Pudge Rodriguez Praises Bochy After W.S. Win 'Hall of Famer, Obviously'

ABSOLUTE LEGENDS
TMZSports.com

Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez had nothing but great things to say about Bruce Bochy following his World Series victory this week ... telling TMZ Sports there's absolutely no doubt in his mind the Texas manager will be inducted in Cooperstown one day.

"Hall of Famer," the former Rangers catcher said. "Hall of Famer, obviously."

With a 5-0 win over the Diamondbacks on Wednesday, Bochy became just the sixth manager ever to earn four World Series championship rings. Unlike the other five, though, he's not yet secured a place in baseball's HOF.

Pudge, however, clearly thinks that will happen sooner than later ... calling the 68-year-old one of the greatest big-game coaches of all time.

"When you start to play in the playoffs, it's a different monster," said Rodriguez, who was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2017. "It's always a different game. It's a different ball game. And he's the best doing that. He's the best manager in that situation. And we all see it."

Pudge -- who's been working as a special assistant to the general manager of the Rangers -- said Bochy deserves a ton of credit for leading Texas to its first-ever title, adding that his calming presence made a huge difference in the dugout.

"As a player," he said, "you feel comfortable that, 'Hey, he's going to put all the pieces together to bring this game back and win for us.'"

Pudge also had high praise for the Rangers' World Series MVP, Corey Seager ... calling him straight up "one of my favorite players."

MAJOR LEAGUE GRUB
TMZSports.com

As for what Pudge will do now that baseball's officially hit its offseason ... he'll be staying busy selling pizzas -- telling us he's got his hands full helping make good food at his Pudge's Pizza restaurants.

Texas Rangers' Nathaniel Lowe Sucks Down Fan's Beer, Loses Shirt ... Epic World Series Parade

Nathaniel Lowe was so giddy during the Rangers' World Series parade Friday, he straight-up downed a fan's beer in seconds -- and then ripped off his shirt in celebration of the achievement!!

The 2022 Silver Slugger award winner was being driven around in the back of a pickup truck to soak in love from Texas fans when the hilarious moment happened.

You can see in video from the scene in Arlington, a Rangers supporter tossed Lowe a Modelo -- before the first baseman cracked it open and drank it 'til the last drop.

But, he wasn't done there ... he then ripped off his jersey and his undershirt -- much to the crowd's delight.

Thousands of people showed up to celebrate Lowe and his Rangers after they won the title over the Diamondbacks on Wednesday ... and one supporter was so thrilled by his team's performance, he actually climbed to the top of a light pole to pump his fists.

Thankfully, he reportedly made it down unharmed.

Following the jaunt around the city ... the Rangers then took the stage to address their fans -- and Series MVP Corey Seager delivered an epic drop-the-mic moment.

Enjoy the day, Texas ... ya'll earned it!!

Texas Rangers Blare Creed, Suck Down Booze ... Epic World Series Celebration!!!

CELEBRATING THE CHAMPS
X/@Rangers

The Texas Rangers won the World Series and then they dominated the postgame celebration ... sucking down a ton of beers and bubbly -- all while they blared Creed on the sound system!!

Corey Seager, Nathan Eovaldi and the rest of the guys threw the epic locker room party just a few minutes after they beat up the Diamondbacks, 5-0, at Chase Field in Arizona.

Manager Bruce Bochy got everything kicked off with a congratulations speech -- praising his team for its 4-1 Series win ... and then for a while, the guys got after it.

They dumped bottle after bottle of champagne and Budweiser on each other ... pausing only to make sure they sang Creed's "Higher" -- their unofficial postseason anthem -- as loud as possible.

The fiesta got so rowdy that at some points the guys filled buckets full of beer ... and then they doused each other in the suds.

Eventually, the dudes packed it in to fly back home to Texas ... and you can see in a video of the aftermath of their celebration, it looked like dozens -- if not hundreds -- of bottles of alcohol were spilled during the party.

As for the on-the-field action, Seager made history ... becoming just the second position player ever to win World Series MVP honors. Bochy, meanwhile, logged his FOURTH W.S. title with the victory.

And, Creed made sure to shout out the guys following the dub ... writing on X, "Congratulations Rangers!"

The championship parade in Dallas won't go down for another few days -- giving the Rangers plenty of time to nurse their hangovers ... or to keep the party going!!

Arizona Diamondbacks Fans Hurl Paper Planes On Field ... Disrupt World Series

DIAMONDBACK DISTRACTION
X/@slopstock

The Arizona Diamondbacks had to threaten to boot people from the World Series on Tuesday night ... and it's all 'cause they wouldn't stop hurling paper airplanes onto the field.

The wild scene happened late in the Rangers' blowout win over the Snakes at Chase Field in Phoenix ... when fans got so bored with the rout on the diamond -- they decided to fold up papers and chuck them from their seats.

Several of the makeshift planes actually made it all the way to players' feet ... and it happened so often throughout the evening, the stadium's public address announcer had to warn people that if it continued, they'd be thrown out.

"Fans are not permitted to throw objects of any kind on the field," the announcer said during a break in the action.

Eventually, the planes stopped ... however, unfortunately for D-Backs fans, the game never really got much better.

Texas jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the third inning ... and while Arizona was able to scratch out a few runs late, they still never really got close to winning, losing the contest, 11-7.

The Rangers can now wrap up the Series on Wednesday night in AZ ... here's to hoping it's entertaining enough that fans will avoid any in-game origami.

Travis Kelce Caught Singing, Dancing to T-Swift At TX World Series Outing

10/29/23
it's a love story!

Travis Kelce has Taylor Swift on the brain whether he's with her or not -- 'cause the dude's out here singing her songs in public ... even though she's nowhere to be seen herself.

The Chiefs tight end was out in Arlington, TX Friday -- where he swung by Globe Life Field to catch Game 1 of the World Series between the Rangers and the D-backs ... and where he ended up getting caught on camera indulging in his girlfriends catchy tunes.

First, fans noticed TK crooning and dancing along to 'Shake It Off' ... which was played during the game. Travis' bouncing around was actually shown on the jumbotron, and he didn't shy away from lip-syncing -- bobbing his head and getting a little hand action in too.

Later in the evening ... there was another opportunity to belt out some TayTay, and he did.

Check it out for yourself -- the dude was singing his heart out to one of her most well-known songs, 'Love Story,' and he was even seemingly recording himself while doing it. That, or he was on the phone with someone ... possibly even Taylor. 👀

In any case ... the timing of this great for a couple reasons. For one, it shows that he's all in on Taylor and supports her even when she ain't looking. Of course, the bigger deal here is the fact that Taylor just re-released her '1989' album ... and needs all the pub she can get.

Looks like Travis is solid boyfriend material in both capacities -- and funny enough, he's got a similar cheering style as she does when up in the stands.

It's a match made in heaven, y'all.

Arizona Diamondbacks Douse Locker Room In Beer!!! ... After NLCS Win

The Arizona Diamondbacks won the pennant AND the postgame party on Tuesday ... going totally bonkers in the locker room after defeating the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League Championship Series -- and the pics of the boozy bash are nuts!!

The D-Backs came back from a 3-2 deficit to win the final two games of the series ... logging a 4-2 victory at Citizens Bank Park in the elimination tilt to punch their tickets to the World Series.

Of course, no one expected Arizona to face off against the Texas Rangers in the Fall Classic ... considering the D-Backs only won 84 games in the regular season.

Corbin Carroll led the charge for Arizona in Game 7 ... going 3-4 with two RBI, two runs, and two stolen bases. The D-Backs also got some big help from the bullpen, which combined for five shutout innings.

Ketel Marte had the best performance of the series ... batting .387 throughout the seven games for the NLCS champs -- earning MVP honors.

Arizona made sure to celebrate the huge accomplishment ... taking all the Budweiser, Michelob Ultra, and champagne bottles they could and letting the liquid fly!!

There wasn't a dry spot in the locker room ... as all the players threw on their ski goggles and NLCS championship shirts for the festivities.

It's a World Series no one predicted -- the Diamondbacks were 125-1 odds to win it all before the season, and the Rangers were 50-1.

The matchup might not feature the biggest markets in the league ... but it's shaping up to be an entertaining series.

The D-Backs will have a few days to nurse their hangovers ... Game 1 against the Rangers is Friday night.

Texas Rangers Boozy Locker Room Rager!!! ... To Celebrate ALCS Win

The Texas Rangers are World Series bound ... and the whole squad celebrated like it on Monday -- raging their faces off after their huge American League Championship Series win!!

The Rangers officially eliminated the Houston Astros in Game 7 ... easily handling the defending road champs in an 11-4 victory.

But before Texas switched its focus to the winners of the Philadelphia Phillies and Arizona Diamondbacks series over in the National League, the boys cracked open the bottles of bubbly and brew and doused each other in a locker room party for the ages.

The squad has a lot to be happy about -- it's only the third time they've made it to the Fall Classic in franchise history, and their first since 2011.

Corey Seager -- who won it all with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2020 -- was at the center of the festivities ... with all his teammates drenching him in alcohol.

Cleanup hitter Adolis García was the star of the night ... winning ALCS MVP thanks to his two-homer game and 15 overall RBI throughout the series.

The Rangers will now patiently wait to see who they'll face off against in the World Series ... and luckily for them, it starts at home!!

Justin Verlander Epic Speech After ALDS Win 'We F***ing Grinded!!!'

"pop these motherf***ers"
FS1

Justin Verlander delivered a speech for the ages following the Astros' American League Division Series win Wednesday night ... dropping F-bombs everywhere -- before dousing his teammates with booze!!!

The epic moment -- which somehow went uncensored on television -- happened in Houston's locker room following its 3-2 Game 4 victory over the Twins in Minnesota.

Manager Dusty Baker didn't want to address his team in-depth following the victory -- he said he was waiting for the World Series to do that -- so Verlander stepped in ... and it's safe to say he got the guys riled up.

Verlander said the F-word six times ... while mixing in an S-word as well.

To cap it all off, he told his teammates to "pop these motherf***ers" -- referring to bottles of champagne -- on the count of seven ... and when he hit a beat after six, the party was on.

Bubbly flew everywhere -- and the locker room festivities then raged on for the next few minutes.

Of course, it'll be back to work soon for the 'Stros ... the American League Championship Series against the Rangers begins on Sunday -- but that certainly leaves a couple more days to celebrate their seventh straight trip to ALCS!!

MLB Playoff Teams Create New Food Concoctions ... Glazed Donut Sandwich & The 'Schwarburger!!!'

MLB playoff teams are making sure their fans are well fed as they watch their favorite squads push for a World Series title this month ... putting out some new food items that include glazed donuts and a whole lotta meat!

The Braves, Orioles, Astros, Dodgers, Brewers, Twins, Phillies and Rangers all each announced they'll have some zany concoctions at their concession stands throughout their postseason runs this fall.

Perhaps the most notable of the bunch is Atlanta's "Chicken ain't nothing but a bird Blue" sandwich -- which includes three glazed donuts, pickled green tomatoes and two fried chicken breasts ... all topped off with some powdered sugar.

Not to be outdone ... Philadelphia also revealed its "SchwarBurger" -- a gargantuan burger they put out to honor designated hitter Kyle Schwarber.

The sandwich contains beef, smoked brisket, cheese, bacon, onion rings and a whole lot more. And, according to the Phils, it'll be sold for a good cause ... with some of the proceeds benefitting Schwarber's Neighborhood Heroes.

Some of the other cool dishes include fried Walleye sliders in Minnesota, a fried chicken sausage in Milwaukee and some loaded mini corn dogs in Houston.

The playoffs officially kicked off on Tuesday ... now who's hungry?!?

LLWS Player I'm Gonna Sit This One Out ... Attempts Wild Stance In Box

Ya gotta give this Little League World Series player an A for effort -- one kid tried to shrink the strike zone as much as possible during an at-bat on Tuesday ... by practically sitting in the box!!

It all went down during Mexico's matchup against Venezuela ... when second baseman Santiago Hernandez stepped up to the plate in the top of the 5th inning.

With a 1-0 count, Hernandez crouched down until he was basically in the dirt ... but unfortunately for him, his master plan didn't go according to plan, as Venezuela's pitcher threw a strike.

The announcers got a good laugh out of it ... wondering if the young athlete had practiced the stunt in the past.

As it turns out, the Little League rulebook specifically addresses this sort of thing -- stating a batter's strike zone is determined based on their normal stance ... displayed when they swing at a pitch or take a practice whiff.

In other words, Hernandez's crouching didn't change his strike zone one bit ... resulting in a called strike.

It ultimately didn't matter, though ... 'cause Mexico ran away with a 3-1 victory to advance to the fourth round.

President Biden Makes Old Jokes With Dusty Baker ... During Astros White House Visit

AGED LIKE FINE WINE
White House

The Houston Astros got the VIP treatment at the White House on Monday to celebrate their World Series title ... and POTUS came with the jokes!!

80-year-old President Joe Biden welcomed the 2022 champions to 1600 Penn with a special ceremony minutes ago ... and he showed off his comedic side with a number of funny personal jabs throughout his speech.

The highlight of the day came when Biden praised 'Stros manager Dusty Baker ... revealing he was a fan of the legend during his playing career, even though he was six years his senior.

"Worst part was, I remember rooting for him as a kid, and I was older than he was," Biden said.

The crowd was into it ... laughing as #46 made the sign of the cross to cap off the joke.

But, Biden wasn't done poking fun at himself -- he also made a silly comparison to Baker working well into his 70s.

"People counted you out, saying you were past your prime. Hell, I know something about that!!"

Biden's age is something President Donald Trump mentioned numerous times during their heated 2020 presidential run ... despite there only being a three-year difference.

Nice to see he's able to joke about it all now!!

Chipper Jones Sells Georgia Mansion For $11 Mil ... Comes W/ Heated Olympic-Sized Pool!!

Someone's about to live like a champion -- a very wealthy World Series champion -- 'cause Braves legend Chipper Jones just unloaded his gigantic mansion in Georgia for $11 MILLION!!

The estate was built in 2013 and sits on 37 wooded acres in Canton, only 13 miles northeast of Atlanta ... where the Braves star was one of the greatest players of his generation.

The gated estate has eight bedrooms, nine baths, a nine-car garage, and entertainment for days including a home theater, game room, dirt bike track, and a 4-stall horse barn.

BTW, the stable has a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment inside, as well.

But, perhaps the best perk is the heated Olympic-sized pool on the mansion grounds!

The interior features floor-to-ceiling windows, hardwood floors, natural stone, and high ceilings.

MEGA MANSION
Ilya Zobanov of Golden Lens Media

The Jones property was listed by Katie McGuirk of Ansley Real Estate for $15 million in 2022, but after months on the market, the crib finally sold this week for $11M. Jones bought the property in 2018 for $9.25M.

Now, why would Jones let this beautiful place go? We're told he's simply downsizing.

Of course, Jones has been a beloved Atlanta resident since the Braves selected the third baseman as the first overall pick in the 1990 MLB Draft ... and during his 19 seasons, he became an 8-time All-Star, a 2-time Silver Slugger winner, an MLB batting champ, NL MVP, and a World Series champ.

The Braves retired his No. 10 jersey and he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2018. He's currently the Braves' assistant hitting consultant.

Congrats to the new homeowners!

Babyface I Have Super Bowl Jitters ... But This Gig Bigger Than Butterflies!!!

WHAT AN HONOR
TMZ.com

Babyface will be belting out "America the Beautiful" at Super Bowl LVII next month … and the R&B legend tells us he never expected in a million years he'd be tapped for the honor.

TMZ Hip Hop chopped it up with Babyface shortly after the NFL and Roc Nation's Tuesday morning announcement, and he was already predicting he'll be a frazzled mess leading up to game day -- but he still plans on giving the millions of viewers an honest performance that showcases his talents!!!

Face knows he's got big shoes to fill ... the late Ray Charles’ rendition of 'ATB' -- performed at the World Series in 2001 -- is immortalized in the Grammy Hall of Fame, and is a radio staple every 4th of July.

He says the song speaks to his soul melodically, so he plans on putting together one of his classic Babyface arrangements -- and adds he'll even have some divine inspiration.

What's making the once in a lifetime performance even more special, is the fact he's teaming up with the clothing company Shine the Light On -- a special collaboration to pay tribute to his mother, who passed away in 2012.

Fair to say Babyface will have some angels on his shoulder on Super Bowl Sunday because he's also thinking about late brother ... After 7 singer, Melvin Edmonds, who died in 2019, and was an avid football fan.

10/4/22
BIG GAME ENERGY
TMZ.com

He isn't the only performer who's admitted to pregame jitters -- when we spoke to Rihanna last year, she copped to being a little nervous for her halftime show performance. Yes, even superstars get butterflies!!!

But, Babyface has zero doubts RiRi will kill it, and he floated his wishes to record with her down the line.

BTW, Roc Nation also tapped Sheryl Lee Ralph to sing "Lift Every Voice" and Chris Stapleton for the national anthem.

As for Face, the R&B maestro has a busy schedule this year ... with a deluxe edition of his last album, "Girls Night Out" and a tour with the incomparable Anita Baker -- but not before he brings the house down a few weeks from now in Arizona!!!

Houston Astros Gifts For The Champs ... Team Logo Diamond Pendants!!!

CHAMPIONSHIP BLING
Ez Access

The Houston Astros will have more than just a championship ring to celebrate their World Series win ... the team is also getting custom diamond pendants too!!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... the bling is coming courtesy of Houston rapper Trae Tha Truth and celeb jeweler Iceman Nick -- who were so pumped that the home team got the dub over the Phillies this month, they wanted to get them some drip to show their appreciation.

A total of 60 chains were made by the duo after Houston locked up the Fall Classic ... and most members of the Astros' org. -- including players, coaches, owners and some staff members -- will get them.

The gifts are pretty awesome ... they feature an Astros logo that's encrusted in diamonds. And, we're told each pendant is valued at $5,000!

Some players received the ice at a ceremony on Wednesday -- and the guys were stoked over the new jewelry. Others members of the title squad, we're told, will get them delivered at a later date.

To victors go the spoils, for sure!

Houston Astros Fans Get In Wild, Hair-Pulling Brawl ... At World Series Parade

Two Houston Astros fans got into a wild brawl during the team's World Series celebration on Monday -- where hair was pulled, and PLENTY of punches were thrown.

The fight took place at some point during the MLB team's through-the-streets festivities in Houston ... when two women grew so upset with each other, they decided to settle their beef with their hands.

Video shot by a fan near the fracas shows the two immediately went for each others' hair ... and, eventually, the woman in an Alex Bregman jersey was hurled down to the sidewalk.

You can see in the clip, the Bregman fan tried her best to fight back ... throwing a slew of punches from the ground -- but she got pummeled until others tried to step in.

No word on if anyone suffered any injuries ... or if any arrests were made.

Sen. Ted Cruz Hit By Beer Can At Astros Parade ... Man Arrested

UPDATE

8:43 AM PT -- 11/8 -- The Houston Police Dept. has ID'd the can-throwing suspect as Joseph Halm Arcidiacono, who they say has now been charged with aggravated assault over the incident.

UPDATE
UPDATE

In his mug shot, Arcidiacono appears to be wearing a Houston Astros throwback jersey.

UPDATE

2:30 PM PT -- According to the Houston Police Dept., a 33-year-old man who allegedly threw the beer can was arrested at the scene.

UPDATE

"The beer can struck the Senator in the chest/neck area," cops said. "The Senator did not require medical attention."

UPDATE

Police say the man -- who's yet to be ID'ed -- has been taken to jail and is facing potential assault charges.

UPDATE

1:43 PM PT -- Things went from bad to worse for Ted Cruz during the parade ... because after he had been booed and flipped off during the celebration -- he was then pelted by a beer can.

UPDATE
UPDATE

Video from the parade route shows the empty drink made a beeline for his head ... but, thankfully for the senator, it clanked off his outstretched arm and didn't appear to do any damage to the 51-year-old.

UPDATE

It's unclear if any arrests were made over the throw, we've reached out to cops ... but so far, no word back yet.

Ted Cruz is back in Texas, but he's still hearing boos -- the senator just got an earful of jeers from fans in Houston while he was riding in the Astros' World Series parade.

Cruz was on a military jeep as part of the celebration for the best team in baseball ... and cameras caught fans laying into him as his ride made its way through the streets.

People booed loudly ... and, according to Astros reporter Ben DuBose, some even flipped the lawmaker the bird.

Of course, this is far from the first time Cruz has heard the heckling ... in fact, just two weeks ago, fans at Yankee Stadium tore into him during NY's ALCS game against the 'Stros.

Cruz, who was reppin' Houston with an orange shirt and a blue vest, got booed loudly, with one man even calling him a "racist piece of s***."

BOOING CRUZ
Hunter Walker Via Storyful

Cruz appears to have gotten the last laugh on everyone, though -- his beloved Astros closed out the Yankees that night, and then went on to beat the Phillies, 4-2, in the W.S. this weekend.

As for the rest of the parade, the guys all seem to be having a blast celebrating their second title in six seasons.

Originally Published -- 11/7 11:40 AM PT

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