TMZ Sports

Former St. Louis Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog -- who won one World Series title and three pennants during his illustrious career -- has died at 92 years old.

His family announced the sad news in a statement on Tuesday ... explaining Herzog had been recently battling an illness. They added he spent his final days surrounded by his family members.

"Although it is hard for us to say goodbye," Herzog's loved ones wrote, "his peaceful passing was a blessing for him."

Herzog began his managerial career in 1973 with the Texas Rangers ... but he really made his mark in the Major Leagues when he took over the Cardinals in 1980.

Playing a style of baseball that MLB aficionados dubbed "Whiteyball," Herzog used unique bullpen management as well as players who could run and defend to win games.

He earned the World Series crown with the Cards in 1982 ... and added two more NL Pennant victories in 1985 and 1987.

Herzog -- who also coached the California Angels and the Kansas City Royals in his 18 years as a manager -- ultimately retired in 1990 ... with a record of 1,281 and 1,125.

St. Louis went on to retire his uniform No. 24 ... just after he was inducted into the Hall of Fame.

"On behalf of Major League Baseball," Commissioner Rob Manfred said, "I extend my deepest condolences to Whitey's family, his friends across the game, and the fans of the Cardinals and the Royals."

Added Cardinals honcho Bill DeWitt Jr., "Whitey loved the Cardinals, their fans, and St. Louis. He will be sorely missed."

An incredibly rare Michael Jordan Logoman card is about to be up for grabs ... and trust us, this is one collectors NEED to own!

The 2003-04 Upper Deck Ultimate Collection Ultimate Logos Signature Michael Jordan Signed Game-Used Logoman Patch Card will go live on the Goldin website in just a couple of days ... and bids START at a quarter of a million dollars.

Yes, that's how rare this card is.

While Jordan, arguably the greatest hooper of all time, has been featured on a Logoman card in the past as a Washington Wizard, this is the first Chicago Bulls MJ Logoman.

That means the card, in addition to Michael's autograph, signed in blue ink, also contains a patch from an actual game-worn, Jordan Chicago Bulls jersey.

The autograph was rated a Gem Mint 10 by PSA, one of the top card authenticators in the country, meaning the signature is virtually perfect.

The Logoman card is also hand-numbered "1/1" -- this one card is all that exists.

In fact, the whereabouts of the very valuable cardboard were unknown for years ... until the card was submitted to PSA in 2022.

NBA star Blake Griffin is calling it a career after 14 seasons ... announcing his retirement in a heartfelt post on Tuesday.

The 35-year-old forward was the first overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft ... spending 7 1/2 seasons with the LA Clippers, where he made the All-Star team 6 times.

Griffin was a high-flying athlete throughout his time on the hardwood ... winning the league's dunk contest in 2011.

It's safe to say Patrick Mahomes approves of his best buddy's relationship with Taylor Swift ... he gushed over Travis Kelce's boo during a recent interview, praising the pop star for being "down to earth."

The Chiefs quarterback spoke about the "Bad Blood" crooner during a lengthy chat with TIME for its Most Influential People of 2023 issue ... and he had nothing but kind things to say about her.

He said of all the celebrities he's met, she's "probably" the most chill out of all of them. He then raved about her tireless work ethic ... before saying he's also been impressed by the way she's trying to become a football expert.

Caitlin Clark continues to break records -- the basketball superstar skyrocketed to the top of the merch charts after being selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft ... earning the top-selling jersey EVER for a draft pick.

The former Iowa Hawkeyes baller was the obvious choice for the Indiana Fever on Monday ... and considering her historic run in college, no one was surprised to hear her name called first.

Right after Clark's big moment, Fanatics -- the official online retailer for the WNBA -- was quick to offer preorders for her No. 22 jersey ... and they rapidly sold out.

Angel Reese's outfit wasn't the only thing shining at the WNBA Draft, so were her pearly whites ... the 7th overall pick rocked a sick white gold and VVS diamond grill!

The former LSU star was seen with the awesome piece of jewelry Monday night as she walked the WNBA's orange carpet at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York.

The 6'3" forward even shared a closeup of the bling on Instagram.

O.J. Simpson's attorney is doing an about-face on a statement he made last week in which he said the Goldmans would get zip from his late client's estate in the wake of his death.

Malcolm LaVergne -- the executor of O.J.'s will, and his longtime lawyer -- told THR that he might've been a little overzealous in what he initially said on this topic ... namely, that he'd fight tooth and nail to make sure the Goldmans received zero dollars from O.J.'s estate.

He says, "I can tell you in advance, Fred Goldman's claim will be accepted. And his claim will be handled in accordance with Nevada law."

Former Univ. of Michigan star quarterback Denard Robinson was arrested on Monday ... after he was allegedly involved in a single-car crash while intoxicated.

A spokesperson for the Ann Abor Police Dept. said the accident occurred at around 3:05 AM near the Wolverines' headquarters at the school's Ann Arbor campus.

Further details surrounding the allegations against Robinson were not made immediately available ... although the spokesperson said charges against the 33-year-old "are pending toxicology results."

Robinson played for the Wolverines from 2009 to 2012 -- and became such a huge star, he actually covered the ultra-popular EA Sports "NCAA Football 14" video game.

Nicknamed "Shoelace" for the way he ran out of his shoes when he was youngster, Robinson threw for 6,250 yards in his UM career while running for an additional 4,495 yards. He scored a total of 42 rushing TDs and 49 passing ones.

He was ultimately picked by the Jaguars in the 2013 NFL Draft, and after playing sparingly from '13 through 2016, he tried to latch on in the Alliance of American Football league ... before he got into coaching and then scouting.

Robinson had just landed a role on UM's staff as the assistant director of player personnel in 2022 ... but following his arrest Monday, head coach Sherrone Moore said in a statement he's now suspended indefinitely.

Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and all the ballers expected to be taken in Monday night's WNBA Draft just walked across the orange carpet at the event in New York ... and each and every one of them wowed in glamourous 'fits.

Clark opted for a white skirt and silver tube top, which she capped off with an oversized, white button-down jacket. She completed the look with a pair of big shades and a huge smile.

Reese, meanwhile, donned an elegant, hooded silver gown ... which the WNBA liked so much, it captioned a video of the dress with heart-eye emojis.

Kayla Harrison's UFC debut couldn't have possibly gone any better ... she dominated an MMA legend, and now the star fighter is telling us who she wants next!

33-year-old Harrison joined Babcock on the TMZ Sports TV show (airs weeknights on FS1) ... where she discussed everything from Holly Holm's strategy vs. her, to her big weight cut, and her next opponent.

"I heard that [Bantamweight champion] Raquel [Pennington] is feeling a little under the weather, not able to fight. So if she can't fight for the title, I would love to fight Juliana [Pena], whoever, I don't care. I would love to fight for that belt," Harrison said.

Diving into some juicy celeb gossip can definitely spice up a slow Monday ... and we've got you covered with some TMZ Hot Takes.

Kicking things off with "TMZ Live" ... Harvey and Charles break down one of Coachella's biggest moments over the weekend: Will Smith crashing J Balvin's set!!

Caitlin Clark is moving on from Iowa to Indiana ... the Fever just revealed they've taken the former Hawkeyes superstar with the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA Draft!!

The choice, of course, was a no-brainer ... Clark is considered by many to be the greatest women's college basketball player ever -- but still, Caitlin was fired up for the honor nonetheless.

The 22-year-old hooper walked across the stage in New York with a huge smile on her face ... before she embraced commissioner Cathy Engelbert and held up her new Fever jersey.

Indiana fans won't have to wait long to see her ball out in the new threads ... as preseason for the team begins in just a couple weeks -- on May 3.

Fans can obviously expect fireworks as soon as Clark hits the court ... because her four seasons at Iowa were some of the most memorable in the history of the sport.

She averaged 28.4 points per game ... as well as 7.1 rebounds and 8.2 assists per contest. She totaled 3,951 points in all -- a number no other player has ever reached.

A ton of other ex-college superstars, meanwhile, are set to find their new WNBA homes in a matter of minutes too -- including LSU's Angel Reese and South Carolina's Kamilla Cardoso.

Hannah Waddingham scoffed at a photog who asked her to show more leg for his pics ... telling him to watch his mouth ... albeit in way spicier terms.

Check out the clip from Sunday's Olivier Awards at London's Royal Albert Hall ... the "Ted Lasso" star looks downright horrified when the dude requests she strut her stuff and show off more skin, furiously firing back, "Oh my God, you'd never say that to a man!'

The pap mumbles something back at her, but Hannah shuts him down ... replying, "Don't be a d***! Otherwise, I'm out of here. Don't tell me, 'Show me leg.'"

Davis Clarke says he had a crappy run at the Boston Marathon, and he seems to mean that literally -- claiming he crapped his pants ... but TBH, take it with a grain of poopy salt.

The TikTok star/influencer filmed himself crossing the finish line Monday during the annual race in Beantown -- and he says he s*** himself ... proving just how damn dedicated he was to the cause. The camera does capture what looks to be blood running down his legs.

It's definitely a gross sight ... and by the looks of it, it wasn't just a little accident either -- assuming this is actually real, which we're not so sure it is.

John Sterling has been the voice of the Yankees since 1989 ... on Monday, the legendary broadcaster announced he was powering down the microphone once and for all.

"I am a very blessed human being. I have been able to do what I wanted, broadcasting for 64 years. As a little boy growing up on New York as a Yankees fan, I was able to broadcast the Yankees for 36 years. It's all to my benefit, and I leave very, very happy. I look forward to seeing everyone again on Saturday," 85-year-old Sterling said in a statement announcing his immediate retirement.

The Yanks play-by-play radio voice was a mainstay in the Bronx since '89 when he landed the coveted gig. And, we do mean a mainstay. John worked an incredible 5,060 straight ballgames between 1989 and July 2019 ... when he chose to finally take a day off.

All told, Sterling called 5,420 regular season games, and 211 playoff games -- calling the entire career of legendary Yankees like Derek Jeter, Bernie Williams, and Jorge Posada -- all while the team won 5 World Series.

John was most known for his electric home run calls ... all starting with, "It is high, it is far, it is goneee" before launching into his any number of his signature calls, depending on the player who hit the dinger.

"The Giambino" for Jason Giambi, "An A-Bomb from A-Rod" for Alex Rodriguez, "El Capitan" for Jeter, "Bern, baby, Bern" for Williams, "A thrilla from Godzilla" for Hideki Matsui ... and so many others!

The Yankees also released a statement on JS's retirement, saying in part ... "Day in and day out, season after season, and city after city, John Sterling used his seat in the broadcast booth to bring Yankees fans the heartbeat of the game, employing an orotund voice and colorful personality that were distinctly, unmistakably his own."

"John informed and entertained, and he exemplified what it means to be a New Yorker with an unapologetic and boisterous style that exuded his passion for baseball, broadcasting and the New York Yankees."

In the years since, Sterling has chosen to work fewer games as he battled health issues.

Sterling was last behind the mic on April 7, 2024 ... an 8-3 NYY victory.