Baseball

Heads continue to roll in the wake of the Astros' bombshell cheating scandal ... NY Mets manager Carlos Beltran is stepping down because of his role in the scheme.

Major League Baseball announced its findings Monday in the investigation into allegations Houston stole signs beginning in 2017 ... and in the report, it said Beltran was one of the initiators of the cheating.

According to commissioner Rob Manfred, Carlos told the team they could benefit from stealing signs.

From there, Manfred said the 'Stros ran with the idea ... and continued to cheat by filming catchers' signs, decoding them and relaying them to batters using a dugout trash can.

Most of the major players in the scheme have lost their jobs after the findings of the probe were announced ... Astros manager A.J. Hinch, Houston GM Jeff Luhnow AND Red Sox manager Alex Cora (who was the 'Stros' bench coach at the time) are all OUT of their jobs.

Now, Beltran and the Mets have followed suit.

It's a bummer for NY ... they JUST hired Carlos in November to replace Mickey Callaway -- and Alex Rodriguez told us he expected HUGE things from the guy in New York.

Originally Published -- 10:12 AM PT

Here's something that'll make you feel REALLY unathletic ... Nationals star Ryan Zimmerman suited up in goal for the Capitals on Wednesday -- and saved an Alex Ovechkin slap shot!!!

Unclear why the Washington infielder decided to trade in the mitt for a set of goalie pads this week ... but he sure as hell impressed everyone watching at Caps practice.

Zimmerman got between the pipes and stopped one-timers from Ovi ... and later got in some shootout drills, where he didn't suck either!

But, the most impressive part? That came when Alex decided to fire a missile at Zimmerman from the point -- and he saved it with a flashy piece of leather!!!!

Zimm was pretty humble after the workout ... hilariously calling it all, "terrifying."

"What a great experience," he said. "Terrifying, but fun. Glad I did it, but I'll never do it again."

Tragic news in the Washington Nationals organization ... one of their up-and-coming pitching prospects died Sunday reportedly after a motorcycle crash in the Dominican Republic.

Fausto Segura -- a 6-foot-3 right hander who signed with the Nats back in 2017 -- was allegedly driving his motorcycle when he was struck by a van, ESPN Deportes said.

Segura was reportedly visiting his hometown of Barahona at the time of the accident. He was 23 years old.

"The Washington Nationals are extremely saddened to learn of the tragic passing of Fausto Segura," the team said in a statement Monday. "He was beloved by his teammates, coaches, coordinators and everyone he came in contact with throughout our organization."

Segura pitched in the Nationals' farm system the past three seasons ... and showed some upside, according to assistant general manager of international operations Johnny DiPuglia.

"He was starting to take off," DiPuglia said of Segura. "We were excited about him. But the thing we were most excited about him was how his maturation had improved."

"So that’s the sad thing. The kid was starting to figure some things out, and then this happens."

The MLB just laid the hammer down on the Astros over sign-stealing allegations ... suspending manager A.J. Hinch for 1 YEAR -- and hitting the team with all kinds of other punishments for cheating.

MLB commish Rob Manfred just made the announcement ... saying the league found the Astros DID, in fact, steal signs from opponents beginning in the 2017 season.

Per Manfred, the league interviewed 68 witnesses -- including 23 current and former Astros players -- and found the cheating allegations to be credible.

As part of the punishment, Manfred announced 1-year suspensions for both Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow ... as well as a fine of $5 MILLION AND the loss of draft picks.

Manfred said the Astros will be forced to give up their first AND second-round picks in both the 2020 and 2021 drafts.

Per the league's report, the Astros used a complicated scheme where they filmed signs, decoded them in a separate room and relayed the upcoming pitches to batters by banging on dugout trash cans.

The report says former Astros bench coach and current Red Sox manager, Alex Cora, was the mastermind behind all the cheating.

Tim Tebow getting an invite to Mets' spring training is NOT a publicity stunt ... so says Ryan Braun, who tells TMZ Sports the ex-NFL QB has a real chance to make NY's roster!

Of course, a lotta people are saying otherwise ... convinced Tim's only getting the opportunity this year because it draws fans to the Mets' preseason camp.

But, Braun told us out at the California Strong Charity Softball event Sunday he thinks Tim's definitely got the goods to make the Mets' opening day squad.

"I would never count that guy out," the Brewers superstar says. "He's proven that he's the type of dude that can make it in anything he aspires to be great at."

Tim's had a VERY up-and-down baseball career since he gave up football in 2016 ... with the former Heisman Trophy winner having more lows than highs in the Mets' minor league system.

In his four years in the minors, Tebow's batting average is just .223 -- although he did make a prestigious All-Star game during a solid 2018 season.

The Mets appear to be determined to give him every chance to make their roster (this is the 4th straight year they've invited him to camp) and Braun says he wouldn't be surprised to see Tebow finally make The Show this season.

"If you look at the numbers of guys who make it to the minor leagues, it's so difficult to ever get to the Major Leagues," Braun says.

Tim Tebow will get yet another shot to play in the big leagues ... the NY Mets just announced they invited the former NFL QB to their spring training camp for the 4th straight year.

Tebow's been trying to make it to The Show since 2016 ... when he decided to quit playing football to pursue the chance of being the MLB's next big slugger.

But, the road has been pretty rocky for the former Heisman Trophy winner ... in the 2016 and 2017 seasons in the Mets' minor league system, he stunk up the diamond.

2018 was MUCH more promising for the ex-NFL first-round pick ... he batted .273 and hit 6 home runs in 84 games -- but his year was cut short because of a broken hand.

Last season, meanwhile, was another down year for Tim ... he batted just .163 in 77 games and was forced to miss most of the season yet again because of another hand injury.

But, the Mets seem determined to give him every chance in the world to make their Opening Day roster ... 'cause the invite they handed down to him Friday is no joke.

Tebow was 1 of 8 non-roster invitees to the Mets' 2020 Spring Training camp ... and the other seven dudes that got the coveted honor are LEGIT prospects.

So, with Tebow being treated like one of the org's best ... could this be the year he gets Big League ABs???

THIS IS INSANE!!!!

An ex-MLB player was SO PISSED about nearly being beaned during a Venezuelan winter league game Wednesday ... he straight-up turned around and attacked the catcher with his bat!!!

The wild scene all went down during a heated matchup between Aguilas del Zulia and Caribes de Anzoategui -- where pitchers were throwing at batters all night.

But, in the 8th inning ... Aguilas outfielder Alex Romero -- a former Arizona Diamondback -- had enough of the bean wars -- and weaponized his bat after he was nearly struck in the back with a fastball.

The video is NUTS ... 36-year-old Romero takes TWO hacks at Caribes catcher Gabriel Lino -- and then all hell breaks lose.

Lino threw his glove at Romero ... the benches cleared -- and fighting could be seen all over the diamond!!!

Eventually, the umps were able to calm things down ... and ejected several players after the brawl -- including Caribes infielder and Minnesota Twins stud Willians Astudillo.

Reportedly, players will face heavy fines and suspensions over the altercation.

Scary moment for Carlos Correa ... the Astros star says he was forced to run for his life in Puerto Rico after a 6.4 earthquake kickstarted a tsunami warning near his home Tuesday.

"We're getting in our cars and driving out because we live by the beach," Carlos said. "It was terrible."

Carlos was visiting his hometown when the giant quake rocked the island ... and in a conversation with FOX 26 Houston's Mark Berman, he described the frightening scene.

"By the time you realize it's an earthquake, you got to make a decision but you're not sure if it's the right one," Correa said ... "A lot of families lost everything."

The shortstop continued, "A lot of houses went down. A lot of schools went down. It was really sad to drive by & see the damage. It breaks my heart."

According to multiple reports ... the quake was the strongest in Puerto Rico since 1918 -- and left more than 300 people homeless.

Correa -- who made it out of the island safe and back to his home in Houston -- vowed to return to Puerto Rico to help with damage relief.

"We're going to focus on schools," Carlos said. "Kids, unfortunately, they're not going to be able to go to school because they don't have a school to go to."

Baltimore Orioles pitcher Miguel Castro says he's lucky to be alive today ... he says he was robbed at gunpoint and would have been shot during the attack if the weapon hadn't jammed.

The 25-year-old said Tuesday he was on his way to train in the Dominican Republic when he was jumped and robbed by two men.

Castro claims the guys took his chain ... and then attempted to shoot him -- but says the gun locked up on the criminals.

"I'm alive by the mercy of God," Castro said on social media ... "They took my chain and they wanted to kill me. It's unbelievable."

Castro's reps say he's shaken up but fine ... and Miguel added crimes in his hometown have to stop ASAP.

Orioles general manager Mike Elias said in a statement Tuesday, "We are in contact with Miguel Castro regarding today's incident in La Romana, DR and we are very thankful that he is safe."

Bombshell report Friday ... an altercation with a wild boar was allegedly the reason NY Mets star Yoenis Cespedes broke his ankle last year -- and the story is NUTS!!

The season-ending injury the outfielder suffered in May last year happened when he got into a tussle with a boar on his Port St. Lucie ranch, according to the New York Post.

Cespedes -- who has traps set up on his property to keep wild pigs away from humans -- was allegedly startled when one of the boars got loose.

According to the report, Cespedes stepped in a hole in an effort to get away from the animal ... 'causing a nasty break in his ankle.

Don Larsen -- the only pitcher in MLB history to ever throw a perfect game in the World Series -- died Wednesday ... Major League Baseball announced.

Larsen's agent, Andrew Levy, told the Associated Press the ex-New York Yankee passed away due to esophageal cancer. He was 90 years old.

Larsen pitched for seven different teams during his 14-year MLB career from 1953-1967 ... but it was his performance in the 1956 World Series that he'll be forever remembered for.

The right-hander tossed a perfect game -- no hits and no walks allowed -- against the Brooklyn Dodgers in Game 5 of the Fall Classic. He was later named MVP of the series.

Larsen ended his baseball career with an 81-91 all-time record, and finished with a career 3.78 ERA and 849 strikeouts in 1548.0 innings pitched.

"We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Don Larsen, who remained a welcome & familiar face at our annual Old-Timers’ Day celebrations," the NY Yankees announced in a statement.

"The Yankees organization extends its deepest condolences to Don’s family and friends during this difficult time. He will be missed."

Babe Ruth's 500th home run bat has a new owner ... and it came with a price tag of ONE MILLION FREAKIN' DOLLARS!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... the piece of baseball history was scooped up by an unidentified buyer in SCP Auction's huge event on Saturday ... going for a record $1,000,800.

The bat -- used to break the 500-HR mark on August 11, 1929 -- was gifted to longtime friend Jim Rice and has maintained great condition through the years.

BTW -- the stick was authenticated by a bat expert, so you know it's the real deal.

SCP President David Kohler spoke about the big sell, saying “Babe Ruth memorabilia continues to be among the most prized artifacts for all worldwide collectors ... and this outstanding bat proved that once again.”

There was a bunch of other awesome stuff that found new homes as well -- Mickey Mantle's World Series ring ($100k), A-Rod's 600th career home run ball ($97.7k), Joe Lapchick's game-worn jersey ($151k).

The Babe bat made its way to the TMZ office before being handed off to its rightful owner ... and the fellas on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (weeknights on FS1) totally geeked out over it.

Congrats to the mystery buyer!!

Sorry, Boston ... Roger Clemens is predicting a MONSTER career for Gerrit Cole with the New York Yankees, telling TMZ Sports, "It's gonna be great, man."

Cole just inked the fattest contract EVER for a pitcher ... signing a 9-year, $324 MILLION deal to play in pinstripes.

When we got Clemens out in NYC ... he told us he has ZERO doubts the 29-year-old is going to live up to that lofty deal -- saying the ace is just that good.

"We're going to miss him in Houston," Clemens says.

Of course, the Rocket knows a thing or two about succeeding in NY ... the dude is a Yanks LEGEND -- and he tells us Cole's got the right makeup to succeed at Yankee stadium.

"He absolutely does," Clemens says.

As for off the mound ... Roger is just as high on Cole there -- telling us, "He's a better person than he is a pitcher. That's how good a kid he is."

Weed is now LEGAL in the MLB ... the league is lifting its ban on marijuana for minor leaguers, removing the drug from its prohibited substance list.

As part of the MLB's efforts to crack down on opioid use in and around its league ... it has agreed to stop testing minor leaguers for weed, The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reports.

Of course, the MLB already didn't test its big leaguers for marijuana ... but the rule change for everyone else is a big deal for the sport.

Previously, minor league players faced a 25-game suspension for a first positive weed test, a 50-game suspension for a second test, a 100-game suspension for a third and a ban for LIFE for a fourth.

Ex-Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher Jeremy Jeffress is among the list of several current MLB players who have previously been popped for using weed in the minors.

As for the why now ... MLB officials are clearly trying to deter players from turning to opioids to fix their issues -- this after Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs tragically died from an accidental overdose on fentanyl, oxycodone and oxymorphone this past year.

MLB still lists dozens of recreational drugs on its banned substance list ... including cocaine, LSD and MDMA.

Ex-Astros OF/3B J.D. Davis INSISTS he NEVER saw any of his Houston teammates cheat ... despite 'Stros pitcher Mike Fiers claim the squad used high-tech gadgets to steal signs.

Davis -- now a member of the New York Mets -- was with the Astros from 2017-2018 ... smack in the middle of when the team's accused of cheating.

Remember, Fiers -- a starting pitcher -- recently told The Athletic that the 2017 Astros used a camera to steal signs from opposing catchers ... and then relayed the info (what pitch was coming) to 'Stros batters by banging on a garbage can.

The allegation sparked outrage ... and a massive MLB investigation.

But, Davis -- who was at a Mets children's holiday party in NYC Wednesday -- says despite the super-serious allegation, he simply never saw anyone cheat.

"I wasn't aware of anything and even if I was, even if there was, I wish I would've known because I batted only like .180, .200 or something like that," Davis says.

"But, I really have no idea or no clue."

Davis -- who had a monster year with the Mets in 2019 -- struggled with Houston in 2017 ... hitting .226 in his 68 plate appearances.

Davis says he was totally caught off guard by the sinister allegations.

"Sure, I was surprised about it, but I really have no idea. I was kind of like the freshman among the seniors and everything. I really had no idea what was going on or what's really happening, but that's an MLB investigation."

Here's proof CC Sabathia gave EVERYTHING he had to try to get the Yankees another World Series title ...

TMZ Sports got the former MLB ace out in NYC on Tuesday ... and he was sporting a bulky brace on his pitching arm.

When we spoke to sources close to the 39-year-old, they told us he needed surgery last week to clean up the mess he made in his left arm after pitching for the Yanks against Houston in the ALCS.

Tough dude, right?!

Of course, CC battled a TON of injuries in his last year in pinstripes ... the guy famously said he would have had knee surgery over the summer if the Yanks weren't in a championship hunt.

As for his future, a timeline for recovery doesn't matter much anymore ... Sabathia is done pitching for good -- and if you expect to see him around the diamond next year, don't count on it.

The guy told reporters Tuesday he has ZERO interest in managing or broadcasting ... and seems he wasn't kidding when he told us earlier this year he's looking to do a ton of fishing in retirement!