Baseball

They won't be the Oakland A's anymore, and they won't be the Sacramento A's either -- no, the team tells TMZ Sports they'll be called simply the "Athletics" until they get their permanent home in Vegas.

A spokesperson confirmed the plan to us on Thursday afternoon, shortly after it was announced the MLB org. will move out of the Bay Area and spend at least the 2025, 2026 and 2027 seasons in California's capital.

When they do finally make the move into their $1.5 billion Sin City stadium ... the spokesperson said they will add "Las Vegas" to their team name.

It's not yet known when exactly they'll get their new Nevada address -- the team is hoping for 2028, but org. officials acknowledged Thursday they might have to spend a fourth season in Sac Town in order to allow time to put all the finishing touches on their new crib.

As we reported, the A's are set to shove off to Sutter Health Park after this season ... and play in front of capacity crowds of around 14,000.

Team owner John Fisher said in a news conference Thursday he was "excited" for it all -- even if his team's diehards weren't ... to say the least.

Logan Paul and KSI continue to take a proverbial Louisville Slugger bat to the beverage market ... with PRIME inking a sponsorship deal with one of the biggest stars in baseball (in many ways), Aaron Judge!

The 31-year-old NY Yankees slugger now joins K.C. Chiefs superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes as a Prime ambassador ... meaning the energy and hydration drink company, which only launched in 2022, now counts arguably the world's best baseball and football player as part of their roster of athletes.

Add to #99 and #15, combat sports stars Terence Crawford, Alex Volkanovski, and Israel Adesanya, and international soccer superstar Erling Haaland ... and that's not too shabby!

Prime and KSI made the big announcement Thursday morning on social media, writing, "All Rise for the newest member of the Prime Team ⚾️ @thejudge44 x @drinkprime," along with a dugout photo of the trio.

“It’s such an honor to team up with legends like Logan Paul and KSI,” Aaron Judge said of the partnership.

“PRIME has been my go-to for both fuel and recovery since it was first released and it’s a pleasure to officially sign on as a PRIME Hydration athlete. This collaboration comes just in time as we kick off our next season and with PRIME by my side, it's slated to be one of the best ones yet.”

FWIW, this checks out. The Yanks are off to a blazing fast start, going 6-1, including a road sweep of the rival Houston Astros, and a series win in Arizona. In fact, Judge came up big on the eve of the Prime announcement, blasting a 2 run home run on Wednesday, and driving in a critical run in extra innings.

As you'd expect, Prime's pumped, too.

“Aaron Judge is nothing short of a professional baseball icon and legend. Watching his career grow into what it is today has been inspirational and these are the types of athletes we can only hope to partner with,” co-founders Logan and KSI said.

“Aaron and team, welcome to the PRIME family and good luck this season! We will all be cheering you on.”

The Oakland Athletics just confirmed the 2024 season will be their last in the Bay Area -- the organization will play at least three seasons in Sacramento before officially setting up shop in Las Vegas.

The A's announced Thursday they struck a deal to host home games at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento while their new stadium is constructed in Sin City ... bringing the franchise's 57-season run in Oakland to an end.

A statement on the move said an option is in place to play a fourth season in West Sacramento ... depending on when the new crib is completed in Nevada.

It'll be a pretty interesting experience for MLB fans -- Sutter Health Park's capacity is 10,624 seated spectators ... and 14,014 total including standing room only/grass. It's the current home of the Sacramento River Cats -- the San Francisco Giants' AAA affiliate.

The A's have been used to playing in front of smaller crowds lately -- as fans have been boycotting games over team owner John Fisher's decision to leave town.

Speaking of, Fisher addressed the news on Thursday ... saying the team tried to keep the A's at the Oakland Coliseum before moving, but "the conditions to achieve an agreement seemed out of reach."

New couple alert??

Johnny Manziel and Jose Canseco's daughter, Josie, appear to be spending some quality time together ... after the model shared a snap of them cozying up on a plane.

Josie added the pic to her Instagram story on Tuesday ... which was meant to highlight her new Alo sneakers, but Manziel's notable hand tattoos were on display in the background.

On top of the ink, the man in the picture is also wearing a Swiftie-esque friendship bracelet that resembles a similar accessory Manziel has rocked in the past ... leading us to believe the post was a soft launch of sorts.

If they're an item, it's fair to assume they're still in the early stages ... as the two have not been spotted out on the town together just yet. They at least crossed paths and posed next to each other at Travis Scott's Cactus Jack celebrity softball game back in February ... so maybe that's when the sparks started flying??

It would be a pretty interesting pairing, to say the least -- Josie used to date rapper MIKE (FKA Mike Stud), who shared a podcast with Manziel back in the day.

The former NFL quarterback was famously married to Bre Tiesi ... although that relationship ended when the "Selling Sunset" star filed for divorce in 2019. He went on to date Kenzie Werner, but that seemingly fizzled out as well.

Josie previously dated Logan Paul and Brody Jenner  ... and was most recently spotted with country singer Morgan Wallen in London, although that was apparently just a friendly outing.

Retirement is opening new chapters for former Toronto Blue Jays pitcher T.J. House -- one of only a handful of openly gay ex-MLB players -- as he just got married to his longtime partner!!

The 34-year-old lefty tied the knot with Ryan Neitzel on Friday in New Orleans ... during a lavish outdoor wedding that came with all the bells and whistles.

The nuptials -- and the ensuing party -- featured a cigar roller, a tarot card reader and even a parade through the streets with a jazz band! There were also glow sticks ... and, yes, a ton of dancing.

The Boston Red Sox are mourning the loss of longtime executive Larry Lucchino on Tuesday ... with the team announcing the former CEO and president passed away at age 78.

After serving the same roles for the Baltimore Orioles and San Diego Padres, Lucchino -- a former Princeton basketball player -- joined the Red Sox organization in 2001 ... and was tasked with putting together a squad that would end the franchise's World Series drought.

Not only did he succeed in 2004, breaking the 86-year curse, he also led the Sox to two more championships in 2007 and 2013. Lucchino was the chairman of the Worchester Red Sox, the team's AAA affiliate as well.

Unos fans de los Gigant y los Padres protagonizaron una violenta pelea a puñetazos y todo fue capturado en video.

Échale un vistazo a las imágenes. Se puede ver al menos a cuatro hombres involucrados en el altercado, algunos pelean en el suelo mientras otros se mantienen en pie.

En un momento, durante la pelea y la confusión, un puñetazo noqueó a un fan que llevaba una camiseta número 44 de San Diego.

Several men attending the Giants vs. Padres game at Petco Park on Saturday evening got into a violent fistfight in a concourse ... and the wild scene was all captured on video.

Check out the footage, you can see at least four men were involved in the altercation ... with two tussling on the floor -- while the other two were slugging one another while upright.

At one point during the standing skirmish, a punch appeared to land so flush on the man in a No. 44 San Diego jersey, it knocked him to the ground.

Los Gigantes de San Francisco destruyeron a los Padres de San Diego la noche del viernes en Petco Park, pero todo el drama real estaba sucediendo en las gradas entre un par de fans enojados y violentos.

Mientras los equipos estaban jugando en San Diego, alguien sacó un teléfono y comenzó a grabar a una mujer en una camiseta de los Padres discutiendo con dos chicos con camisetas de los Gigantes entre la multitud.

Echa un vistazo a este loco video publicado en X, la mujer se paró frente a los dos tipos y comenzó a apuntarlos antes de decirles: "¡F*** you!".

The San Francisco Giants destroyed the San Diego Padres on the field Friday night at Petco Park ... but all the real drama was happening in the stands between a couple of their angry and violent fans.

As the teams were playing in SD, someone pulled out a phone and started recording a woman in a Padres jersey arguing with two guys in Giants shirts standing in the crowd.

Check out this crazy video posted to X ...  the woman got right up in the grills of the two dudes and started pointing at them before telling them, "F*** you!"

The Minnesota Twins' AAA affiliate is standing firm on its decision to name its live pig mascot "OzemPig" ... this after a number of fans squealed in opposition.

The St. Paul Saints -- known for their tomfoolery on gamedays -- traditionally employ young pigs to help out with delivering game balls to umpires ... and host an annual contest to come up with a silly moniker for each animal (past winners include Ham Solo, Notorious P.I.G., etc.).

This year's winner beat out candidates like Porky Blinders and Sloppenheimer ... but once the name was announced, some folks felt it flirted with fat-shaming, considering it's a nod to the popular weight loss drug.

It's MLB Opening Day -- and this year, ya better bring a ticket, glove AND an appetite to the ballpark ... 'cause several teams are offering some massive dishes for fans to enjoy!!

Some of the most popular, of course, include spins on the classic hot dog.

The Texas Rangers unveiled a footlong one that will come with two burger patties, a bunch of chili and cheese, Tostitos chips and a whole lot more.

10:00 AM PT -- Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore are adamant they were not the reason for the failed deal, releasing a statement through their spokesperson on Thursday afternoon that read, "We have fulfilled our obligations, have all necessary funding and are fully committed to closing our purchase of the team as soon as the NBA completes its process."

"Glen Taylor's statement," the two continued, "is an unfortunate case of seller's remorse that is short sighted and disruptive to the team and the fans during a historic winning season."

Alex Rodriguez won't be the majority owner of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx after all ... the orgs' owner just announced the former MLB star's bid to buy the teams has fallen through.

Glen Taylor, the current honcho of the NBA and WNBA squads, announced the news in a statement on Thursday morning ... explaining Rodriguez and former Walmart CEO Marc Lore's effort to become new majority owners collapsed after the two missed a key deadline this week.

"Under terms of the purchase agreement," Taylor said in the statement, "the closing was required to occur within 90 days following the exercise notice issued by Lore and Rodriguez. That 90-day period expired on March 27, 2024."

"Under certain circumstances, the buyer could have been entitled to a limited extension. However, those circumstances did not occur."

Rodriguez and Lore had previously bought 40 percent of the teams in prior sales. The most recent agreement between the two and Taylor was set to give them an additional 40 percent of the franchises.

Taylor said despite the failed pact, he'll still work with Lore and Rodriguez to "ensure our teams have the necessary resources to compete at the highest levels on and off the court."

As for going forward, Taylor doesn't appear to have plans of re-entering into talks with the two about a purchase ... saying, "The Timberwolves and Lynx are no longer for sale."

The Wolves currently have one of the best teams in the NBA, holding a 50-22 record. The Lynx -- who've won four WNBA titles -- are slated to begin their season this summer.

Dodgers superstar Mookie Betts tells TMZ Sports despite all of the recent drama surrounding Shohei Ohtani and his former interpreter ... L.A. is absolutely locked in on the 2024 season.

Betts made it clear to us while out at a charity appearance at a Raising Cane's in Alhambra, Calif. that the Ippei Mizuhara gambling scandal is just not a distraction.

"No, no, no, no," the shortstop said. "We're just focused on business. Taking care of business and that's all we keep first."

Before Mookie Betts steps up to the dish for the Dodgers for their home opener, he was out serving dishes at Raising Cane's ... doling out a bunch of chicken and fries to a grip of fans who turned out to support him.

The shortstop worked a shift at the fast food chain's location in Alhambra, Calif. some 24 hours before L.A. takes on the Cardinals at Dodger Stadium in order to raise some funds for his foundation ... and hundreds flocked to the eatery to get a glimpse of the baseball star.

Mookie was in great spirits as he worked the cash register ... handing out tendies and Texas Toast with a big smile on his face.

Betts also signed autographs for those who ordered from him -- before he addressed the massive crowd that showed up.

The 31-year-old thanked everybody -- and then he received a $100,000 donation from Cane's for his charity.

Amid all of the festivities, Betts spoke with TMZ Sports about getting behind the counter ... saying he was sure his many times as a drive-thru customer would translate to the other side of the window.

Yankees outfielder Oscar Gonzalez is currently resting in a hospital -- this after he broke his eye socket in a scary moment during an exhibition game Monday night.

Gonzalez was at the plate in the middle of NY's tilt against the Diablos Rojos del Mexico in Mexico City when he got pitched inside -- and foul tipped the ball right into his face.

Video from the game's broadcast shows the 26-year-old crumpled in pain immediately ... as trainers raced out to the field to tend to him.