Kevin Lomon, a former pitcher for the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves, is credited with stopping a knife-wielding man from threatening members of his high school baseball team at an Oklahoma hotel earlier this month. Lomon, 54, now coaches Cameron High School's baseball team in Oklahoma.
While traveling with his team, Lomon received an emergency call from one of his players reporting that a man had brandished a knife. "It was one of my kids saying that someone just pulled a knife on him," Lomon told KFDM. "I’m responsible for 13 high school boys... they know I’ll fight for them."
According to a police report, the suspect, identified as Christopher Stevens, allegedly approached one of Lomon's players in the hotel hallway with a knife. Lomon instructed his players to return to their rooms and contact the police, while he confronted Stevens, who remained near the elevators with the weapon.
Lomon reportedly told Stevens to drop the knife, but the man continued to advance. "I had to react," Lomon stated. "And I didn’t have much time to think about it... I don't think I'm a hero. I would do it again, most people and most coaches would do the same thing."
The former MLB pitcher then allegedly struck Stevens multiple times and subdued him until law enforcement arrived. Stevens was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and public intoxication.
Lomon, who played 12 Major League Baseball games between 1995 and 1996, emphasized the importance of character over athletic performance. "Nobody is really going to care what batting average is five years from now, they're going to care what kind of person you are," he told KFDM.
