Baseball

Walker Buehler cracked some brews with Clayton Kershaw after winning the World Series -- and dudes looked happy as hell -- but it begs the question, where's the rest of the Dodgers' celebrations?!

There's no footage of champagne showers. No pics of double-fisted beer chugs in the locker room. And there are no signs of naked cannonballs into ice baths.

It's all peculiar ... considering even in pandemic times guys have gone CRAZY winning championships -- and it's forcing us to ask, did Justin Turner's COVID test mute it all???

JT was pulled from the World Series late in L.A.'s Game 6 win ... after MLB officials say he had a confirmed positive coronavirus test result.

The team and Turner both insisted he was off to quarantine after learning the news ... but cameras later spotted the third baseman on the field celebrating his ass off -- even maskless at times.

Turner and the Dodgers were IMMEDIATELY crushed for allowing the scene to play out ... with many wondering, how could they be so reckless???

Turns out, since that time ... no post-game locker room footage or party pics have been released.

Dodgers ace Buehler did at least show the team had SOME post-game beers to celebrate ... but did MLB force a bigger celly to be called off??

Wild Tuesday night for the L.A. Dodgers -- they won the World Series and also ignited major COVID concerns after Justin Turner tested positive DURING THE GAME!!

The Dodgers star 3rd baseman was pulled from the game in the 7th inning -- but nobody knew why at first.

It was later revealed 35-year-old Turner had taken a COVID test that came back inconclusive on Monday. He was re-tested on Tuesday -- and that test came back positive.

As soon as the lab got the results from the Tuesday test, they informed MLB. An MLB official immediately called the Dodgers and ordered them to pull Turner, but it was already the 7th inning.

The Dodgers went on to win the game 3-1, thanks to some solid hitting from Mookie Betts.

But, as the players stormed the field to celebrate, Turner was nowhere to be found ... already in quarantine because of the COVID test.

After the game, Commissioner Rob Manfred explained ... "We learned during the game that Justin was positive. He was immediately isolated to prevent spread."

Turner did not celebrate with the team on the field -- but now there are new concerns about possible exposure to other players, coaches, staffers, etc.

ESPN's Jeff Passan reports ... when the Dodgers return to the team hotel, everyone will take a rapid PCR test.  Passan says it's unclear if the COVID news means the team will stay in Dallas ... or if they will try to travel back to L.A. Passan says the situation is "fluid."

But, the question ... how many people could have been exposed in the 8 innings Turner played on Tuesday before he was yanked??

This could be a huge problem ...

Turner later tweeted about the situation -- saying, "Thanks to everyone reaching out! I feel great, no symptoms at all."

"Just experienced every emotion you can possibly imagine. Can’t believe I couldn’t be out there to celebrate with my guys! So proud of this team & unbelievably happy for the City of LA #WorldSeriesChamps."

As for the game itself, the Dodgers battled back from a 1-0 deficit and took a 2-1 lead in the 6th inning. Mookie Betts extended the lead with a solo HR in the top of the 9th.

Final score, 3-1 ... clinching the series for L.A., 4 games to 2.

Corey Seager was named World Series MVP.

It's the first World Series title for longtime Dodgers stars like Clayton Kershaw, Justin Turner, Corey Seager, Cody Bellinger and company.

Dodgers co-owner Magic Johnson was on hand in Dallas and was going crazy when the Dodgers won. Awesome moment!

The Blue Crew had made it to the World Series in 3 of the last 4 years -- but lost to the cheating Houston Astros in 2017 and then the Boston Red Sox in 2018.

But, this was L.A.'s year ... the pitching, the hitting -- even the coaching was top notch. Shout-out Dave Roberts.

As we previously reported, the L.A. Lakers have postponed their victory parade until they get the all-clear from L.A. City and County officials due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It's likely the Dodgers will follow suit.

In the meantime, CONGRATS and get well soon, Justin Turner!

Well, Cody Bellinger clearly learned his lesson ...

The Dodgers star balled out of his mind, again, in Game 1 of the World Series Tuesday ... but instead of celebrating with forearm bashes -- he turned to his feet to dap up teammates!

The scene was hilarious ... just two days after Belli dislocated his shoulder in the chaos following a game-winning HR in the NLCS on Sunday -- Cody hit another huge dinger off Rays starter Tyler Glasnow.

And, as the outfielder rounded 3rd base and headed for home, everyone wondered ... how was he going to celebrate this one?!

Turns out, Belli protected his arms at all costs ... and gave his squadmates love taps with his cleats!!!

The move was so epic ... even LeBron James gave Cody his stamp of approval, writing on social media, "Hahaha!! Leg tap celebrations for him."

As for Bellinger's take on the HR celly switch-up ... he told reporters after the game, "I said it today before the game: 'If I hit one, I’m not touching anybody’s arm.'"

He added with a laugh, "I think I’ll continue to do that, maybe my whole career."

Bellinger also had an insane catch later in the game ... helping the Dodgers seal the 8-3 victory over Tampa Bay.

Looks like pregame advice from Dad really paid off, huh?!

The biggest boy band on the planet will have the best seats in the house during the World Series ... with uber-popular K-Pop group BTS getting the cardboard cutout treatment!!

And, get this -- the guys got better seats than Tom freakin' Brady!!!

For those oblivious to the music industry, BTS has become the hottest thing in recent years ... with huge hits like "Dynamite," "Boy With Luv" and "DNA."

Their success is evident in the pic snapped of their seat location inside Globe Life Field on Tuesday ... with the band's cutouts placed in front row seats over the 6-time Super Bowl champ and his Buccaneers teammate, Rob Gronkowski.

While Jungkook, Jimin and the boys won't actually be present for the series between the LA Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays, there WILL be some real-life fans in attendance Tuesday night ... so maybe someone can snap a selfie with the fake members?!

The Dodgers acknowledged the gesture ... and even gave a shout-out to Yoon-gi (AKA Suga), who has attended games at Dodger Stadium to cheer on his guy, pitcher Hyun-jin Ryu.

"We already know who (BTS) is rooting for," the team said on Twitter. "Who’s your bias? Ours is Yoongi. #WorldSeries"

Good news, bad news for Dodgers fans ... Cody Bellinger says he was still in pain on Monday after dislocating his shoulder Sunday night -- but insists he's "good to go" for the World Series.

... this according to Cody's dad, Clay Bellinger.

"I talked to him a little bit after the game, he said it was really really sore," Clay tells TMZ Sports ... "It was sore yesterday."

"I just texted him a little bit ago, and he said he was good to go. [The pain] is there a little bit, but he's going to play and he's going to swing."

Cody popped out his shoulder Sunday night while celebrating his game-winning home run against the Atlanta Braves with a jumping forearm bash with teammate Kike Hernandez.

Bellinger later told reporters that a member of the Dodgers training staff popped his shoulder back in between innings and he continued to play in Game 7 of the NLCS, even catching the final out.

There are concerns about how the injury will affect his performance in the World Series, which kicks off Tuesday night -- but Clay tells us Cody is confident he'll be able to play at a high level.

Clay admits it was "kinda scary" to see the shoulder come out since Cody has dislocated it multiple times in the past ... but Cody assured his dad he'll be fine.

Clay says he told his son "No more celebrations -- at least with Kike!"

As for Clay's advice to his son heading into the big games against the Tampa Bay Rays ... Dad (who won 2 World Series titles with the Yankees in his career) says it's all simple: "Just go out and play your game."

Wanna see a World Series game for just a few hundred bucks?!

This is apparently the year for that ... 'cause Dodgers vs. Rays tickets are cheap as hell!!!

Multiple ticket exchange agencies are reporting alarmingly low prices for this year's Fall Classic ... with seats for Tuesday night's Game 1 in Texas selling for as low as $290 a piece!!

Of course, it ain't exactly chump change ... but given most years' World Series prices are in the 4-figure range for seats -- it's a great deal!!!

The World Series is being played at neutral site Globe Life Field in Arlington due to the COVID-19 pandemic ... and MLB says it's allowing 11,500 fans to attend games.

The issue ... the Dodgers and Rays play nowhere near the stadium -- so demand for tix ain't exactly soaring.

According to StubHub ... Game 2 tickets on Wednesday night can be bought for as low as $375 apiece, while Games 3 through 7 are currently going for as low as around $500 per chair.

As for safety at the event if you do swoop up the tickets ... MLB officials have established strict COVID guidelines for in-person attendance.

The league is only selling tickets in 4-person pods ... with each pod 6 feet away from the next. And, concession stands are selling only pre-packaged food.

Masks are mandatory as well ... because, duh.

The Astros are STILL employing a bunch of cheatin'-ass cheaters ... despite having "pretty clear" evidence of who the bad apples are -- so says the team's ex-GM, Jeff Luhnow.

The 53-year-old -- who was fired for his alleged role in the team's 2017 sign-stealing scandal -- made the revelation in a lengthy interview with KPRC 2 that aired Monday.

"It’s pretty clear who was involved in the video decoding scheme, when it started, how often it happened, and basically when it ended," Luhnow said.

"And it’s also pretty clear who was not involved. And I don’t know why that information, that evidence, wasn’t discussed in the ruling, wasn’t used."

Luhnow continued, "The people who were involved that didn’t leave naturally to go to other teams are all still employed by the Astros."

In fact, Luhnow claims one of the "intimately involved" cheaters that he had demoted during his time as GM was actually re-promoted in the aftermath of MLB's punishments.

"None of those people faced any repercussions," Luhnow said. "They weren’t discussed in the report, but the evidence is all there that they were involved.”

As we previously reported ... MLB officials dropped the hammer on Luhnow and manager A.J. Hinch after the probe into cheating allegations was completed in January -- with the league suspending both men from the game each for one year.

The suspensions ultimately led to their firings from the 'Stros ... but Luhnow claims he got a raw deal in it all.

Luhnow says he has tons of documents, emails and messages proving he had NO awareness of a cheating scandal ... and he even says he offered to take a lie-detector test to prove it.

But, Jeff says he believes commissioner Rob Manfred overlooked it all to make him a fall guy for the scandal ... and he's clearly pissed about it.

"I think the investigation was not attempting to really uncover who did what, and who was really responsible," Luhnow said. "The goal of the investigation was to deliver punishments that Rob could feel good about and that would calm the panic."

Jeff added, "They had to create a case they felt good enough about in order to punish me.”

FYI, players received immunity from punishment for their cooperation in the investigation.

Ex-Angels staffer Eric Kay has been indicted by a grand jury in Texas on two counts in the death of pitcher Tyler Skaggs, court docs show.

Kay -- who worked with the Angels in media relations for 24 years -- had previously been charged by prosecutors with distribution of the fentanyl that led to Skaggs' overdose death back in June 2019.

But, the case has since gone to a grand jury -- which has now handed down a 2-count indictment against Kay.

According to the documents, Kay was indicted on 1 count of conspiracy to possess fentanyl with the intent to distribute and 1 count of distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death.

Unclear why the case went to a grand jury after prosecutors had already announced a formal charge against Kay. We're working on it.

As we previously reported, prosecutors claim to have a text conversation between Kay and Skaggs from the night of the pitcher's overdose.

In the exchange, Kay asks "Hoe [sic] many?" ... to which Skaggs responded, "Just a few like 5."

Law enforcement officials have said they believe Kay and Skaggs were discussing drugs ... clearly implying the exchange proves Kay is the one who supplied the pitcher with the lethal dose of the pills.

Law enforcement also claimed Kay provided "30-milligram oxycodone pills" to Skaggs on multiple occasions.

Skaggs was found dead in his hotel room in Southlake, TX in July 2019 ... hours before the Angels were set to play the Texas Rangers.

He was only 27.

"I'd like to talk about the Houston Astros, who are miserable cheaters."

Nebraska U.S. Senator Ben Sasse used time during the Amy Coney Barrett hearing Wednesday to dump ALL OVER the Astros ... and we gotta say, it was funny as hell!!

The 48-year-old Republican was trying to make a point to ACB ... when he went on a long tangent RIPPING Carlos Correa, Alex Bregman and the rest of the 'Stros.

"All baseball fans know the Houston Astros cheat," Sasse said. "They steal signs. They bang on cans. They've done a whole bunch of miserable things historically."

Sasse continued, "They deserve to be punished probably more than they have been."

Sasse was briefly interrupted by Texas U.S. senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn ... but the dude kept on going forward regardless!

Eventually, Ben got to a point ... he said ACB has to turn down people trying to influence her decisions the same way umpires turn away cheating requests from baseball players.

We know ... kind of a stretch, but, hey, we're chucklin'!

By the way, the Astros are just one game away from being eliminated from the postseason ... if the Rays get the W in Game 4 Wednesday night, it's on to 2021 for Houston.

San Diego Padres star Tommy Pham was stabbed outside of a strip club Sunday night ... but, fortunately, both he and the team say he's expected to recover fully.

S.D. police say the outfielder was slashed outside Pacers Showgirls International at around 10:35 p.m.

Two people close to the situation told the San Diego Union-Tribune ... the whole incident started when Pham confronted people who were arguing near his car.

According to the report, when Pham asked the people -- whom cops say it appeared he did NOT know -- to get away from his vehicle ... he was attacked and stabbed in the lower back.

Pham went to the hospital and required stitches ... though, thankfully, the 32-year-old did not have any organ or other internal damage from the blade.

"I'd like to thank the incredible medical staff at UC San Diego Health for taking such great care of me last night," Pham said in a statement Monday. "I truly appreciate the hard work of the [San Diego Police Department] as well as they continue their search for the suspects."

"While it was a very traumatic and eye-opening experience for me, I’m on the road to recovery and I know I’ll be back to my offseason training routine in no time."

Cops say they've launched an investigation into the attack ... and are now trying to review any surveillance video that might help them track down the alleged suspects.

The Padres, meanwhile, say they expect Pham to make a "full recovery" from here.

Tommy is a monster on the baseball diamond ... despite battling injuries this season, he still helped lead the Pads to a deep run in the postseason.

In his 7-year MLB career, Pham has hit 82 home runs and stolen 75 bases. He has a career batting average of .273.

How did Walker Buehler fit into those super tight pants?!!?

Seriously -- the Dodgers pitcher's pants were so tight during Monday's playoff game against the Braves, it was trending on social media!!

Was it a fashion statement? Did someone misplace your usual pants? Was it uncomfortable? Growth spurt? SO MANY QUESTIONS!!

The problem ... the Dodgers ended up losing the game 5 to 1 and Walker was in a pretty bad mood afterward.

So, when a reporter asked Walker for a tight-pants explanation -- the pitcher shut the guy down and ended his press conference!

"Not the time or place Michael," 26-year-old Walker said while shaking his head condescendingly.

Sure, tough question to answer after a heartbreaking loss -- but those pants were skinny as hell!!

In fact, reporters were so desperate for answers -- they even asked Braves starting pitcher Max Fried if he had any insight!

Sadly, he did not.

Cincinnati Reds legend Joe Morgan -- one of the best 2nd basemen ever who went on to become an MLB broadcasting star -- passed away on Sunday. He was 77.

The Hall of Famer passed away Sunday at his home in Danville, CA. A family spokesperson says Morgan had been diagnosed with polyneuropathy -- a disease that affects the nerves.

Despite only standing 5'7" tall, Morgan was a force on the field -- racking up more than 2,500 hits during his 22 seasons in the big leagues.

Morgan made his MLB debut in 1963 and played until 1984 -- playing for 5 teams during his run including the Houston Colt .45s/Astros, SF Giants, Philadelphia Phillies and Oakland Athletics.

He's most famously known for winning 2 World Series titles with the "Big Red Machine" in Cincinnati in 1975 and 1976.

On top of the world titles, Morgan had a trophy case full of personal accolades -- 2-time National League MVP, 10 All-Star appearances, 5 Gold Gloves and 1 Silver Slugger.

His #8 was retired in Cincinnati in 1987. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown in 1990.

After his playing career, Morgan became a successful broadcaster -- calling MLB games for ABC Sports, NBC Sports and ESPN.

He was so popular, they used this voice in the MLB 2K video games.

Reds CEO Bob Castellini released a statement on Morgan's passing, saying, "The Reds family is heartbroken. Joe was a giant in the game an was adored by fans in this city."

"He had a lifelong loyalty and dedication to this organization that extended to our current team and front office staff."

"As a cornerstone on one of the greatest teams in baseball history, his contributions to this franchise will live forever."

The baseball world has lost several legends in recent months -- including Tom Seaver, Lou Brock, Bob Gibson, Whitey Ford.

Aaron Judge's girlfriend just cut a deal with prosecutors and pled guilty to DUI, TMZ Sports has learned ... 8 months after she name-dropped the New York Yankees star during an arrest in Arizona.

You'll recall ... Samantha Bracksieck -- who's had an on-and-off relationship with Judge for years -- was pulled over in Scottsdale back on Feb. 25 after cops say she was driving with her headlights off.

During the stop ... police video showed Bracksieck admitted to a cop she had wine at Mastro's Steakhouse prior to getting behind the wheel.

When officers eventually slapped the cuffs on her for alleged drunk driving ... that's when she became standoffish -- and ultimately brought Judge up to the officers.

"Do you know who my boyfriend is?!" Samantha said at one point during the arrest, before later telling another cop, "My boyfriend is not in a spot where I should be, like, having this happen."

Samantha added during the stop, "He's like a public figure. So, like, me being arrested for, like, having two glasses of wine is not OK."

Despite her bringing the MLB superstar into the situation ... law enforcement still ended up hitting Bracksieck with 5 charges, including extreme DUI -- which is classified as a BAC of .15-.19.

But, court records show Bracksieck cut a deal with prosecutors Wednesday ... agreeing to plead guilty to misdemeanor DUI.

In exchange, prosecutors agreed to drop the rest of the charges, including the extreme DUI count.

According to court docs, Bracksieck was sentenced to 10 days in jail, though 9 were suspended and she was given credit for 1 day for time served. So, she won't get any additional time behind bars if she keeps her nose clean.

Bracksieck was also ordered to attend an alcohol abuse screening and complete any treatment recommendations. She was ordered to pay over $2,000 in fines and fees, as well.

Whitey Ford -- widely regarded as the greatest Yankees starting pitcher of all time -- has died at 91, the team confirms.

We're told Ford passed away Thursday at his home in NY.

The Yankees issued a statement saying the team is "incredibly saddened to learn of the passing of Hall of Famer Whitey Ford."

"Whitey spent his entire 16-year career as a Yankee. A 6x WS Champion and 10x All-Star, The Chairman of the Board was one of the best lefties to ever toe the rubber. He will be deeply missed."

Ford made his MLB debut back in 1950 -- but took time away from the game to serve in the U.S. Army during the Korean War from 1951 to 1952.

He returned to the Yankees in 1953 and played until 1967 -- racking up a 236-106 career record with an E.R.A. of 2.75 and 1,956 strikeouts. Unreal.

Ford -- who was born and raised in New York City -- was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974, along with his teammate Mickey Mantle.

The Yankees retired Ford's #16 jersey that same year.

Ford is survived by his wife Joan (they married back in 1951) and their two children Eddie and Sally Ann. They had a 3rd child, Tommy, who passed away in 1999.

Just last week, fellow MLB pitching legend Bob Gibson passed away at the age of 84. Gibson is also a Hall of Famer and considered one of the greatest pitchers of all time.

It's arguably the most untouchable record in American sports ... and now the jersey HOF'er Cal Ripken Jr. wore for his 2,632nd consecutive MLB game is about to hit the auction block.

Ripken Jr. -- a 19x All-Star and 2x A.L. MVP -- played in EVERY GAME from May 30, 1982 to September 19, 1998 ... spanning over 16 consecutive seasons.

Incredible ... never sick, never hurt, and a record almost everyone agrees will NEVER be broken.

Now, the black Baltimore Orioles home uniform -- rocked by Ripken Jr. during the last game of his amazing streak -- is on the block at Goldin Auctions ... and it can be yours.

FYI, Ripken Jr.'s Orioles beat Derek Jeter's New York Yankees at Camden Yards, 2-0.

But, that's not all ... Goldin has some other incredible items straight from Ripken Jr.'s personal collection.

Also on the block is the black Louisville Slugger bat Cal used on September 6th, 1995 (his 2,131 consecutive game) ... and the day he dethroned "The Iron Horse," Lou Gehrig, as baseballs Iron Man.

GA also has the jersey Cal wore during his Major League debut in 1981 ... and if that's not old enough for you, a game-worn Little League jersey.

The entire collection of items comes directly from Cal Ripken Jr. ... and Ken Goldin says he wouldn't be shocked if the jersey sells for over $500K -- which would make it by far the highest-priced modern jersey ever.

All in all, Goldin says the entire collection is likely worth OVER $5 million.

Jackie Robinson's daughter says she's straight-up "insulted" her father's image was used in a campaign ad on Donald Trump's official YouTube page ... and she's now demanding the president remove it immediately.

POTUS' team posted a pro-Trump campaign video Tuesday featuring some iconic pictures of legendary Americans ... including Martin Luther King Jr. and Jackie Robinson.

The ad -- titled "Say What You Will About America" -- urged citizens to vote for Trump ... and as of Thursday afternoon, it had over 5 MILLION views.

But, Sharon Robinson says she's LIVID the president would even consider using her dad's image in the video ... explaining there's no way in hell the baseball legend would have supported a re-election for Trump.

"Jackie Robinson’s family strongly objects to the use of Jackie Robinson’s image in a Donald Trump [ad]," she said Thursday.

"The Trump campaign is in opposition to all that Jackie Robinson stood for and believed in. We’re insulted and demand that his image be removed!"

Meanwhile, MLK's daughter, Bernice King, also found Trump's use of her father's image in the ad "beyond insulting" ... and she demanded the president remove the photo as well.