Baseball

John Smoltz is all in on the MLB's new rule changes ... telling TMZ Sports he thinks they're going to have a huge, positive impact on the game.

"With the rule changes to get the game action-packed again," the Braves legend said, "I think it's going to be phenomenal."

The league introduced a slew of new regulations for 2023 ... putting a timer on pitchers and hitters, making bases bigger and banning teams from implementing defensive shifts in their infields.

They've only been in place for two days (outside of spring training) ... but Smoltz is already loving what he's seeing.

In fact, the 55-year-old ex-Atlanta closer says he wishes there was a pitch clock back in his day!!

"Everything about what's gone on, and what is going on, is going to be, at the end of the day, people are going to look back and go, 'What an exciting year,'" the Hall of Famer said.

Smoltz also sent a message to the baseball purists who have been upset with the changes -- explaining they're really no different than the implementation of shot clocks in the NBA and play clocks in the NFL.

Angels star Anthony Rendon -- a former World Series champion -- was involved in a heated confrontation with an A's supporter following L.A.'s loss on Thursday ... one where he grabbed the fan and then attempted to take a swipe at the guy's face.

The altercation happened just seconds after the Halos lost at RingCentral Coliseum in Oakland, 2-1 -- when Rendon believed a fan had called him "a bitch" near their dugout.

The L.A. third baseman was so upset over it, he locked his hand around the guy's tee, and pulled him down to the railing.

Video shows Rendon said to the man, while still grabbing his shirt, "You called me a bitch, huh?"

When the guy responded that he did not, the baseball player added, "Yeah, you did. Yeah, you did. Yeah, motherf*****."

Rendon then let go of the man, but made a clear attempt to hit the guy in the face after he released the shirt.

Fortunately, the man pulled away before Rendon could make contact.

The 32-year-old MLB star then said, "Get your bitch-ass out of here" -- before he headed into the locker room without further incident.

It's not known if the Angels are aware of the tiff -- the team told us on Friday morning it had no comment.

The Oakland Police Dept., meanwhile, said Friday it is not investigating the matter ... explaining in a statement, "No victim(s) reached out to the Oakland Police Department regarding this incident."

It's been a frustrating few seasons for Rendon since he left the Washington Nationals in 2019 and inked a seven-year, $245 million contract with L.A. ... as he's battled multiple injuries, which have limited him to just 158 games over the past four years.

Move over, Pete Davidson ... there's a new hunk on Martha Stewart's radar -- New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge!!

The 81-year-old businesswoman had an up close look at her new crush at the Bronx Bombers' Opening Day game at Yankee Stadium on Thursday ... and she wasn't shy about liking what she saw after Judge hit a dinger in his first trip to the plate.

"No 99 just paid off a fraction of his massive contract," Stewart said on Instagram alongside a pic she shot of the Yankees captain. "Home run on first time at bat opening day!!! Handsome dude!!"

Martha has been pretty open about her feelings toward celebs lately -- remember, she said on "The Drew Barrymore Show" she'd be down to go on a date with Davidson after things with Kim Kardashian fell apart.

Unfortunately for Martha, Aaron's already spoken for -- he's been married to Samantha Bracksieck since 2021 -- but, hey, she can always enjoy the view from her front-row seat!!

Mark Wahlberg is diving head-first into his Houston Astros fandom ... going as far as to say he'd donate one of his thumbs to help superstar Jose Altuve get back from his injury!!

The 51-year-old actor is usually a Boston Red Sox fan, but has been supporting the 'Stros due to their ability to wreck the New York Yankees lately. Mark has been welcomed to the H-Town fanbase with open arms ... and even gave the ceremonial "Play Ball!!!" call at Thursday's Opening Day game against the Chicago White Sox.

Before his big moment, Mark raved about Altuve's teammate, Alex Bregman ... calling him a good friend and his "favorite Yankee killer of all time."

"I am an Astros fan," he added. "Listen, I live in Nevada now, I'm a fan of real talent. And, you know what, they have an amazing team, and he has amazing talent, but he's also an amazing person, so I'm a big fan of his, especially."

As for Altuve -- who is out indefinitely after breaking his thumb playing for Venezuela during the World Baseball Classic -- Wahlberg says he's willing to help out.

"I am also willing to donate either one of my thumbs to Jose Altuve, for sure," Wahlberg told reporters. “So we’re all good. I’m a big fan."

Mark wasn't the only celeb in town for the big game -- Megan Thee Stallion also came through to throw the first pitch!!

As for the game, the Astros lost to the White Sox, 3-2.

An L.A. Dodger fan pulled out all the stops to ask his partner to marry him on Thursday -- running onto the field during the middle of a game to pop the question -- but it might have cost him a few hours in jail ... and perhaps even a night in the hospital.

The wild scene unfolded at Dodger Stadium late in L.A.'s contest against the Arizona Diamondbacks -- when a Mookie Betts supporter hopped the centerfield wall and trotted to the outfield grass.

Video shot by a fan in the stands showed after the man made it to within feet of a D-Backs player, he stopped, got down on one knee, turned to the centerfield seats and pulled out a ring.

But, as he was asking his beau to be his forever lover -- a security guard was having none of it ... and blindsided the dude with a form tackle.

You can see in footage from the scene, the collision was so violent, even Diamondbacks outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. couldn't help but wince.

Two other security guards raced in and piled on the fan ... before he was ushered off the field.

No word yet if he was arrested -- or if he suffered any injuries.

It's also unclear if he left the stadium officially an engaged man ... but after all that trouble, she better have said yes, right?!

Rockies star Daniel Bard will open the season on the injured list ... after he said he's been dealing with anxiety following his struggles at the World Baseball Classic.

The Colorado closer was placed on the 15-day IL on Thursday just before his team's game against the San Diego Padres ... and he explained it's all because he's been having mental health issues in March.

Bard didn't say when exactly they started -- but he had trouble all month long finding the strike zone ... particularly in the WBC against Venezuela, when he broke Jose Altuve's thumb with a wild pitch.

Things didn't get much better for Bard when he returned to spring training ... and now, he said he's planning to use his time on the injured list to get mentally right.

He told reporters Thursday that it all was "a hard thing to admit," but he said the Rockies are supporting him.

Bard has dealt with mental health issues in the past -- he was away from the Majors from 2013 to 2020 while battling the yips on the mound -- but he got through them and became a star for the Rockies the past two seasons ... logging 54 saves.

Adam Wainwright proved he has both a golden arm AND golden pipes on Thursday ... the Cardinals star pitcher sang the National Anthem for his team's Opening Day ceremonies -- and crushed it!!

St. Louis tapped the injured right-hander for the awesome honor just before the Redbirds took on the Blue Jays at Busch Stadium ... and check out video of his performance -- he proved he can saaaang!!!

The 41-year-old seemed very comfortable on the mic ... hitting every note as the crowd in the stands went wild.

It was a cool moment for the pitcher, who announced last year that this will be his last season wearing a Cardinals uniform.

Also, if you think this was a fluke ... don't -- Wainwright showed at his Big League charity event earlier this year he truly has vocals!

A brand new season of Major League Baseball is here ... and players are kicking off the new season in style -- rockin' some wild fits for Opening Day!!

Down in Miami, Marlins centerfielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. held nothing back for his team's Thursday matinee against the Mets ... sporting some loud, orange camo pants. His teammate, Luis Arraez, went with a more muted look, wearing a simple, button-down shirt.

In the opposing locker room, New York star Pete Alonso brought out a pair of flashy pants of his own -- while making sure his belt buckle -- and his mustache!! -- were the stars of his 'fit.

Blue Jays pitcher Alek Manoah, meanwhile, broke out a classic Sandlot jersey for Toronto's opener ... one that featured all of the guys from the iconic movie, including Hamilton "The Babe" Porter. Manoah was also dripped out in some dark shades and a maple leaf chain.

In the Bronx, San Francisco Giants closer Camilo Doval made The Big Apple look like The Wild West ... arriving with a huge cowboy hat on his head. Giants pitcher Logan Webb chose to pay homage to Dennis Rodman with his attire.

Other players opted for a more laid-back approach to the season opener -- with Tigers stars Javier Báez and Eduardo Rodriguez wearing some casual shirts and jeans.

Forget the AL record ... Aaron Judge is now on pace to break the single-season MLB home run mark too -- after he blasted a dinger in his first at-bat on the Yankees' Opening Day Thursday!!

Judge just hit the tater off of SF Giants star Logan Webb -- smashing a baseball 422 feet over the centerfield wall at Yankee Stadium.

The pitch was just the second one Judge had seen all day -- and he was clearly thrilled with how far he sent it ... rounding the bases with a smile on his face.

When he got back to the dugout -- the party was on ... as all of his NY teammates mobbed him!!

Of course, we saw this a helluva lot last season -- Judge hit 62 bombs in 2022, breaking Roger Maris' American League record.

Some, though, wondered if he could keep it up in '23, as the pressure of signing a 9-year, $360 MILLION contract ain't exactly easy to deal with.

But, seems the 30-year-old ain't fazed one bit by the newfound pact with the Yankees -- which also included naming him team captain -- and 74 home runs suddenly appear obtainable.

Young Metro Boomin is fired up to play ball -- he's partnered with MLB Network to be its voice of Opening Day!!!

The diamond-selling superproducer dropped off a video Thursday morning ... detailing the grueling 162-game regular season with shots of MLB stars like the NY Mets' Justin Verlander, NY Yankees' Aaron Judge, Los Angeles Angels' Shohei Ohtani, Miami Marlins' Jazz Chisholm Jr. and more.

Metro's airtime makes good use of his hit songs "On Time" and "Trance" from his Billboard chart-topping "Heroes & Villains" album ... and also doesn't shy away from his allegiance to his hometown St. Louis Cardinals, rocking their ballcap in a recording studio.

MLB Network tells TMZ it's "thrilled to partner with Metro Boomin for Opening Day, and we’ll continue to explore opportunities to work with him throughout the season."

“You can’t beat this time of year," Metro quips in the vid. "Everybody’s staring at 162. 162 chances to make that beautiful music you can’t get anywhere else. Play ball.”

If you're going to MLB Opening Day on Thursday ... ya better bring your appetite -- 'cause several teams are rollin' out some new food items for the season -- and most are absolutely massive!!

Nearly every club will kick off 2023 with new and intriguing menu options ... including the Texas Rangers -- who recently unveiled a two-foot-long burger that's topped with onion rings and chili called, "The Boomstick Burger."

Not to be outdone, the Miami Marlins showed this week they'll be offering a 34-inch "Cubano Gigante" -- a huge sandwich that features sliced ham, roasted pork, Swiss cheese, pickles, mustard and a secret sauce.

The New York Yankees, meanwhile, chose to honor Aaron Judge yet again with a food item ... after handing out the "62" bacon cheeseburger in last year's playoffs, they're now selling the "99 Burger," which comes with eight ounces of Wagyu beef. There is a caveat, though -- the team says it'll only sell 99 per game!!

The Rays and the White Sox are also hockin' some big dishes for their fans to consume -- Tampa's offering a half-pound pretzel dog, while Chicago's doling out a half-pound weiner called "The Champagne of Dogs."

There was a full moon during the Texas A&M vs. Texas baseball game on Tuesday ... when a shirtless field intruder decided to disrupt the contest and expose his ass cheeks for all to see!!!

The wild moment went down amid the Longhorns' 5-2 win over the Aggies in College Station ... when the dude -- wearing what appeared to be a Darth Maul/Star Wars mask and holding a "Longhorns Suck" sign -- made his way onto the grass and through the infield.

The streaker then dropped his sign and pulled his shorts below his waist for several seconds ... before making a mad dash for the outfield.

It's actually pretty impressive -- the intruder showed off his speed and endurance throughout the stunt ... and successfully hopped over the centerfield wall after several attempts.

Unfortunately for him, the fun was over right after he jumped the fence ... 'cause a cop was already waiting for his arrival.

The chaos ended with the intruder getting on his stomach and putting his hands behind his back. We've reached out to law enforcement for more information.

Guess the game was not all it was cracked up to be.

Former NY Yankees star John Wetteland -- months after a jury failed to reach a verdict during trial -- is now free and clear after prosecutors moved to drop all felony aggravated sexual assault charges against the former All-Star closer.

According to court records obtained by TMZ Sports, all three charges were dropped against 56-year-old Wetteland after the D.A. failed to retry the 1996 World Series hero who was accused of forcing a four-year-old child, a relative, to perform sexual acts on him between in his bedroom between 2004 and 2006.

Wetteland always adamantly denied the allegations and pled not guilty at trial.

As we previously reported, Wetteland was arrested in January 2019 and hit with multiple child sexual abuse charges. He was facing 25 years to life in prison if convicted. JW finally went to trial in late 2022, but a jury of 12 couldn't reach a verdict -- guilty or not -- and a judge declared a mistrial on September 2.

Following the hung jury, a juror told local media they were split 10-2, and although the juror didn't explicitly say the 10 votes were "not guilty," the juror indicated most wanted to acquit.

Of course, MLB fans are familiar with the 3x All-Star closer. Back in 1996, when the Yankees came back from two games down against the Atlanta Braves, Wetteland was named the World Series Most Valuable Player.

Due to the rise of young relief pitcher, Mariano Rivera, Wetteland went to the Texas Rangers in 1997 ... and stayed in Arlington until retiring after the 2000 season.

He was inducted into the Rangers Hall of Fame in 2005.

Despite being arrested and charged, Wetteland was never found guilty.

Daniel Vogelbach's mom ain't gonna be too happy about this ... right after a groundout Wednesday, the Mets DH let an F-bomb fly -- and it was so loud, hot mics actually picked it up on the game's broadcast!!

The whole scene was actually pretty funny -- well, for everyone except Vogelbach -- because after the 30-year-old got thrown out at first base in the sixth inning of NY's spring training game against Houston despite a sharply hit ball, he screamed, "I can't buy a f***ing hit!"

Cameras then captured him walking off the diamond completely defeated.

Obviously, there won't be any punishment for Vogelbach -- that is, if Momma lets this one slide -- but being caught cussin' on live TV hasn't always been the best look.

Then again, letting out some frustration seemed to help wake up his bat -- 'cause just two innings later, he singled to right center, bustin' out of a mini-slump.

Forget the champagne and cigars ... Shohei Ohtani turned to Budweisers to celebrate winning the World Baseball Classic -- getting soaked in the beer in an epic locker room celebration with Team Japan!!

The party all went down at LoanDepot Park in Miami late Tuesday night ... after the Angels superstar helped lift his home country to a 3-2 victory over USA.

Just after he struck out his L.A. teammate, Mike Trout, to lock down the W ... he and the rest of Japan's roster hit the locker room -- and cracked open Bud Heavy after Bud Heavy after Bud Heavy.

Check out footage from the scene ... Ohtani and the guys doused each other with the beer -- and loved every second of it.

There did appear to be at least some champagne in the mix, too, and there were plenty of smiles and dancing. Even St. Louis Cardinals star Lars Nootbaar could be seen splashing suds everywhere!!

Of course, Shohei and Team Japan had every right to party hard ... Ohtani dominated the tournament both at the plate and on the mound, winning MVP -- while his team never lost a single game.

No word when the guys turned in ... but the MLB season doesn't start 'til next Thursday -- so we're sure it wasn't exactly an early bedtime.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will be cruising into the MLB season in some serious style this year ... TMZ Sports has learned the Blue Jays superstar just got his Mercedes-Benz tricked out!!!

The Toronto first baseman took his GLE63 -- an expensive ride that he copped about a year ago -- to Alex Vega at The Auto Firm in South Florida to get the work done ... and it came out awesome.

Vega blacked out the vehicle -- wrapping it, before darkening its chrome emblems. He also upgraded its wheels too ... throwing on a set of Avorza Forged Wheels.

In total, we're told the work Vladdy got typically runs around $50K!!

Of course, these were not the first improvements Guerrero Jr. has made on the whip -- about six months ago, Vega also threw in some Blue Jays-colored interior in it as well.

If you're wondering, while he's still just 24 years old, Vladdy can definitely afford the upgrades ... he agreed to a $14.5 million pact with Toronto to avoid arbitration this offseason.