Baseball

A 110-year-old Honus Wagner baseball card -- the Holy Grail for card collectors -- just sold for $1.2 MILLION!!!

Craziest part? The card ain't in great shape ... the physical quality was only rated a 2 out of 10 (10's perfect mint condition)

So, why'd it sell for a freakin' fortune?

Wagner -- an 8x NL batting champion who's considered one of the greatest baseball players of all-time -- reportedly hated the card because it was made by a cigarette company ... American Tobacco Company.

'Cause of that, ATC only made a handful of the cards between 1909 and 1911 ... making it arguably the most desirable baseball card of all-time.

The private sale was brokered by SCP Auctions in SoCal.

Wagner -- who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1936 -- made $138k over his 21-year professional baseball career, according to Baseball Reference.

His picture on a piece of paper just sold for $1,200,000.

The Detroit Tigers should sign Dallas Keuchel and Craig Kimbrel ... so says their own manager, Ron Gardenhire, who tells TMZ Sports, "We could use them."

The two free agents have yet to sign with new teams despite being stars in the league ... and when we got Gardenhire out in NYC over the weekend, he says he wouldn't mind seeing them in Detroit jerseys.

Ron's right ... the Tigers COULD use those guys. Detroit is currently 19-32 and sitting in 4th place in the AL Central.

The problem for Ron? The two stud pitchers are expected to command a TON of money when they do eventually sign -- and that ain't exactly what Detroit's front office wants to do at this point.

As for if either of the free agents WILL have a team at some point this season ... Ron's confident even if it ain't his Tigers -- some MLB squad will "will step up."

Magic Johnson doesn't have a reputation as a "bully" in the Dodgers organization -- at least according to Justin Turner who tells TMZ Sports, "He's been great to me."

Johnson has been under fire over an ESPN report which dove into the dysfunction within the L.A. Lakers organization -- it painted Magic as a jerk who would often berate his staff.

One staffer told ESPN, "He used intimidation and bullying as a way of showing authority."

Since Magic is co-owner of the L.A. Dodgers -- we asked Turner if he's had any similar experiences with his boss.

"I love Magic," the Dodgers 3rd baseman said at Philippe's restaurant in L.A. ... "Been great to me."

Turner was doing a promotional event at Philippe's -- which is an L.A. institution because it was opened back in 1908 by Philippe Mathieu, the guy who claims he invented the French Dipped Sandwich!!!

10:35 AM PT -- TMZ Sports has obtained the mug shot from Herrera's arrest.

We've also obtained court docs from the incident ... which say Herrera's girlfriend was found with "hand print markings to her neck area and small scratches to her arms."

Odubel is due in court to face the charge in June on the same day the Phils are scheduled to play the Nationals in D.C.

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Odubel Herrera was arrested Monday night after cops say he roughed up his 20-year-old girlfriend during an altercation in an Atlantic City casino.

According to the Atlantic City Police Department, Herrera and his GF got into a dispute at the Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino during the Phillies' off day Monday.

Cops were called to the scene ... and when they saw the woman, they said she had visible injuries on her arm and neck.

Cops say they found 27-year-old Herrera in his hotel room after the incident ... and arrested him on the charge of simple assault.

Herrera -- who's batting just .222 with 1 home run for the Phils this season -- was released from custody shortly after and will be required to return for a court date in the future.

For their part ... Major League Baseball says it's placed Herrera on administrative leave in wake of the arrest.

"This morning we were made aware of an alleged incident involving Odúbel Herrera," the Phillies said in a statement ... "Upon receiving this information, we immediately reported the incident to Major League Baseball, which has informed us that Herrera has been placed on Administrative Leave."

"The Phillies take any domestic violence accusation seriously, and strongly support the Joint Domestic Violence Policy agreed upon by MLB and the MLBPA."

Bill Buckner -- who drew the ire of Red Sox fans for decades due to a major World Series error -- has died after battling dementia ... according to his family.

Buckner passed away early Monday morning surrounded by family and friends following a tough battle with Lewy Body Dementia, per a statement his family released. They went on to write, "Bill fought with courage and grit as he did all things in life."

They ended their remarks by saying, "Our hearts are broken but we are at peace knowing he is in the arms of his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

He's perhaps most famous for a game-deciding blunder during the 1986 World Series, when he was playing first base for Boston and failed to field a slow chopper down the line.

With the game tied at the bottom of the 10th and a runner on second, Mets player Mookie Wilson tapped a ball on the ground toward first, which seemed like an easy enough play to make -- only Buckner didn't. It hopped between his legs and rolled into right field.

The Mets scored and won the game, and then went on to win Game 7 ... dashing the hopes of the Red Sox who were hunting for their first World Series win at the time since 1918. The mistake went down in baseball history, and made him hated among Sox fans for years to come.

Buckner was eventually honored at Fenway Park in 2008, after the Sox had won the WS four years prior. He threw out the ceremonial first pitch, and it was clear the old wounds between himself and the city had healed.

He played with the Dodgers, Cubs and Sox over the course of his 22 season baseball career.

Bill was 69.

Megan Thee Stallion has exploded to become one of the hottest rappers in hip-hop right now ... and the genius who signed her to her record deal is the ex-MLB superstar, Carl Crawford.

If you're not familiar with Megan (shame on you) she and her hottie army are taking over the rap game with her debut album, "Fever," which just dropped ... and everyone from Drake to Juicy J is showing love.

Turns out Megan had a big-time ally helping her get to the top ... she's signed to Crawford's label, 1501 Certified Ent, and when we talked to Carl he told us it's not a one-off, he's in the game to stay.

"We got Megan and we think she's gonna be a huge star. And, not only her ... we're hoping we have other people come up through the system as well."

Crawford played 15 years in the MLB making over $179 million in his career -- and he tells us he's spent a big part of his fortune to launch his record label.

"It was at least 7 figures, I'll tell you that. And, that's because I built a studio and all that other stuff."

Megan's album's just dropped last week and all the experts are projecting it to land in the Billboard Top 10 ... so it seems Carl's investment is paying off big.

Plus, now that Megan is blowing up ... it should be easier for him to land top talent moving forward.

BTW, here's one of Megan's videos ... you're welcome.

"Who's the quarterback here?"

Um ... clearly you are, President Obama!!!

Barack delighted a bunch of kids -- especially one little wide receiver -- Wednesday by visiting the Washington Nationals foundation & Youth Baseball Academy in D.C. ... and he didn't hold back from showing off his athleticism.

He was appointed QB in a pickup football game, and uncorked a touchdown pass. Doesn't look like it was a tight spiral, but either way, the kid on the other end made a hell of a catch.

Then, 44 stepped up to the plate and ripped a double in the gap. Probably could have stretched it into a triple ... but he showboated a little running to first.

Obama also delivered a motivational speech to the kids, telling them to work hard and believe in themselves ... and they'll do great things.

He added, "I had a blast with all these extraordinary young people."

Dodgers pitcher Julio Urias is back -- the 22-year-old is officially off administrative leave following last week's domestic violence arrest, Major League Baseball has announced.

MLB issued a statement saying, "Urías has been reinstated from Administrative Leave while the investigation into a matter governed by the Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy continues."

MLB says they are still investigating the matter.

TMZ Sports broke the story ... Urias -- one of the hottest young pitchers in baseball -- was arrested May 13 after he allegedly got physical with his girlfriend in the parking lot of the Beverly Center.

Officials reviewed video of the incident and determined there was enough evidence to make an arrest. He was hauled to a nearby station and spent the night behind bars.

As we previously reported, prosecutors feel the case against Urias is "weak" based on the evidence -- which doesn't appear to show Urias had an "intent to injure" when he put his hands the women.

Instead, we're told it seems like Urias was trying to prevent his GF from leaving the parking lot -- and she went to the ground as a result ... but it did not appear as though he wanted to hurt her.

MLB officials launched their own investigation but according to the L.A. Times, they weren't able to get their hands on the video.

Urias had been placed on a 7-day administrative leave by MLB -- but now that's over and Urias can return to the mound.

The criminal case against Urias is still technically active ... but we're told that should wrap up shortly.

How did Jon Lester, Anthony Rizzo and a couple other Cubs get over a sad loss Saturday in D.C.???

COLLEGE BAR NIGHT, BABY!!!

Lester -- fresh off of giving up 10 hits and 5 earned runs in just 4.1 innings against the Nats -- tucked his best dress shirt into his jeans, grabbed Rizzo, Albert Almora Jr. and Kyle Schwarber and hit the town.

Eyewitnesses tell TMZ Sports the guys were out at Sauf Haus Bier Hall -- a college bar 4 miles from Nationals Park.

And, at one point, things got kinda awkward ... 'cause Lester's brutal performance was replaying on the TV screens!!!

But, we're told the guys weren't fazed by the reminder of their L earlier in the day ... 'cause they danced around until 3 AM ... and then cruised over to McDonald's for some late-night munchies!!!

Move over Vladimir Guerrero ... Sammy Sosa says it's HIS son who will be the MLB's next big thing -- telling TMZ Sports his 5-year-old boy is legit!!!

We got Sosa out at LAX this past week when he revealed his son, Rolando Sosa, has a sweet swing ... and he's projecting BIG things for him in about a decade.

"He's going to be good," Sosa says ... "He's got a good swing."

Sammy scoffed at the idea of his boy being a pitcher when he grows up ... telling us Rolando is built to be a hitter just like Dad.

As for Sammy's advice for the young Sosa ... Sammy says he's already teaching him to keep his head still through the strike zone!!!

Of course, Rolando is Sammy's sixth kid ... so the Cubs legend knows a thing or two about how they grow up.

Former Braves superstar Andruw Jones took Action Bronson YARD in a slow-pitch softball game Thursday night ... crushing a ball so far, it flew over the actual MLB fence!!!

The tape-measure bomb all went down at CC Sabathia's second Celebrity Softball Game at Yankee Stadium ... where Jones showed no mercy on the "Baby Blue" rapper.

Bronson lobbed a softball over the plate ... and instead of lightly hitting a pop fly over the game's miniature fences set up just outside of the infield, Andruw decided to take it a step further.

Dude WALLOPED the pitch so hard ... it traveled somewhere in the area of 400 FEET into the third row of the left centerfield bleachers!!!

Of course, hitting dingers ain't anything new for Jones ... the 5-time All-Star crushed 434 homers in his legendary 17-year career. But still, this was a slow-pitch softball!!!

By the way, CC's game is turning into an amazing annual event -- huge stars like Fat Joe, Aaron Judge, Tracy McGrady, Tiki Barber and Gary Sheffield all showed up for a great cause.

Sammy Sosa says it's time to finally come back to Chicago ... the legendary Cub tells TMZ Sports he's looking to return to Wrigley after a 12-YEAR hiatus!!!

Of course, Sosa's been missing from the historic ballpark since he quit playing back in the 2000s ... mostly because team chairman Tom Ricketts has created an icy situation with the ex-superstar.

And, why? Ricketts has said multiple times over the years he wants Sosa to come clean about his alleged PED use before the Cubs will officially welcome him back.

Unclear if Sosa is ready to meet those demands ... but he tells us he's ready to return to Chicago nonetheless.

"I haven't gone back to Chicago yet, but I will," Sosa says.

Sammy -- who says he's still a HUGE Cubs fan -- tells us he's been happy living out his life in Miami in the meantime ... saying that's actually the reason why he's yet to make an Illinois return.

"I haven't had the time to go to Chicago, but I will."

Multiple law enforcement sources tell TMZ Sports ... the domestic violence case against Dodgers star pitcher Julio Urias is "weak" based on the evidence.

We're told the video of the incident does show Urias making physical contact with the woman during the March 13 altercation in the Beverly Center parking lot -- but as one source puts it, "It doesn't appear there's criminal intent to injure her."

One source says it appears Urias used his hands in an attempt to stop her from leaving the area during a heated argument.

In other words, it seems as though he was trying to restrain her, not strike her ... though the woman DID go to the ground at some point during the argument.

We're not trying to minimize the seriousness of the situation -- but rather, this is what we're being told by people who are involved in the case.

We're told both parties have been very cooperative with investigators and are telling consistent stories about what happened.

Urias was arrested for misdemeanor battery and spent the night in jail. He was released Tuesday morning on $20,000 bond.

Major League Baseball has placed Urias on administrative leave while they gather evidence.

Chris Sale's early season struggles are gone and the Red Sox star is officially back -- so says Pedro Martinez, who tells TMZ Sports ... Sale's 17-strikeout game Tuesday reminded him of him!!!

"Brought back some memories," Pedro says.

In case you missed it ... Sale got off to a BRUTAL start to this season -- he allowed 17 earned runs in his first 4 games -- and a whole lot of people wondered if the 30-year-old had anything left.

But, Sale's lit it up in his last 3 outings -- with 10, 14 and 17 K performances -- and now, Pedro is officially back on the 7-time All-Star's bandwagon.

In fact, Pedro tells us he couldn't help but think about his own career when Chris was mowing through the Rockies on Tuesday night ... 'cause he's the last Sox pitcher before Sale to strike out 17!

And, if ya don't remember how the Boston legend did that, here are the highlights ... you're welcome.

Bruce Willis has done a lot of cool things in his career ... but uh, this is bad. Like REALLY bad.

The "Die Hard" actor threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Phillies game on Wednesday ... and it's pretty damn embarrassing, considering it didn't even make it to the plate before hittin' the ground!!!

A couple of things to address -- 1. Bruce was standing a few feet IN FRONT of the mound and he still didn't reach the plate. 2. How did the "Die Hard" theme music blaring over the PA system NOT get him in the zone??? Dude shoulda been able to throw it a mile.

The boo birds let Willis have it ... and rightfully so. But, there's a silver lining here, Bruce -- at least it wasn't as bad as 50 Cent's first pitch in 2014.

That STILL gives us nightmares.

Chicago Cubs star Ben Zobrist and his Christian pop singer wife are headin' for Splitsville ... 'cause Julianna Zobrist has filed for divorce ... TMZ Sports has confirmed.

There's been speculation about their relationship after Zobrist left the team last week due to "personal reasons" ... and Julianna deleted her Twitter and scrubbed her IG of most of their pics together.

Court records in Illinois show the singer filed the docs on Monday ... confirming the split is in the works.

Ben was the World Series MVP when the Cubs won in 2016. He's also a 3-time All-Star.

Julianna is a pretty successful singer -- 1 single from her 2016 album, "Shatterproof," hit the Billboard charts.

She also famously performed "God Bless America" at Wrigley Field before Game 4 of the 2016 World Series (the Cubs ended up losing that game).

Zobrist and Julianna have been married since 2005 and 3 kids together -- a son and 2 daughters.