Baseball

A youth baseball umpire was attacked on the field during a game over the weekend and was forced to go to the hospital ... after he says a coach disagreed with some of his calls.

Sam Phelps was behind home plate for a boys baseball game on Saturday in The Colony, Texas ... when he claims a few of his out/safe, balls/strikes decisions pissed off a coach on the field.

Phelps explained the situation to FOX4, saying it all came to a boiling point in the third inning ... seconds after he called a kid safe at home.

Phelps says the coach walked out of the dugout, mocked him and then shoved him to the ground after Phelps ejected him.

Video from the diamond shows the coach put his hands near the umpire's face, pushed him hard -- and caused the man to hit the dirt with force.

Phelps says he went to a nearby medical facility in an ambulance and was checked for head injuries, before he was ultimately released later in the evening.

Phelps said he's now looking to press charges against the coach -- explaining he believes punishment is necessary in order to protect everyone involved at games going forward.

"I don't want to destroy anyone's life," Phelps said. "But, I would like this to be a learning opportunity to get this out there."

We reached out to The Colony Police Dept. ... and a spokesperson told us officers did respond to the scene and did take a report. The spokesperson added an investigation is underway.

As for the coach's future at the baseball park, the org. that hosted the game Saturday told FOX4 it's banned the man and his team from all future events.

Here's a video that'll surely wake up the "baseball's boring" crowd ...

An amateur league player lit his bat on fire during a game and then smoked a line drive single with the piece of lumber ... and footage of the play is awesome!!!

The wild scene all went down in a recent Savannah Bananas vs. Savannah Party Animals game in Georgia -- when Zak Whalin came to the plate with his bat ablaze.

In broadcast video from the game, you can see Whalin's bat was completely engulfed in flames as he was taking pitches.

At one point during the AB, though, Whalin was able to crack a single with the smoking bat -- barely beating out the throw from centerfield to reach first base safely. Yeah ... awesome, right?!

If you're unfamiliar -- plays like these happen quite often in Bananas games ... some have called the team the Harlem Globetrotters of baseball, despite being members of the Coastal Plain League, a respected collegiate summer baseball league.

In fact, the team has been known to do TikTok dances mid-play before!!

Can't imagine the Boston Red Sox or New York Yankees doing anything like this on the diamond anytime soon ... but if they did, who'd be all that mad about it?!

Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm said out loud during his game in Philadelphia on Monday that he "f***ing hates" playing in the city ... but afterward, he quickly apologized and swore he didn't mean it.

Bohm unleashed the quick tirade amid a brutal night on the field against the New York Mets ... with cameras capturing the 25-year-old saying to a teammate, "I f***ing hate this place."

Bohm had just committed three errors in the game -- and after he finally made a good play at the hot corner, fans sarcastically cheered ... which clearly pissed him off.

He unleashed the quick barb while looking at Didi Gregorius -- but following the game, he said he was deeply sorry for the comments.

"Emotions got the best of me," said Bohm, who was a former top prospect who's struggled since becoming an everyday player for the Phillies. "I said it. Do I mean it? No."

"It's [a] frustrating night for me. Obviously, I made a few mistakes in the field. Look, these people, these fans, they just want to win. And, you heard it. We come back. They're great. I'm sorry for them. I don't mean that. Emotions just got the best of me."

Bohm then said he actually loves playing in Philly.

A man in a Colorado Rockies hat punched several women in the face in a crazy altercation outside of Coors Field over the weekend ... and TMZ Sports has obtained video of the brutality.

The incident went down shortly after the Rockies vs. Dodgers game in Denver on Friday -- just a few blocks away from the stadium -- when a man jumped into an altercation between women who appeared to be feuding with each other.

You can see in the footage, as several of the women were fighting -- the man stepped in and began unloading haymakers.

The guy punched several of the women in the face -- with one blow landing so flush, it appeared to knock one of the females out.

Later in the fight, the man punched another woman in the face while she was on the ground.

A police officer showed up and appeared to break up the scuffle, though it's unclear if any arrests were made. We've reached out to cops for comment, but so far, no word back yet.

A fan attending the Toronto Blue Jays game on Friday was arrested ... after cops say she socked an officer in the face during an altercation in the crowd.

The incident happened during the Jays' contest against the Texas Rangers at Rogers Centre ... when cops say a female fan became enraged with law enforcement after they tried to boot her from her seat.

The Toronto Police Service says the woman and another man were involved in a fight with others in the area -- and officers were attempting to deescalate the situation by removing the two from the section.

But, in footage of the incident, you can see as the two were being escorted out ... the woman quickly turned and launched a right hand into the cheek of a female officer.

Video shows the woman was then taken to the ground immediately after the punch ... and was ultimately put in handcuffs.

Cops say the woman, ID'ed as 27 years old, was eventually arrested and charged with assaulting a police officer and being intoxicated in a public place.

You knew this was coming ...

Alex Rodriguez was epically teased over his ex, Jennifer Lopez, getting engaged to Ben Affleck ... with Michael Kay hinting at it during the Yankees vs. Red Sox game -- and the moment is hilarious.

The ex-MLB slugger was chopping it up with his co-host during the "KayRod" broadcast of "Sunday Night Baseball" on ESPN 2 ... when Kay decided to poke some fun.

"It's a great time in sports," Kay said in the 9th inning. "You have a new Masters champion, NBA playoffs are about to start, baseball's in full swing, people getting engaged. I mean, it's a happy time in the world."

A-Rod's reaction is priceless -- he awkwardly plays along and says, "Happiness and world peace is what we're looking for."

The best part -- after 2 seconds of piercing silence, A-Rod returned his focus to the game ... saying, "The 2-1 pitch."

Remember, J-Rod started dating in 2017 ... and were engaged in 2019. They never made it to the alter, as they broke up in 2021.

As for Kay and Rodriguez, they didn't always have the greatest relationship ... but it seems like they're all good now.

A fan at a minor league baseball game got doused with his own beer ... after a foul ball hit his drink straight into his face -- and the entire, hilarious scene was all captured on camera!

The funny incident went down during Springfield's game against the Northwest Arkansas Nationals on Saturday ... when Cardinals second baseman Chandler Redmond was up to bat against pitcher Anthony Veneziano.

Redmond took a couple pitches -- and then fouled off a ball that somehow ricocheted into a can that was placed near a screen behind home plate.

In video of the incident, you can see the ball hit the drink so hard -- it splashed beer everywhere, including all over the can's owner's face!!

Thankfully, the guy was a great sport about the impromptu booze shower -- laughing hysterically and then giving two thumbs up to the centerfield camera.

"And that is our first beer victim or beverage victim," one of the announcer's said.

South Korean figure skating superstar Kim Ye-lim just took her talents to the grass ... pulling off an incredible spin during her first pitch at a baseball game!!

The 19-year old dropped the skating maneuver during the SSG Landers' home opener against KIA Tigers on Friday ... when she received the honor of the ceremonial toss.

You can see Ye-lim -- who just won the bronze medal at the 2022 Four Continents Skating Championship -- decked out in a Landers 'fit next to the mascot on the field as she preps for the throw.

But, before she shows off her arm, she leaps into the air for an amazing spiral spin ... just like she does at the skating rink!!

What makes it even more impressive -- besides the move being on grass vs. ice -- is that it didn't make her dizzy at all ... and she managed to throw a nice right-handed strike to the catcher.

The crowd and broadcasters were in complete awe and gave her a round of applause  ... which was well deserved, especially since there's a long list of awful first pitches by athletes/celebs who HAVEN'T done crazy stunts before their throw.

Scary moment during the Mets' season opener on Thursday ... star slugger Pete Alonso was drilled in the face by a 95 MPH fastball, but somehow, he's expected to be OK.

The horrifying scene went down in the ninth inning of New York's win over the Nationals ... when a heater got away from Washington reliever Mason Thompson and made a beeline for Alonso's mouth.

The 27-year-old tried to move out of the way of the pitch -- but it still caught him in the jaw ... sending him crashing to the dirt.

Fortunately, the pitch caught most of Alonso's ear flap before it hit him in the mouth -- but, still, the guy had to leave the game as blood poured from his face.

Pete, though, said afterward he's expecting to be just fine ... explaining to reporters he's still got all of his teeth and suffered no concussion.

In fact, the home run hitter joked about it all on IG following the game, writing on a selfie, "Why spend thousands on lip injections when you can get this look for FREE by getting hit in the mouth by a 97 mph fastball?"

Opening Day is upon us ... and what better way to start the 2022 MLB season than to go through all the new grub fans will be able to devour as they watch their favorite teams at the stadium!!

Off the bat, the Chopped Cheese is hitting Yankee Stadium ... as a homage to the local bodegas in NYC.

The Rangers have a WILD new entry for 2022 -- an Alligator Corn Dog ... which sounds worse than it probably actually is.

The reigning champs -- the Atlanta Braves -- have a $151 wagyu beef burger available for purchase ... but there's also a $25,000 option that comes with a World Series ring!!

The Orioles have a ton of delicious options this season ... but the Crab Cake Egg Rolls made our stomachs growl the most.

The Royals have one of the most unique items -- the BBQ Reese's Sandwich ... which is part of Aramark's Dare To Pair series, a promo that makes unique combinations turn into delicious creations.

There's a ton more new additions ... but it's better if you just check out the pics for yourself.

The Chicago Cubs used Opening Day on Thursday to raise awareness for the war in Ukraine -- flying Ukrainian flags at Wrigley Field and donating raffle proceeds to victims.

Cubbies officials hung the Ukrainian flags all outside of the stadium ... with roughly a dozen of the flags being placed around the famous venue's facade.

Inside the stadium, Chicago donated proceeds from the 50/50 raffle to Ukrainian relief efforts.

The team also had Ukrainian American Youth Association Choir hit the field before the game against the Milwaukee Brewers to sing the Ukrainian national anthem.

As we reported, Ukraine has been in need of support since late February ... after Russian troops invaded the country.

Albert Pujols is going into his farewell season as a single man -- the MLB legend just announced his divorce from his wife of more than 2 decades.

"I've been asked a lot of questions over the past few days regarding what's been going on at home and sadly, after 22 years of marriage, I have made the decision to file for divorce from my wife, Deidre," Pujols said in a statement.

Pujols acknowledges the timing of the news -- considering his wife had brain surgery to have a tumor removed last week -- is not ideal ... but the split wasn't "something that just happened overnight."

"As a devout Christian, this is an outcome that I never wanted to see happen. For many long days and nights, I prayed, asking the Lord for His guidance."

Pujols -- who married Deidre in 2000 -- did not go into detail about the breakup.

"I am thankful for the five beautiful children that we brought into this world and remain committed to raising them in a loving and safe environment."

Pujols -- who spent the majority of his career with the Cardinals and Angels -- is a 2-time World Series champ, 3-time National League MVP and 10-time All-Star. He's hit 679 home runs in his career ... which is fifth all-time.

Scary scene on the baseball diamond on Monday ... Twins left fielder Nick Gordon appeared to be knocked unconscious after he collided with his teammate in the outfield.

The terrifying moment happened during Minnesota's spring training game against the Boston Red Sox ... when Gordon and center fielder Max Kepler went after a fly ball at the same time.

The two Twins ended up crashing into each other before the ball dropped out of the sky -- and you can see in a clip of the play, Gordon got the worst of the collision.

The 26-year-old's body seemed to go stiff -- and he looked to be knocked out for several seconds.

Somehow, though, the Twins say Gordon avoided serious injury -- but he did have to leave the game and he is reportedly suffering from a minor headache.

A-Rod's baseball talents clearly didn't rub off on his ex -- Jennifer Lopez came up to bat, with Ben Affleck and daughter Emme watching, and struck out. Frequently.

The couple took J-Lo's 14-year-old daughter to the cages Tuesday in L.A. ... while Emme stepped in for some swings, Ben and Jen were doing some PDA in the background.

Eventually, it was Mom's turn to step up, but it didn't go smoothly. First of all, Jen tried swinging while still rocking her purse. Not to worry ... Ben held it while she got back in the box.

Made absolutely no difference, though ... still a whole lot of striking out. Gotta admit, though -- no one's ever looked this good, while looking so bad at a sport.

Ben and Jen are in escrow for a massive estate as of a few weeks ago -- putting around $55 million down for the compound! Ben, days after entering escrow, was longingly looking at Jen during her acceptance speech at this year's iHeart Music Awards, likely excited for their future.

New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge gifted a cancer survivor with a set of his own custom baseball cards this week ... and the sweet moment will hit ya right in the feels.

Judge facetimed with Mason Ferrulli -- a young fan who he's formed a good relationship with over the last year -- to present him the gift ... and check out the footage, it's pretty amazing.

Judge told Mason to open a box he had sent ... and in it were a bunch of cards that featured an image of Mason and Judge from when they had met last year.

Judge explained to Mason his connections at Topps hooked it all up for him -- and Mason was thrilled!

"Awww, man," Mason said in disbelief. "That's awesome!"

Judge and Mason have developed quite the bond over the past few months after Mason -- a three-time Ependymoma brain cancer and spine cancer survivor -- famously pulled one of Aaron's rare cards out of a pack last August.

The video of Mason was so heartwarming, Judge arranged a meeting with him when the Yanks played near Mason's hometown in Oakland last year -- and he hooked up the boy with a jersey and some autographs.

The two have clearly stayed in touch ever since -- and Judge told Mason on the phone call Monday he's going to be waiting now for an autograph from Mason!

"I'ma need one," Judge said. "You got my signature now. I'ma need you to sign one and send one to me."

Who said baseball is boring?!?!

Tsuyoshi Shinjo, a professional baseball skipper for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, entered the stadium on a HOVER BIKE in his managerial debut ... and the video of it was incredible!!

Shinjo -- AKA "Big Boss" -- lived up to his nickname by arriving in style for his first game with the Nippon-Ham Fighters.

In the video, you can see the 50-year-old effortlessly flying the hovercraft around the stadium before his team took the field for the game.

In the clip, Shinjo gets pretty high off the ground, so you can tell he isn't afraid of heights -- he also sticks the landing smoothly ... as if he had some experience doing it before.

The "stunt" was on-brand for the Fighters' manager, who first gained a huge fanbase as a player ... making him a larger-than-life figure in Japanese pro sports.

Shinjo replaced longtime manager Hideki Kuriyama ... and told reporters that he wanted to be referred to as "Big Boss," presumably because he saw himself as a celebrity.

Tsuyoshi spent 3 seasons in MLB ... playing for the New York Mets and the San Francisco Giants. He was the first Japanese-born position player to play in the National League in 2001.

The former MLB outfielder appeared in the World Series with the Giants in 2002 ... but San Francisco came up short as they lost to the then Anaheim Angels.

Shinjo returned to Japan to play for the Nippon-Ham Fighters ... and led them to a title in his final season of pro ball.