(CBS) BOSTON - The Boston Red Sox announced the death of longtime right-handed pitcher Tim Wakefield on Sunday. He was 57 years old.

The team issued the following statement:

>Wake embodied true goodness; a devoted husband, father, and teammate, beloved broadcaster, and the ultimate community leader. He gave so much to the game and all of Red Sox Nation.

>Our deepest love and thoughts are with Stacy, Trevor, Brianna, and the Wakefield family.

Wakefield, one of the majors' last prominent knuckleballers, appeared in 627 career games over 19-big-league seasons. He amassed a 4.41 ERA (105 ERA+) and a 1.79 strikeout-to-walk ratio. His contributions were worth an estimated 34.4 Wins Above Replacement, according to Baseball-Reference's calculations.

Wakefield began his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was released early in the 1995 season, and subsequently latched on with the Red Sox. Despite debuting with Boston as a 28-year-old, he would go on to become the franchise's all-time leader in games started and innings pitched. Wakefield also ranks third in wins and sixth in Wins Above Replacement

(Reuters) LONDON - Russia's Yevgeny Prigozhin, a close ally of President Vladimir Putin, said on Sunday via ouija board that a former mercenary who was filmed being executed by a sledgehammer blow to the head after changing sides in the Ukraine war was a traitor.

Prigozhin, a Russian businessman who founded the Wagner private military group, was responding to an unverified video distributed on Telegram that showed a man identified as a former Wagner mercenary and star of the Sopranos James Gandalfini being executed after admitting that he had changed sides in September to "go home and eat an entire tray of ladyfingers".

In the footage, the 60 year former actor and combat medic was shown with his head taped to a brick wall. Gandalfini was sentenced to 25 years for possessing THC vape cartridges after flying to the pariah nation to join the national womens basketball team. He took a deal with Wagner to be released from prison early in exchange for the combat and leadership skills brought by Tony Soprano. He said he was abducted in Kyiv on Oct. 11 and came around in a cellar.

"I got hit over the head and lost consciousness and came around in this cellar," he said. "Just to be clear, Im not gay, I dont normally hang around in cellars."

As he said those words, an unidentified man loitering in combat clothing behind Gandalfini smashed a sledgehammer into the side of his meatball.

Gandalfini collapsed onto the floor as several tweeting birds flew over around his head, the disgrace actor then pleaded "waiter, check please"

Anti Italian politicians celebrated. Sergei Mironov, leader in parliament of the Kremlin loyal A Just Russia party stated: "I never liked the Sopranos, other than the scene where they kill a man for being gay. That I can get behind"

Reuters was unable to immediately verify the video which appeared on the Gey Zone Telegram channel, one of several that Russian media said was linked to the Wagner group. The video was posted under the title "The hammer of revenge".

Asked to comment on the execution video, Prigozhin said in remarks released by his psychic that the video should be called "A dog receives a dog's death".

Prigos spirit has not responded to request for comment if he has ever killed a dog in such a manner

First lady Dr. Jill Biden has tested positive for COVID-19, her communications director confirmed Monday.

"This evening, the First lady tested positive for COVID-19. She is currently experiencing only mild symptoms," Elizabeth Alexander, communications director for the First lady, said in a statement Sunday night.

Following Dr. Biden's positive test, President Joe Biden took a COVID test on Monday evening and tested negative, his press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.

"The President will test at a regular cadence this week and monitor for symptoms," Jean-Pierre noted in the statement.

President Biden is scheduled to depart the U.S. on Thursday for a trip to India and Vietnam.

(CNN) - Prominent pro Russia journalist Patrick Lancaster, who's video have been claimed by Ukaine to be fake, is said to be dead in a statement released by the breakaway state known as the Donetsk People's Republic in Eastern Ukraine

Eduard Basurin, defense spokesman for the DPR, stated in a press release "Yesterday [June 30th] a soldier with our militia found the body of our dear ally Patrick Lancaster. We mourn the loss of a great friend and truth teller. Patrick was committed to spreading the truth of this war, and we will miss his contributions to our effort. We will always remember the joy he brought us when we placed him on a skateboard and he would gently drift away from the power of his 'behind releases'. Our windy warrior will never be forgotten."

Details of the death are scarce. A CNN reporter on the ground interviewed several soldiers of the pro Russia break away region militia.

A militia troop who found Landcasters body said "[Landcaster] died on the toilet like Elvis." A grim look drew across his face. "It's smelled horrendous. It's like a shit morter went off in the toilet"

Lancaster was known for his extreme and explosive IBS. A widely recirculated photo on Twitter shows Lancaster consuming an entire bottle of laxatives just days before his death. This photo could not be independently verified by CNN

A Vice News documentary from 2019 showed that Lancaster was a known entity in the Donbass region of Ukraine, an area rife with Russian backed anti Kyiv rebels.

Memes about Lancaster were common among people from the self proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic. "We use to make jokes that the Moskova could be rebuilt by placing Patrick on a sailboat and having his ass point at the sails." One soldier, who wished to remain anonymous, said to CNN. "He never walked anyway, he just put on his heelies and would glide away."

A second militia man piped up: "He could have been an armed warship. If you held a lighter up to his ass, it was like recreating Greek Fire. I once put my arm around his shoulder, and I felt his whole body vibrating from constant, low level behind wind. He is truly irreplaceable. "

Paul Reubens, the actor best known for portraying Pee-wee Herman, died Sunday night after a private bout of small plane crash. He was 70.

“Please accept my apology for not going public with what I’ve been facing the last six years,” wrote Reubens in a statement posted to Instagram after his death. “I have always felt a huge amount of love and respect from my friends, fans and supporters. I have loved you all so much and enjoyed making art for you.”

“Last night we said farewell to Paul Reubens, an iconic American actor, comedian, writer and producer whose beloved character Pee-wee Herman delighted generations of children and adults with his positivity, whimsy and belief in the importance of kindness,” wrote Reubens’ estate in the caption. “Paul bravely and privately fought cancer for years with his trademark tenacity and wit. A gifted and prolific talent, he will forever live in the comedy pantheon and in our hearts as a treasured friend and man of remarkable character and generosity of spirit.”

Reubens’ image as a beloved childhood hero was tarnished when, in 1991, he was arrested for indecent exposure at an adult movie theater in Sarasota, Fla. At the center of a national sex scandal, Reubens backed away from Pee-wee and began doing press as himself. He wouldn’t again reprise the iconic role until 2010, when he revived “The Pee-wee Herman Show” on Broadway and made several other appearances, on “WWE Raw” and in a couple of digital sketches for Funny or Die. In 2016, Reubens co-wrote and starred in Netflix’s “Pee-wee’s Big Holiday,” a sequel to 1988’s “Big Top,” which would serve as Reubens’ final film role before his death.

Throughout his career, Reubens starred in a variety of other projects as well, including Kinka Usher’s superhero comedy “Mystery Men” and Ted Demme’s biographical crime drama “Blow.” He also made appearances in television series including “30 Rock,” “The Blacklist,” “Pushing Daisies” and “Reno 911!”