Baseball

Darryl Strawberry has a message for anyone writing Nick Kyrgios off after the tennis star’s positive cocaine test ... ease up!

The former MLB slugger -- who famously battled drug abuse during his own playing days -- is now a pastor helping others through recovery ... and he recently spent a few minutes with TMZ Sports, making it crystal clear where he stands following Nick's positive test.

“I think it’s truly unfair when people punish people, especially athletes, that have substance abuse problems,” Strawberry told us. “I had it for a very long time and I received the same kind of treatment from the public. A lot of times we don’t understand what a person is going through emotionally, mentally, inside."

"Substance abuse is just something to escape from. You can be great as an athlete and have all the talent you want, but at the same time, when you’re broken on the inside, you need to be healed on the inside. And that’s all it is really for him.”

Gene Simmons threw four ceremonial first pitches Saturday night at Angel Stadium ... and the Angels used his shot at a fifth to troll Jayden Daniels over the Commanders QB's fight to protect his old No. 5 jersey at LSU.

The team piled on after the performance ... posting a photo of Simmons on X and joking, "He asked to throw a 5th pitch but we had to say no out of respect for Jayden Daniels."

The punch line was aimed squarely at Daniels' ongoing dispute with LSU ... after the school gave his former No. 5 to sophomore cornerback DJ Pickett.

10:54am PT -- The New York Yankees released a statement saying "The New York Yankees mourn the passing of Tommy John, who was a bedrock of our rotation during his time in pinstripes and a longtime favorite of Yankees fans."

They add ... "While his incredible longevity and post-surgery achievements changed the fortunes and trajectory of countless athletes around the world, it also overshadowed his excellence as a pitcher, which included consecutive 20‑win seasons with the Yankees. We pause to remember the totality of his legacy — his competitiveness and skill, his penchant for conversation, his kind and gracious nature, and his stature as an athletic and medical pioneer."

The statement concludes ... "The Yankees extend our deepest condolences to his family and friends, including wife, Cheryl, daughter, Tamara, and sons Tommy III and Travis. We also keep his son Taylor in our hearts.”

Tommy John, the MLB icon whose groundbreaking comeback helped give his name to one of baseball's most famous surgeries, has died at 83.

John passed away peacefully at his home in Lakewood Ranch, Florida, surrounded by his wife, Cheryl, and family, according to a statement released by his agent, Mike Maguire.

The news comes just days after we reported John was in hospice care at his Florida home and had shared an emotional farewell message with his fans.

Martha Reeves called out her backup singers during anthem rehearsal ... but game time brought no pitch-perfect turnaround.

TMZ has obtained video of the Motown legend practicing "The Star-Spangled Banner" before the Women's Pro Baseball League debut ... and the rehearsal was nearly as rocky as the rendition that later had people piling on.

At one point, Martha stops the singers and declares, "That’s out of tune" ... before asking who's singing the same note as her.

6:24 PM PT -- Martha Reeves tells TMZ in a statement ... “Having just celebrated my 85th birthday, I’ve learned a great deal over more than 60 years of performing live."

Martha continues to add ... "It was an incredible honor to be invited to perform at the inaugural Women’s Professional Baseball League event and to help celebrate such a historic moment for women in sports. I wouldn’t have missed it for the world."

She closes her message with ... "The field conditions were wet and windy, and without stage monitors I wasn’t able to hear myself as I normally would. While it wasn’t the performance I had hoped for, I’m grateful to have been there in support of these remarkable athletes and this groundbreaking league.”

The Women's Pro Baseball League officially made history with its inaugural game Saturday ... but it wasn't just the action on the field getting people talking as Motown icon Martha Reeves took center stage.

Before the first pitch, Martha was joined by two backup singers to perform "The Star-Spangled Banner," helping kick off the league's long-awaited debut.

The anthem quickly became a viral moment online, with social media lighting up as viewers weighed in on the performance -- praising the historic opening ceremony.

Dakota Mortensen and Shinia Powell aren't doing much to keep their romance under wraps anymore ... 'cause "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" stars looked every bit the couple during a date night at a baseball game.

TMZ obtained photos of the pair at The Ballpark at America First Square in South Jordan, Utah, on Thursday night ... and witnesses tell us they weren't trying to keep their relationship a secret or hide anything.

We're told Dakota and Shinia spent much of the evening cuddling on the outfield lawn, with Shinia draping her legs over Dakota as they watched Triple-A Salt Lake Bees, the Minor League affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels.

The World Series champions hit up President Donald Trump's White House on Thursday ... and while POTUS celebrated the Los Angeles Dodgers' incredible run, he first had to pat himself on the back for an extreme home makeover.

Trump kickstarted the ceremony by praising the revamped Rose Garden ... pointing out how it's more friendly for women who wear high heels -- and taking a shot at his predecessor, Joe Biden, as he listed all the new improvements to the area.

When he got to the task at hand, Trump put the spotlight on the Dodgers' ownership and players ... giving a big shoutout to Shohei Ohtani, for being a great two-way player, just like the legendary Babe Ruth.

A Chicago Cubs fan who went viral after smacking a younger man in the back of the head for sitting during the national anthem is breaking his silence ... and he tells us the video's missing a key ingredient.

Here's the deal ... over the weekend, an older gentleman in a Cubs jersey barked at a younger fan in front of him to get off his butt for the Star-Spangled Banner at Wrigley Field ... and when the person kept sitting, the Cubs fan smacked him in the head.

TMZ tracked down the Cubs fan -- Robert "Bob" Chavez -- and he tells us he lost his cool in the moment because he is a Vietnam veteran who had numerous buddies killed in the war.

Bob says he told the young man his veteran status and war stories when asking him to stand ... but the guy just kept sitting down, so Bob let loose a slap.

A Chicago Cubs fan is going viral after he smacked a younger spectator upside the head for not standing during the national anthem ... but not everyone thinks this is patriotic.

Check out the video ... an older gentleman in a Cubs uniform barks at a younger fan in front of him to get off his butt for the Star-Spangled Banner at Wrigley Field ... and when the guy keeps sitting, the Cubs fan reaches back and slaps the back of his head.

Other folks in the stands turn around to see the fuss, and at least one man who saw it all go down raises an issue.

Mike Tyson had his world flipped upside down at the ESPYs ... when he learned in real time Shohei Ohtani -- the biggest star in Major League Baseball -- is a man.

Iron Mike, Jake Paul and DJ Khaled presented the award for best single-game performance at Wednesday's event ... and when El Gallo said the Dodgers slugger sent "his gratitude and appreciation" for the win, Tyson's jaw dropped.

Right before the crowd clapped for Ohtani, who was not present for the ceremony, Tyson is heard on the hot mic asking his former boxing opponent if Sho-Time was really a dude.

Tigers legend Justin Verlander is hangin' up his cleats at the end of the 2026 season ... and he's doing it right in the city where his legendary career started!

The superstar pitcher, in his 21st season in the Big Leagues, penned an emotional letter posted to his X account, confirming his plans to walk off the mound for good after the Tigers' season ends in September.

"This season has challenged me in ways I haven't experienced before, both physically and mentally. I've always believed that as long as I could compete at the level I expect of myself, I’d keep playing. I never wanted to retire because of a milestone, a number, or a date on the calendar. I wanted the game to tell me when it was time," Verlander wrote in the announcement.

It's Shotime ... AKA Shohei Ohtani's birthday! The baseball bday boy turns 32 today ... which calls for a celebration as big as his back-to-back World Series wins!

But what do you possibly get the GOAT of America's pastime?!

Consider this TMZ's love letter to the MLB MVP ... we've rounded up some of Shohei's most ballin' shots ... as the Dodgers' designated hitter and pitcher.

Gorkys Hernandez -- a former MLB player -- revealed his wife, Deisy Maria Tovar De Hernandez, was killed during the devastating earthquakes in Venezuela earlier this week.

The veteran baseball player announced the news via Instagram Saturday ... penning an emotional caption alongside a photo of Deisy.

He starts off by calling Deisy the queen of his life ... adding she's "the most beautiful, beautiful, precious, the best woman in the world," who always looked after him in the hard times.

Two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela Wednesday night ... one of them sent professional baseball players running for their lives as the stadium shook before them.

Check out the surreal clip -- the ground begins to rumble at Estadio Universitario de Caracas as the players continue the game ... until they can't ignore the movement any longer. Players and officials flee to the center of the field, while you hear the crowd erupt in chaos as the stadium shakes under them.

The U.S. Geological Survey reports the first earthquake was initially measured at a magnitude of 7.2, while a more powerful quake followed less than a minute later, measuring at 7.5.

The San Francisco Giants are in the middle of a Pride firestorm that resulted in an absolutely dismal presser with a beloved star ... and now one major conservative voice is telling Major League Baseball enough is enough.

Here's the deal ... a few Giants players wrote Bible verses on their Pride Night caps June 12 ... which pissed off the left, while the right was livid the players had to wear rainbow hats. Then Tuesday, player-turned-front-office honcho Buster Posey was essentially put in front of a media firing squad to address the growing fallout ... and it was a total dumpster fire.

Fox News personality Tomi Lahren used the Buster disaster as a war cry for MLB to abandon Pride Night "s***" ... she says players, coaches and management don't want to be put in this position and adds ... "Baseball is not about who you have sex with! Stop pushing this on people!!!"