez’s production fell off dramatically last season when he hit just .238/.289/.336 with six homers and 23 RBIs in 98 games between the White Sox and Orioles Baltimore acquired him from Chicago at the Trade Deadline and gave him a shot as a part-time DH but he struggled for the playoff-bound Orioles and became a free agent when they declined his $16.5 million club option for next season betting on Jiménez to rebound is a worthwhile The Rays likely view him as an option at DH as he’s played only 15 games in the outfield the past two years and only 82 dating back to 2021 Their current DH options are Jonathan Aranda and a handful of regular position players left fielder Christopher Morel and right fielder Josh Lowe But there’s no doubt the Rays need more offense overall after scoring only 604 runs The Rays also ranked among the league’s worst in terms of home runs (147 and their designated hitters produced a combined .238/.304/.373 slash line on the year Jiménez was once one of baseball’s top prospects, peaking at No. 3 overall on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 list before the 2019 season. The White Sox inked him to a six-year, $43 million contract extension in March 2019 making him the third player in history to sign an extension before his MLB debut Jiménez lived up to the hype over his first two seasons recording 45 homers with 120 RBIs and an .848 OPS in 177 games across 2019-20 and earning a Silver Slugger Award at the end of the shortened '20 campaign his offensive production declined over the past four years (50 homers and he has essentially become a full-time designated hitter due to his defensive limitations Jiménez missed the first 99 games of the 2021 season after sustaining a rupture of his left pectoral tendon during Spring Training a torn hamstring tendon behind his right knee cost him another 65 games Jiménez made two trips to the injured list in 2023 the first with a left hamstring strain and the second after undergoing an appendectomy going on the IL with a left adductor strain in April and a left hamstring strain in May His tenure with the White Sox came to an end on July 30 when they traded him to the O's for Minor League pitcher Trey McGough but Jiménez struggled over 33 games in a Baltimore uniform Morel's reunion with Eloy could be catalyst for breakout 2025February 23rd NORTH PORT, Fla. -- The spring of 2016 was a tough time for He was a few months removed from sustaining significant injuries to his left arm, wrist and left eye in a freak accident that threatened to end his professional baseball career before it even began unable to play a game all year while working his way back to the field And he was sent to the Cubs’ Spring Training complex in Arizona But it was then that Morel met a 19-year-old Cubs Minor Leaguer from Santo Domingo, an outfielder who was about to become one of the top prospects in baseball: The two have been reunited with the Rays, Morel in his first Spring Training after a midseason trade and Jiménez in camp on a non-roster deal Jiménez said he was excited to be back with his “niño” -- his son -- and the feeling is mutual for Morel “He was the first person when I came to the States that pulled me to the side like a dad,” Morel said Sunday through interpreter Eddie Rodriguez Jiménez said the teenage Morel often stopped by his room to hang out Morel credited Jiménez for being “the one that lent me that hand” and “the one who took care of me,” and Jiménez said he could see and feel his younger teammate’s frustration because it was hard for him,” Jiménez said After a rough debut for Tampa Bay down the stretch last season Morel said it already feels like he’s among family with the Rays this spring Having Jiménez around has only made him more comfortable the Rays hope greater comfort will lead to better results for the talented 25-year-old Morel couldn’t have made a better impression last July after coming over as the headliner of the Rays’ return from the Cubs for Isaac Paredes After hitting 60 home runs in 323 games with Chicago Morel went deep in each of his first two games for Tampa Bay But he fell into a two-month slump after that batting just .188/.254/.255 with 54 strikeouts in 181 plate appearances According to Baseball Reference, Morel was worth minus-0.8 WAR in his 49 games with the Rays, the lowest total on the team. It was hardly what they expected from a player they’d liked for some time before finally acquiring him, and it’s not what they foresee from one of their top bounceback candidates this year • Here's why the Rays were so excited to add Morel last year [was] probably a tougher transition for him than maybe what I anticipated But his track record kind of speaks for itself in that he's had a lot of Major League success,” manager Kevin Cash said and we'll let the progression take care of itself.'” Morel, who went 0-for-2 with a walk in the Rays’ 4-2 win against the Braves on Sunday at CoolToday Park said he is making “little adjustments” this spring and figured it might take time to get acclimated with a new team Tampa Bay set out to make one aspect of this spring easier for Morel sticking him in left field and letting him get comfortable at one position after a career spent bouncing around the diamond Morel said he worked out in the outfield during the offseason and Cash let him know he’d be playing left on his first day of Spring Training said they will dive deeper into defensive work with Morel as the spring goes on they just want to get him settled in and let his athleticism play and he's got a really good arm -- so he's got all the attributes to make a good outfielder so it'll be fun to see where it ends in camp.” BALTIMORE -- Entering the offseason with five players holding 2025 team options the Orioles made their first -- and most obvious -- decision on Saturday Baltimore declined ’s $16.5 million option for next season making the 27-year-old designated hitter/outfielder a free agent Jiménez was acquired by the O’s ahead of the 2024 Trade Deadline in a July 30 deal that sent Minor League left-hander Trey McGough to the White Sox had spent his first 5 1/2 MLB seasons in Chicago He then went 1-for-24 over 10 games in September leading to the Orioles optioning him to Triple-A Norfolk on Sept Jiménez was not included on the O’s roster for the American League Wild Card Series vs though he was at Camden Yards on the taxi squad A right-handed hitter who has struggled to stay healthy for much of his big league career -- though he won an AL Silver Slugger Award in 2020 -- Jiménez will now hit free agency for the first time He finished the ‘24 season with a .238/.289/.336 slash line six homers and 23 RBIs over 98 combined games with the White Sox and Orioles There are still four players with 2025 club options on Baltimore’s roster: This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page and the 28-year-old slugger is seemingly taking his new chance seriously let Jiménez hit free agency by declining his $16.5 million option and handing him a $3 million buyout Rays manager Kevin Cash went on the Rays Radio Network on Friday touching on a wide variety of topics a few days into spring training Cash spoke about Jiménez's place with the team including how he lost close to 25 pounds this offseason in an attempt to prepare his body for a healthy campaign Some notes from Kevin Cash on @RaysRadio today:- Christopher Morel will be playing LF- Eloy Jimenez lost close to 25 pounds this offseason - The prospects like Carson Williams Chandler Simpson and Brayden Taylor will be playing a lot this spring Jiménez has appeared in an average of just 89 games a year since 2021 He has dealt with a ruptured left pectoral tendon a left adductor strain and multiple hamstring strains Cash said Jiménez will play some outfield and first base during camp to see if there is a fit on the big league roster Jiménez has largely built a reputation with his bat which has had its ups and downs over the past few years Jiménez finished fourth in AL Rookie of the Year voting Jiménez was a .276 hitter with an .848 OPS racking up 45 home runs and 120 RBIs through 177 MLB games only to bounce back with a .295 batting average and an .858 OPS in 2022 averaging 29 home runs and 90 RBIs per 162 games Jiménez's 6.6 career offensive WAR is dragged down by his -5.0 career defensive WAR That may stand in the way of Jiménez carving out a roster spot in Tampa Bay considering how heavily the team has typically valued defensive versatility perhaps Jiménez can turn things around and prove himself in the field on top of reestablishing himself at the plate Continue to follow our Fastball On SI coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following us on Twitter @FastballFN You can also follow Sam Connon on Twitter @SamConnon A woman from Minnesota has become one of the latest skydiving fatalities in Eloy in Pinal County after she fell to her death during a jump was skydiving when she encountered a problem during her descent First responders were called to Skydive Arizona near Taylor Street and Tumbleweed Road in Eloy Medical personnel attempted life-saving measures on Wick and Eloy Fire District Kelly Waddle confirmed to The Arizona Republic that they responded to the scene The exact cause of death is still under investigation and circumstances surrounding the incident While officials are still investigating whether any of Wick’s equipment had any issues Skydive Arizona said witnesses saw Wick’s parachute deploy but noted that the canopy was turning "No corrective actions appeared to be taken by the jumper nor was the reserve parachute deployed," the company said "The injuries sustained during landing proved fatal." Skydive Arizona said Wick had completed 267 jumps prior to her death Details regarding where and how Wick struck the ground were not available as of Monday afternoon nor was an autopsy available to determine the cause of death Have there been other fatal skydiving incidents in Arizona?Yes. Terry Gardner, 73, died at Skydive Arizona on Jan after making a hard landing without a fully deployed parachute Skydive Arizona said Gardner had completed thousands of jumps That incident came several weeks after a hot-air balloon crash killed four people in Eloy operated by Droplyne Hot Air Balloon Rides had been carrying 13 people at takeoff — eight of them skydivers who had left the craft before issues arose causing it to crash None of the skydivers were injured in that incident In 2014, 46-year-old Diana Paris of Berlin was killed in Eloy after her parachute was released too low making it not open properly Paris’ death occurred as she tried to break a world record as part of a 222-member skydiving team O's add another reinforcement; Eloy optioned NEW YORK -- Yet another reinforcement has arrived for the Orioles On Tuesday, Baltimore reinstated first baseman from the 10-day injured list prior to its series opener at Yankee Stadium The 27-year-old had been on the IL since Aug 23) due to a left wrist sprain sustained in an Aug Mountcastle joins right-handed reliever Jacob Webb (Sept top lefty reliever Danny Coulombe (Friday) and infielders Jordan Westburg (Sunday) and Ramón Urías (Sunday) as players who have returned for the O’s over the past 10 days In order to make room for Mountcastle on the active 28-man roster, the Orioles optioned designated hitter to Triple-A Norfolk the 27-year-old had the choice to reject the assignment Jiménez was acquired by the O’s on July 30 in a deal with the White Sox one of several moves made by Baltimore shortly ahead of the Trade Deadline The right-handed hitter got off to a strong start with the Orioles hitting .296 (21-for-71) with five doubles one home run and seven RBIs over 23 games in August September did not go nearly as well for Jiménez who was 1-for-24 (.042) this month and was hitless over his past 18 plate appearances “I don’t think the sporadic playing time helped him You’ve got a guy that was used to playing every day for the first four or five years of his career,” manager Brandon Hyde said “Tough to get his rhythm and timing kind of going after being hurt a lot the first half We just felt like this was going to make our roster a little more versatile when we added all three of those guys [Mountcastle Mountcastle could provide an offensive boost for Baltimore 13 home runs and 61 RBIs in 118 games prior to his IL stint he went 1-for-11 during his three-game rehab assignment with Norfolk “We’re excited to have Mounty back,” Hyde said “Just adds another really good right-handed hitter for us a guy that has got the ability to hit for power as well as a good hitter.” The Orioles also announced Tuesday that they released right-hander , who was designated for assignment last Wednesday The 36-year-old struggled during his lone year in Baltimore the O’s had a chance to clinch a postseason berth later Tuesday night They needed a win over the Yankees and a loss by either the Royals (at Washington) or the Twins (vs After the second skydiving death in the state in just over a week all eyes are on this south-central Arizona town Eloy is just south of Phoenix and home to Skydive Arizona where people from around the country come to jump out of planes and take in the mountainous southwest landscape A 46-year-old man from Gilbert named Shawn Bowen died while skydiving near Eloy Municipal Airport on Saturday morning The Eloy Police Department said Bowen used a "wingsuit-type apparatus." Bowen died from injuries sustained during a "hard landing." His parachute did not deploy during freefall The Pinal County Medical Examiner's Office and Federal Aviation Administration were investigating as of Sunday afternoon Eloy police said more information would be released later A Minnesota woman died while skydiving on Jan. 24 in Eloy. According to previous reporting many key details surrounding 55-year-old Ann Wick's death have yet to be released Witnesses at Skydive Arizona in Eloy said they saw her parachute deploy but noted the canopy was turning Skydive Arizona implied Wick was an experienced skydiver Medical personnel attempted lifesaving measures on Wick The exact cause of death was still under investigation 5 people died in skydiving incidents in 2024Four people died in a hot air balloon crash in Eloy on Jan According to the National Transportation Safety Board the pilot and three passengers died as a result of an issue with the hot air balloon "envelope" — the large bag that fills with hot air to make the aircraft rise The three passengers who died in the crash were Chayton Wiescholek, 28, of Union City, Michigan; Kaitlynn Bartrom, 28, of Andrews, Indiana; and Atahan Kiliccote, 24, of Cupertino, California. One other passenger was seriously injured. The pilot was 37-year-old Cornelius van der Walt of South Africa the manufacturer of the aircraft involved in the crash the envelope was already deflated with the burner on More: Pinal County fixes error in autopsy for pilot in Eloy hot air balloon crash that killed 4 Thirteen people were on board when the balloon took off from Casa Grande Eight skydivers jumped out a few minutes before the balloon began to descend toward the ground near Eloy with a deflated envelope Though some observed a visible flame from under the envelope, a preliminary report from the NTSB stated there was no aircraft fire or explosion The report revealed the envelope remained attached to the basket at the accident site and that there was thermal damage shown near the mouth of the envelope There was damage near the top of the envelope as the sewn rim tape material near the top of the envelope was frayed and several of the panels were damaged The rest of the "wreckage" was relocated to a secure facility for further examination Just a few weeks later, Terry Gardner, 73, died at Skydive Arizona on Jan and three other divers had completed a formation which does not appear to be the cause of the incident Fire department personnel provided aid to Gardner and he was rushed to Casa Grande Banner Hospital a spokesman for Skydive Arizona released a statement at the time describing Gardner as a "highly experienced skydiver" who had completed several thousand jumps Are there ways to stay safe while skydiving?The United States Parachute Association has a section on skydiving safety on its website and notes that like any outdoor sport but "proper preparation and good judgment can minimize the vast majority of them." USPA said even an experienced skydiver could make an error in judgment The association holds a safety day every year Since most skydivers don't jump on cold days as often as they do in the summer the day is a way for jumpers all around the world to prepare for the year ahead This year's safety day will be held on March 8 and Skydive Arizona is set to participate Julie Mendes and Perry Vandell contributed to this article Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInELOY AZ (AZFamily) —A woman is dead after a parachuting accident in Eloy on Friday emergency crews were called to Sky Dive Arizona near Taylor Street and Tumbleweed Road after reports of a parachutist experiencing complications during descent First responders arrived and gave the parachutist identified as 55-year-old Ann Wick of Minnesota Eloy police say the exact cause of the accident is under investigation The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other agencies will review the equipment procedures and circumstances surrounding the incident Anyone with information is asked to call the Eloy Police Department at 520-466-7324 See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description AZ — A man sentenced for second-degree murder has died in prison The Arizona Department of Corrections says Dupree Rollins died on March 23 at the La Palma Correctional Center in Eloy Rollins was admitted to the prison in 2023 after being sentenced for second-degree murder In July 2021, Phoenix police were called to an apartment complex near 25th and Glenrosa avenues for reports of a shooting When they arrived they found 16-year-old Romeo Perkins dead at the scene police said they believed Perkins was shot inside the apartment after an altercation with Rollins Rollins was later arrested and convicted in Perkins' death AZDCRR says due to the nature of Rollins' death in prison the Office of the Inspector General is conducting an investigation Report a typo Corrections & Clarifications: A previous version of this article gave the incorrect age of Shawn Bowen Eloy police reported that a man from Gilbert died after his parachute failed to deploy before a hard landing on Saturday This marks the second skydiving-related death in the area within eight days 46-year-old Shawn Bowen was reportedly skydiving near the Eloy Municipal Airport while wearing a "wingsuit-type apparatus," according to a news release from the Eloy Police Department on Saturday evening Eyewitnesses reported that during Bowen's freefall and he died after injuries he sustained from the landing Investigators from Eloy police and the Federal Aviation Administration were interviewing witnesses to determine why Bowen's parachute failed to deploy The Pinal County Medical Examiner's Office was also at the scene to investigate the death and would conduct an autopsy later next week Police said the victim's wife had been notified and offered their condolences to Bowen's loved ones Anyone with information about the death of Bowen was asked to contact the Eloy Police Department at 520-466-7324 Here are recent deaths attributed to skydiving in ArizonaOn Jan. 24, Ann Wick died after her parachute failed to deploy after a skydiving experience in the same area as where Bowen died Terry Gardner, 73, died at Skydive Arizona on Jan That incident came several weeks after a hot-air balloon crash killed four people in Eloy None of the skydivers was injured in that incident Other fatal incidents in AZ: What to know about the woman who died while skydiving in Eloy Gonzalez and Perry Vandell contributed to this article (This story was updated to add new information.) Reach the reporter at rcovarrubias@gannett.com AZ — A 47-year-old man died while skydiving in Eloy on Feb according to the Pinal County Sheriff's Office deputies were called to the Skydive Arizona facility in Eloy for reports of an injured skydiver around 2 p.m the man was located by deputies near the facility and was pronounced dead the man was known to be a "very experienced skydiver." The man's identity hasn't been released No foul play is suspected in this incident This is the third reported skydiving or parachuting death in Eloy so far this year. On February 1, the Eloy Police Department responded to the area of Hanna and Tweedy Road after a 46-year-old Gilbert man fell to his death while parachuting. Additionally, a 55-year-old Minnesota woman died in a parachuting incident on Jan after she had complications during her jump The FAA continues to investigate all three incidents How does the former top prospect fit on this roster We discuss the signing of Eloy Jimenez and try and figure out how he figures into the roster plans We’re a little over a month away from Spring Training We finish the show discussing the most recent news regarding Tropicana Field after the Rays have made it clear they wish to see it repaired A much different stance than the one Brian Auld took at the St Petersburg City Council meeting late last year If you love what we do and want to say thank you, consider becoming a Patreon member for as little as $1/month Also, if you’ve been a podcast listener from the jump, subscribe to our YouTube channel as well We go live on YouTube for almost every single episode Make sure to turn on our channel notifications so you can join us when we go live A third skydiver this year has died after encountering issues while descending during a jump in south-central Arizona The unidentified 47-year-old man was skydiving on Feb Witnesses said the man attempted an "advanced" landing maneuver at a low altitude which did not allow sufficient time for a safe landing according to a news release from the company The skydiver experienced a normal free fall and safely deployed his parachute The Sheriff's Office did not provide a cause of the man's death According to the Sheriff's Office and the news release witnesses said the man was an experienced diver who participated in more than 25,000 jumps "The management of Skydive Arizona extends its sincerest condolences to the family and all those who had the privilege of sharing the skies with him," the news release said Skydive Arizona spokesperson Ian Mackenzie said the facility oversees hundreds of thousands of jumps per year Is skydiving safe? Here's what to know This accident marks the third death near Eloy in 2025 and the second in February On Jan. 24, 55-year-old Ann Wick of Minnesota died after experiencing a problem with her descent Wick had completed hundreds of jumps in her lifetime Most accidents happen because the jumper, often an experienced skydiver pushing the limits, makes an error in judgment, according to the United States Parachute Association nine people died from a skydiving-related incident across the country the United States Parachute Association reported The fatality rate per 100,000 jumps was 0.23 Arizona Republic reporters Rey Covarrubias Jr Jimenez was once among the top prospects in all of baseball the Tampa Bay Rays invited several players to minor league deals with invitations to spring training The most notable of those signings was Eloy Jimenez who was once ranked as the third best prospect in the game by Baseball America Jimenez received the ranking entering the 2019 season It was at this time that the White Sox signed Jimenez to a six-year $43M contract extension prior to the slugger making his big league debut the past several years have been rough for the now 28-year old as injuries and inconsistent performances have hampered his career There are still plenty of reasons to believe in Jimenez’s offensive capabilities and he is just a few seasons removed from hitting .295/.358/.500 That was the high point of Jimenez’s career thus far and it came in a year that Jimenez made multiple trips to the Injured List for a variety of reasons; he would only play in 84 games Eloy Jimenez’s injury history is longer than a CVS receipt. pic.twitter.com/0lmaIRrtNy Jimenez started the 2024 season with the Chicago White Sox but was sent to the Baltimore Orioles at the trade deadline The trade proved to be of little consequence as Jimenez struggled hitting .232/.270/.316 over the final two months of the season The Orioles declined their $16.5M option on Jimenez once the offseason began Jimenez’s hart-hit% (49.0%) and average exit velocity (92.0) were both in the 90th percentile meaning that he has to be a well above average offensive producer to make his spot on the roster viable The Rays contract with Eloy Jimenez states that he will make $2M while on the big league roster and another $2M should he receive 500 at-bats the Rays have also signed Joey Gerber and Jake Brentz to minor league deals with invites to spring training has big league experience with the Kansas City Royals Originally taken in the 11th round of the 2013 draft by the Toronto Blue Jays Brentz played for several organizations before finally breaking through with the Royals in 2021 He served as an effective reliever during his rookie campaign and seemed on his way to being a useful bullpen piece for years to come Brentz went down with an injury and needed Tommy John surgery The southpaw rehabbed the past two years in the Royals system before leaving as a minor league free agent this offseason was selected in the 8th round of the 2018 draft by the Seattle Mariners Gerber showcased himself as a dominant reliever during his ascent through Seattle’s system and allowed him to make his big league debut in 2020 that would be his lone big league experience as injuries have wrecked his career Gerber only logged one inning in the complex league in 2022 and Gerber did manage to reach Triple-A by the end of the season He left as a minor league free agent once the offseason began AZ — An Eloy firefighter has been arrested accused of producing and distributing child pornography The United States Attorney's Office District of Arizona says 38-year-old Agustin Sauceda faces nine counts of producing and attempting to produce child pornography five counts of distributing child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography Sauceda is accused of producing child pornography involving a girl under the age of 18 on nine occasions between 2022 and 2024 Sauceda then allegedly shared the videos on a file-sharing network Details on Sauceda's arrest are unknown at this time "Each count of Producing Child Pornography carries a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and up to lifetime supervised release," The United States Attorney's Office District of Arizona said in a release "Each count of Distribution of Child Pornography carries a minimum sentence of five years in prison Each count of Possession of Child Pornography carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison Homeland Security continues to investigate this incident AZ (AZFamily) — A Gilbert man is dead after experiencing a hard landing while parachuting in Eloy on Saturday Police say they responded to the area of Hanna and Tweedy roads after reports of a parachuting accident Preliminary information suggests that 46-year-old Shawn Bowen jumped at 11:40 a.m Police say during the freefall there was an unknown incident and his parachute did not deploy Detectives are gathering information from witnesses and coordinating with the Federal Aviation Administration Anyone with information is encouraged to call Detective Edmons with the Eloy Police Department at (520)466-7324 AZ — Authorities are investigating after a woman died in a parachuting accident Friday afternoon in Eloy Eloy police say they were called to Skydive Arizona just after 4 p.m for a report of a parachutist experiencing complications during descent they located the woman and started life-saving measures Police have identified the woman as 55-year-old Ann Wick of Minnesota Eloy Police and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating what led up to the accident On May 1, 2024, Eloy Casagrande, former drummer for Sepultura for over a decade, was officially announced as Slipknot’s new drummer through a post on social media made by the band stating “Slipknot officially welcomes @eloycasagrande.” Now after six months of Eloy playing for the iconic band We’ve teamed up with Concerty.com to write this article and get updated data about live concerts and festivals Concerty provides up-to-date and reliable information about band’s upcoming concerts and all the info you need before attending concerts Throughout many drum cams that emerged on the internet of Eloy playing with Slipknot a few things caught the attention of the band’s fans: The two showed a very unique connection while playing together being a drummer for Slipknot is not an easy task past drummers like Jay Weinberg and Joey Jordison were known for being extremely talented and dedicated but it feels like we are seeing Eloy’s full potential and ability with Slipknot More recently, Slipknot just finished their North American “Here Comes the Pain” Tour, celebrating 25 years of the band’s debut album. The tour included some shows at Madison Square Garden in NYC. Eloy also performed with Slipknot in Brazil for the first time at the music festival Knotfest Brasil 2024 in São Paulo Slipknot fans and Eloy’s fanbase are pretty satisfied with his work so far And it seems that the same goes for the band’s members