Baseball

Ex-MLB player Cody Decker says that Nazi salute at the Oakland A's game is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to anti-Semitism in pro baseball ... insisting the problem is MUCH worse than it seems.

Decker -- who is Jewish -- was drafted by the San Diego Padres in 2009 and made his MLB debut in 2015. He retired from pro baseball in 2019.

In other words, Cody's been around the game a LONG time and has personally dealt with anti-Semitism ... a lot.

"I mean the amount of Nazis jokes I've dealt with throughout my entire career is pretty staggering," Decker says.

When it comes to Oakland A's bench coach Ryan Christenson -- who threw up a Hitler salute during Thursday's game -- Decker says things would have gone down much differently after the game if he was on that team.

"If I was in that locker room, what I’d have to go into that office and have to do with that coach?! We would have to have a very harsh conversation or we would have to shut the door and maybe throw punches because that's unacceptable. Plain and simple."

During our conversation, Decker describes several times he dealt with blunt anti-Semitism from other players, coaches and fans ... and it's downright ridiculous.

"If you think ant-Semitism is not rampant throughout baseball!? ... It's a very, very, very Christian sport and not all of the players that are very, very Christian are the brightest of Christians. That's not knocking Christianity by any stretch of the imagination, I'm just telling you what I've death with throughout my career by being called multiple Jewish slurs by fans, by teammates."

So, what should happen with Christenson?

"I think a fair thing would be a suspension," Decker says ... while suggesting an educational component to educate Christenson on the dangers of anti-Semitism.

THIS IS SAVAGE!!!

Blue Jays catcher Reese McGuire was epically trolled by the Atlanta Braves team organist mid-game Thursday ... and the scene was laugh out loud funny!!

McGuire -- playing in his first game since TMZ Sports posted video of his SUPER awkward masturbation bust -- was walking up to the plate in the 3rd inning when he was greeted by "Beat It" over the Atlanta loudspeakers.

The Michael Jackson tune played for several seconds ... and if you get the reference -- try not to smile!!

Of course, McGuire was stopped by cops in a parking lot last February after witnesses say they saw him inside of his car pleasuring himself.

In police footage of the incident ... McGuire apologized profusely for his actions, saying, "I've realized that I made a mistake having my pants down and doing what I was doing."

He added, "I really am apologetic. And, I know I shouldn't have been doing this."

McGuire eventually was forced to pay fines and fees over it all after cutting a deal with prosecutors ... but clearly, MLB teams ain't going to let him off that easy.

To make matters worse for McGuire ... he finished the night 0-for-3 with two strikeouts after the troll job -- AND the Jays lost in heartbreaking walk-off fashion.

Oakland A's bench coach Ryan Christenson says he "made a mistake" by throwing up a Nazi salute TWICE during Thursday's game against the Rangers ... insisting it was unintentional.

"I made a mistake and will not deny it," Christenson said in a statement.

Christenson made the salute while greeting players in the dugout at the end of the game. You can see pitcher Liam Hendriks trying to correct Christenson's salute into an "elbow bump" position.

But, R.C. eventually went back to the Nazi salute one more time.

Christenson says the whole thing was born out of an attempt to be more COVID-conscious.

"Today in the dugout I greeted players with a gesture that was offensive. In the world today of [COVID-19] I adapted our elbow bump, which we do after wins, to create some distance with the players."

"My gesture unintentionally resulted in a racist and horrible salute that I do not believe in. What I did is unacceptable, and I deeply apologize."

The A's acknowledged the move looked like a Nazi salute and apologized as well.

"We do not support or condone this gesture, or the racist sentiment behind it."

The hatred for the cheating-ass Houston Astros looks to be still rolling along smoothly ...

Here's video of Arizona Diamondbacks closer Archie Bradley appearing to flip off the 'Stros after a huge home run Wednesday night ... and it's pretty hilarious!!!

In the 5th inning of the D'Backs' rout of Houston in Phoenix ... Nick Ahmed blasted a moon shot bomb deep to left-center field that had Arizona's players going crazy.

The camera panned around to everyone while Ahmed was rounding the bases -- and when it got to the Diamondbacks' bullpen, you can see Bradley clear as day pumpin' a middle finger toward the diamond.

Was it directed at the 'Stros players? Seems like it. Was it because Houston was caught in a massive sign-stealing, cheating scheme that rocked baseball? Probably.

Bradley hasn't addressed the single-barrel salute with media yet ... so it's all unclear at the moment.

What is clear, though ... is everyone still hates the Astros for their roles in a 2017 cheating scandal.

Remember, Dodgers pitcher Joe Kelly was just suspended 8 GAMES by MLB after he almost incited a brawl by nearly beaning both Alex Bregman and Carlos Correa in a game last week.

Ya don't buy a car without checkin' under the hood, right?

And, if you're Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez, ya don't buy a pro baseball team without checking out the stadium!

That's what J-Rod did on Wednesday -- getting a VIP tour of Citi Field in Queens as part of their plan to buy the team.

J Lo -- sporting a flowing white sundress -- led the charge with A-Rod and a few other businessy-lookin' dudes.

As we previously reported, the power couple has been gunning to buy the team for months -- and recently linked up with some rich partners to add to their ownership group.

The most recent addition to Alex and Jen's team is Mike Repole -- who co-founded BodyArmor and Vitaminwater. He's rich and also a life-long Mets fan.

They had previously brought on a dream team of current and former NFL ballers including Travis Kelce, Brian Urlacher, Joe Thomas, and DeMarco Murray.

There are two NBA stars in the group as well -- Washington Wizards beast Bradley Beal and Denver Nuggets center Mason Plumlee.

J Lo and A-Rod had previously tried to buy the Mets for around $1.5 billion -- but it didn't exactly work out since the Wilpon family (which owns the team) was hoping to get around $2.5 billion.

Hedge fund billionaire Steve Cohen was the front-runner to buy the team -- he's loaded and has already made a $2 billion bid, according to the NY Post.

But, ESPN says the Wilpons would prefer to sell to Lopez and Rodriguez if they can come closer to the top bid.

As if 2020 couldn't get any weirder ... the Minnesota Twins vs. Pittsburgh Pirates game was paused Tuesday afternoon -- and it's all 'cause a drone flew over the field.

The scene was wild ... in the middle of the fifth inning, umpires pulled players off the diamond when they noticed a flying object cruising high above Target Field in Minneapolis.

The drone hovered over the ballpark for several minutes -- causing a lengthy delay in the game.

Of course, drone flying over ballparks during play is illegal even without fans in attendance -- the FAA still prohibits it -- and MLB was obviously worried about player safety.

No one was hurt, however ... and the unmanned aircraft eventually left the scene and play resumed.

MLB star Yadier Molina says he's one of several St. Louis Cardinals dealing with coronavirus ... announcing Tuesday he tested positive even after following all the proper protocols.

The 38-year-old -- who some expect to be a lock for baseball's Hall of Fame -- said in a statement in Spanish on social media he's disappointed to have contracted the virus.

But, the catcher added he's doing everything possible to return to the team ASAP.

"As I recover," Yadi said, "I request that my privacy and that of my family be respected during my absence from the team."

The Cards said in a statement in addition to Yadi ... infielders Paul DeJong, Edmundo Sosa, and Rangel Ravelo, and pitchers Junior Fernández and Kodi Whitley have also agreed to publicly come forward with their positive diagnosis.

As we previously reported, the Cardinals are currently dealing with at least 13 cases of coronavirus on their team ... with GM John Mozeliak saying some have experienced symptoms like "headaches, coughs, sniffles, and low-grade fevers."

The Cards have had several games postponed due to the outbreak ... with their series against the Detroit Tigers this week already being moved.

The mess continues for the St. Louis Cardinals -- 13 members of the organization have tested positive for the coronavirus ... and the team's upcoming 4-game series with the Detroit Tigers has been postponed.

MLB confirmed ... 7 players and 6 staffers returned positive COVID-19 tests within the past week.

The team will remain in Milwaukee -- where they have been quarantined since Thursday -- until medical officials clear them to travel.

The Cards were supposed to play the Tigers at Comerica Park in Detroit beginning August 4th -- but now, that has been pushed.

The plan, according to MLB, is for the Cardinals to "resume its regular schedule on Friday against the Chicago Cubs in St. Louis."

And, in unrelated bad news, the highly-anticipated Field of Dreams game between the Cards and White Sox in Iowa -- scheduled for August 13 -- has also been canceled due to a "logistical problem," according to the Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.

The NY Mets are concerned about their star outfielder Yoenis Cespedes -- saying he didn't show up to the ballpark for Sunday's game -- and hasn't checked in with team officials.

In other words, they're concerned he may have gone missing.

The Mets are currently playing the Braves in Atlanta. Cespedes WAS in attendance for Saturday's game ... but never made it back to the field on Sunday.

The Mets issued a statement saying ... "As of game time, Yoenis Céspedes has not reported to the ballpark today. He did not reach out to management with any explanation for his absence. Our attempts to contact him have been unsuccessful."

Everyone's hoping there's a simple explanation for the situation ... like YS overslept his alarm -- but obviously, there are much more serious concerns at this point.

34-year-old Cespedes is a 2x All-Star and one of the most important players on the Mets.

Scary scene on the diamond Thursday ... MLB ump Joe West took an accidental bat to the side of the head -- and was forced to leave the game after he couldn't stop the bleeding.

It all went down just a few minutes ago in the Nationals vs. Blue Jays game in D.C. ... when Toronto star Bo Bichette swung at a pitch but accidentally let the bat slip from his grasp.

The piece of lumber went backward, connected right to the side of 67-year-old West's head ... and immediately, players signaled for trainers to rush over.

West was bleeding profusely from his ear area ... and despite medical personnel pressing a towel on the wound -- he was forced to go into the locker room for further treatment.

It should be noted ... West didn't seem out of it, and cameras actually caught him smiling -- but there's been no official update from MLB on his status yet.

The Philadelphia Phillies have brought all team activities to a screeching halt ... after 2 members of the organization tested positive for the coronavirus.

Remember, the Miami Marlins announced a serious COVID-19 outbreak after playing a series in Philly over the weekend ... with at least 19 reported cases as of Thursday morning.

The problem -- some Marlins players reportedly found out they tested positive for COVID prior to Sunday's game against the Phillies ... but the rest of the team decided to play anyway.

Now, the Phillies are reporting 2 members of the team -- zero players -- have tested positive ... and are taking no chances at letting things get worse.

The team says it's shut down all team activities "until further notice" ... which also leaves the Phillies' weekend series against the Toronto Blue Jays up in the air.

The Phillies' series against the Yankees was postponed due to the COVID outbreak ... but MLB commish Rob Manfred says the outbreak is "no nightmare."

Dog piles OUT ... air fives and no-touching circles IN?!?

The S.F. Giants got SUPER creative with their celebration of Mike Yastrzemski's walk-off home run Wednesday ... ditching home plate mobs for a socially distanced party!!!

The scene was hilarious ... in the bottom of the 9th, tied at 6-6 with the Padres, Carl Yastrzemski's grandson hit a moonshot to right that gave the Giants their 3rd win of the season.

Under normal circumstances ... Yaz would've been downright tackled once he finished rounding the bases -- but in a pandemic?? IT WAS A SOCIAL DISTANCE FIESTA, BABY!!

Check out the clip ... the Giants stormed home plate -- but then did nothing more than circle around Yastrzemski and bounce up and down!!

How's this for an amazing tribute!?!?

L.A. Angels outfielder Brian Goodwin threw on custom cleats to honor Kobe Bryant and Nipsey Hussle for his game Wednesday ... and then he balled out of his mind at the plate!!!

29-year-old Goodwin -- who's often publicly spoken about his love for the Mamba and Nipsey -- pulled out the fresh Under Armour kicks for the Halos' home matchup against the Mariners.

The spikes were pretty amazing ... one was all yellow and featured depictions of Kobe, his old jersey #8, and the L.A. Lakers logo.

The other, meanwhile, was baby blue with a black and white checkerboard ... and also featured a picture of Nipsey and a cursive "Crenshaw."

But, when Goodwin took the diamond in the cleats ... he took the tribute a step further, going 2-for-4 at the dish with a double, a home run and 3 RBIs!

The dinger was particularly impressive ... it traveled well over 400 feet -- and Goodwin made sure he showed off the cleats as he emphatically stepped on home plate.

Dr. Anthony Fauci's finally talking about that DISASTER of a first pitch at the Washington Nationals game ... and doc's got EXCUSES!

Sore arm. Poor training. Misjudging the distance.

COME ON FAUCI!!!

The Doc opened up about the debacle on the ESPN Daily podcast -- admitting he hadn't thrown a baseball in decades and wasn't properly prepared for the honor.

"I had been practicing for 2 days before at a walk down that I thought was 60 feet, but it was really probably 45 feet," Fauci said.

"I was throwing and throwing and throwing and I got it right but only it was at 45 feet!"

"And I kind of hurt my arm because I haven’t thrown a baseball literally in decades."

Fauci continued ... "So, as I was getting ready to go out on the mound, my arm was killing me -- but I said hell, I could suck it up and just throw it the way I had been practicing."

But, when Fauci got to the mound, the doc says he panicked -- "I said, 'Oh my god, Sean Doolittle looked like he was 200 feet away!"

Fauci says he changed his throwing motion to try and overcompensate for the distance and soreness ... but it backfired.

"I wound up and threw it like a bullet, only it just went way off to the left."

"So it was my bad, all the way."

L.A. Dodgers pitcher Joe Kelly was a man out for REVENGE on Tuesday -- firing baseballs at the cheating ass Houston Astros ... and nearly igniting a brawl in the process.

He talked trash to the players. He threw a 96 MPH fastball at Alex Bregman's head. And, mocked several players from the mound.

He also struck out Carlos Correa and shouted, "Nice swing, bitch!"

It was all part of a highly anticipated matchup between the Dodgers and the Astros -- the first time the teams had played since an MLB investigation revealed Houston had cheated their faces off during the 2017 season.

Kelly wasn't on the Dodgers during that 2017 World Series run -- but he was on the Boston Red Sox, which had been eliminated by the Astros in the ALCS earlier that year.

So, yeah ... a bunch of people had some serious axes to grind.

Fast forward to Tuesday when Kelly took the mound in the 6th inning of L.A.'s game against Houston in Texas ... it didn't take long for him to appear to try to exact some revenge.

After getting Jose Altuve out ... Kelly got down 3-0 in a count to Bregman -- and then fired a 96 MPH fastball that missed the star 3rd baseman's head by inches.

Just two batters later ... Kelly threw a breaking ball that nearly clipped Correa in the back of the head as well!!

Neither player was happy with the throws ... and after Kelly struck out Correa a pitch or two later -- Kelly mocked Carlos on his way off the mound.

Joe made crying faces at the shortstop, then appeared to yell, "You gotta cheat to hit!" and other cuss words ... and that's when both benches cleared and almost got into an all-out brawl!!

Cooler heads ultimately prevailed ... but Astros manager Dusty Baker was PISSED at Kelly after the game, saying his actions put Bregman and Correa's careers in danger.

"When you throw a 3-0 fastball over a guy's head, now you're flirting with ending his career," Baker said. "And then a couple other guys, balls were close. And then what really enraged everybody is when he told Carlos when he struck him out, he told him, 'Nice swing, bitch.'"

For their part, Kelly and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts both said there wasn't any intent behind the pitches.

But, with Correa and Bregman being the two most famous players associated with the Astros' sign-stealing, trash can banging scandal that perhaps cost the Dodgers a World Series ring in '17 ... it's not hard to see through this one.

L.A. ended up winning 5-2, by the way ... but there's still another game left in the series Wednesday night.

Getcha popcorn ready!!!

Nick Markakis is back ... the Atlanta Braves OF says he made a "rash" decision initially opting out of the MLB season -- and now, he says he's ready to rejoin his teammates.

"Sometimes in life you make rash decisions without thinking things through," the 36-year-old told reporters Wednesday. "At the time, I thought it was the right decision."

Nick chose to sit out just before the start of Braves' summer camp earlier this month ... saying a conversation with teammate Freddie Freeman cemented his feelings on the matter

At the time, Freddie was sick as hell with COVID-19 ... and Nick wanted no part of that battle -- so he left the squad.

But, Markakis said Wednesday he's back for good ... and while he admitted he's still not sure it's the RIGHT decision -- he felt like he just had to do it for his teammates.

"Sitting at home," Markakis said, "watching these guys compete the last couple days and all the risks that they're taking going out there, you know, I just in a way, deep down, that pit in my stomach, I felt like I needed to be out there."

It's a huge boost for the Braves ... Atlanta needed some outfield help after their agreement with Yasiel Puig fell through due to a positive coronavirus case earlier this month.