Baseball

Robinson Cano has been popped for a banned substance again ... and this time, it'll cost him the entire 2021 season AND a fat paycheck.

The New York Mets star second baseman tested positive for PEDs, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan, and he's now been suspended for all of next year.

38-year-old Cano will also forfeit $24 MILLION in salary due to the season-long ban, Passan added.

The 8-time All-Star had previously been busted for using a banned substance back in 2018 ... when MLB hit him with an 80-game suspension.

At the time, Cano admitted to taking Furosemide -- which MLB has barred because it can act as a masking agent for PEDs -- but the baseball star claimed he did NOT use it for performance enhancement on the diamond.

"Furosemide is used to treat various medical conditions in the United States and the Dominican Republic," Cano said in '18. "This substance was given to me by a licensed doctor in the Dominican Republic to treat a medical ailment."

"While I did not realize at the time that I was given a medication that was banned, I obviously now wish that I had been more careful."

Unclear what Cano tested positive for this time ... but his absence next year will sure hurt the Mets.

Cano had a monster 2020, batting .316 and hitting 10 home runs in just 49 games.

Before the suspensions ... Cano was considered a Hall of Fame candidate -- with a career batting average of .303 and 334 total home runs.

It's the most wonderful time of the year for Dodger fans -- the team has officially announced a drive-thru holiday extravaganza to help celebrate L.A.'s World Series title!!

The team can't currently celebrate with a normal parade through the City of Angels in honor of their 7th championship (thanks, COVID) ... so they came up with a safe way to honor the victory while spreading some holiday cheer at the same time.

Dubbed the "Holiday Festival," the Dodgers say the event will include "a light show, LED video displays, fake snow and interactive displays honoring the Dodgers World Championship and celebrating the holidays!"

The party will take place at the Dodger Stadium parking lot ... but don't get it twisted -- attendees will still be required to wear face masks when their car windows are down (we're looking at you, Justin Turner) ... as well as maintaining a safe distance from other vehicles.

The event starts the day after Thanksgiving (Nov. 27) and runs through Christmas Eve (Dec. 24) ... and tickets go on sale Tuesday.

Retired MLB star Jim Edmonds is pissed at his estranged wife for being reckless with COVID -- he claims her partying and jet-setting ways put his family in danger.

Jim's estranged wife, "Real Housewives of Orange County" alum Meghan King, says she's isolating after testing positive for COVID-19. Jim's rep, Steve Honig, tells TMZ ... Jim thinks Meghan has a lot of explaining to do because she attended a major Halloween event in St. Louis before jetting down to Miami, where she continued to party.

So, he says Jim's hardly surprised she announced she tested positive ... but he is pissed.

Videos and pictures from the Halloween bash show Meghan rubbing elbows with tons of people, the vast majority of whom are not wearing masks.

And, photos from Meghan's trip to Miami again show her with lots of maskless folks. She says she loves feeding her "wanderlust spirit" ... even in a pandemic.

A source close to the situation claims Meghan came over to Jim's house after her Miami trip to pick up their kids ... after allegedly being exposed to the virus. The source claims Meghan was hugging and kissing the kids, putting not only their children at risk, but also Jim's girlfriend.

Our source claims Meghan's lying about the timing of everything to make it seem like her reckless partying has nothing to do with her positive COVID diagnosis.

We're told after Meghan went public with her diagnosis Sunday, Jim reached out to her directly and expressed disappointment with her lack of responsibility.

Legendary Dodgers Manager Tommy Lasorda is in serious condition at a Southern California hospital in the ICU with heart issues, TMZ Sports has learned.

Lasorda was admitted a week ago and his condition took a turn for the worse. Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ, Tommy was hooked up to a ventilator and sedated. We're told he's now resting comfortably, so it seems he's improved.

Our sources say, his condition is NOT COVID-related.

One source noted Tommy is 93 with medical issues so his prognosis is uncertain.

Lasorda had a storied career in baseball, first signing with the Phillies in 1945. He also played for the Royals

Lasorda retired in 1960 and joined the Dodgers as a scout and then a manager. And, he was one of the most colorful managers in the sport, leading the team to 8 National League West division titles, 4 pennants and 2 World Series championships.

Tommy, who became a TV pitchman for various products, retired in 1996 because of health issues. He has a wine company -- Lasorda Family Wines.

After retiring from managing, he became Vice President and then interim general manager of the team in 1968.

Tommy was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997.

The Miami Marlins have just made a groundbreaking hire -- with the team welcoming baseball exec Kim Ng as the first female general manager in major pro sports history.

The hire makes Ng the highest-ranking woman in baseball operations among all 30 MLB teams.

51-year-old Ng started her front-office career as an intern with the Chicago White Sox in 1991 ... working her way up the ladder and becoming assistant GM to Brian Cashman with the New York Yankees in 1998.

Ng joined the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2001 ... and served as assistant GM until becoming Senior Vice President of Baseball Operations for MLB in 2011.

Ng spoke about the new gig in a statement, saying, "I entered Major League Baseball as an intern and, after decades of determination, it is the honor of my career to lead the Miami Marlins as their next general manager."

"We are building for the long-term in South Florida, developing a forward thinking, collaborative, creative baseball operation made up of incredibly talented and dedicated staff who have, over the last few years, lady great foundation for success."

She continued ... "This challenge is when I don’t take lightly. When I got into this business, it seemed unlikely a woman would lead a Major League team, but I am dogged in the pursuit of my goals."

FYI -- Ng's boss is Derek Jeter ... who, of course, was on the Yanks when she worked as assistant GM from 1998 to 2001.

Ng had interviewed to be GM for other teams like the Giants, Dodgers, Angels and more in the past ... and now she's gunning for ultimate success with her first opportunity.

"My goal is now to bring championship baseball to Miami. I am both humbled and eager to continue building the winning culture our fans expect and deserve."

Congrats!!!

Things are REALLY looking up for Mets fans ... just 2 days after their new owner promised to build a winner -- Noah Syndergaard showed his right arm can still throw missiles!!

... oh, and he did it all sweaty and shirtless!!

Syndergaard -- who had to undergo Tommy John surgery back in March -- posted video of him rocketing fastballs Thursday ... and it's gotta have people in NY ecstatic.

There was obviously concern the 28-year-old might not have the same firepower after the elbow operation ... but it's clear in the footage, Thor should be throwing close to 100 MPH again in no time.

The video comes on the heels of new Mets owner Steve Cohen saying Tuesday he wouldn't cut corners in the process of building the team into a premier MLB franchise.

"This is a major-market team," Cohen told reporters. "It should have a budget commensurate with that."

Syndergaard -- who didn't have the world's greatest relationship with the Wilpons (the previous owners) -- seems fired up to play for the guy ... he even changed his Twitter bio recently to reflect that.

"Dear Steve Cohen," Syndergaard wrote. "Hi, I’m Noah. Some ppl call me Thor. I’m a Met, working out in Florida, and I just want to win for Mets fans just like you."

Need another reason to be envious of World Series MVP Corey Seager?? Well, here ya go ...

The L.A. Dodgers superstar's fiancee, Madisyn Van Ham, loves him SO MUCH ... she got a tiny swimsuit with pics of his face all over it!!!

And, to make sure everyone knows what a lucky guy Seager is ... she shared a photo of it for all to enjoy!!!

"All the 😍 for my soon to be hubby 💍," Van Ham wrote of the suit.

The two have been dating for about 5 years now ... and just got engaged back in December 2019.

They post about each other often ... and Van Ham was even with the shortstop while he was dominating for the Dodgers in the postseason down in Texas last month.

In fact, she got a pic with L.A.'s NLCS trophy right after Seager and the Dodgers moved on to the World Series ... and she hilariously captioned it, "What’s yours is mine, right babe?!"

And, as if the two weren't adorable enough ... they also own the cutest dog ever -- a Toy Australian Shepherd named Hazel Grey!!!

Ex-S.F. Giants outfielder Mac Williamson says his career was ruined by the old placement of the bullpen mounds at Oracle Park in San Francisco ... and now, he's suing over it.

In new court docs, obtained by TMZ Sports, Williamson claims the company that financed and helped create Oracle Park knew the field design posed significant injury risks ... but did nothing about it.

And, Williamson says that all led to a catastrophic head injury that ultimately led to the end of his MLB career.

Williamson was attempting to catch a fly ball back on April 24, 2018 ... when he ran straight into the left field's bullpen mound, slipped and crashed headfirst into a wall.

Williamson stayed in the game and even went on to hit a home run ... but, in his suit, he said he began feeling groggy a short time later.

In the docs, Williamson said the next day, he was "dizzy, disoriented, and nauseous" -- and he was ultimately diagnosed with a concussion and placed on the team's injured list.

Williamson tried to come back and finish out the season ... but he claims he was still struggling with post-concussion symptoms and had shut down for the season.

30-year-old Mac went on to play in 40 games in 2019, but hit just .156 ... and was unable to latch on with an MLB team in 2020.

Now, Mac says in his suit he believes the decline in his play was all due to the injury ... and he wants the company behind Oracle Park to pay for it.

FYI -- it should be noted Williamson is NOT suing the Giants ... rather, just the company behind Oracle Park.

Williamson is asking for unspecified damages in the suit ... adding in a statement Tuesday, "My life hasn’t been the same since suffering the injury."

"The concussion ended my career and left me with life-long injuries that have also taken a significant toll on my personal life."

"I'm fortunate to have such an understanding fiancé who has been there every step of the way and helps me get through the days I suffer nausea, trouble sleeping, mood swings, and other issues. I wake up every day hoping that today is a better day and that I will get closer to how I felt before the injury."

For their part, the Giants and Oracle Park -- which ended up removing the bullpen mounds from the field after the 2019 season -- released a statement Tuesday to the San Francisco Chronicle, saying, "MLB and its clubs have a longstanding practice of addressing claims arising from player injuries through the collectively-bargained grievance procedure and the worker’s compensation system."

Tony La Russa has been charged with DUI stemming from a February incident ... where he allegedly crashed his car in Phoenix and was "argumentative" with police.

The 76-year-old -- who was just hired to manage the Chicago White Sox -- allegedly hit a curb just before midnight on Feb. 24 ... which apparently wrecked his tire.

Cops were called to the scene and found La Russa standing next to his SUV ... which was still smoking, according to court docs obtained by ESPN.

La Russa reportedly smelled like alcohol -- and told the responding officer he had recently left a dinner with some old pals with the Los Angeles Angels.

According to the report, La Russa told the officer his tire had blown out -- but the cop didn't exactly believe Tony's story and conducted a field sobriety test.

La Russa was "argumentative" -- and refused to take a breathalyzer or willingly offer a blood sample to measure his blood-alcohol level, according to the court docs.

Now, prosecutors are moving forward with DUI charges and if convicted, he could face jail time ... though it's unlikely in this particular case.

La Russa has a previous DUI conviction stemming from a 2007 incident in Jupiter, Florida ... but since it's been more than 7 years, it wouldn't be a factor in his current DUI case, under Arizona law.

Dave Roberts is finally speaking out about the Justin Turner COVID drama at the World Series ... admitting everyone involved "could've all done things differently and done better."

The Dodgers manager broke down his feelings on the matter with KTLA on Monday ... relenting his team dropped the ball on the handling of the situation.

"This is new to all of us," Roberts said. "So, I think emotions got the best of all of us."

Turner was pulled in the 7th inning of the Dodgers' Game 6 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays last month after tests revealed he was positive for coronavirus.

The 35-year-old 3rd baseman initially was sent into isolation ... but he came out of it just a short time later, saying in a statement last week that he believed he was given permission to take the field for photos with the World Series trophy.

MLB concluded its investigation into the matter and decided to NOT punish either the Dodgers or JT over it all ... but acknowledged everyone involved should've done more to keep Turner from exposing others.

While Roberts appeared to agree with the sentiment Monday ... he added he's still glad Turner got to relish in the title celebration regardless.

"I'm a cancer survivor," Roberts said. "I sat next to him. And, so, I don't apologize for that."

Ex-Houston Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow is suing his former team for more than $22 MILLION -- claiming he was wrongly made the scapegoat for the cheating scandal despite having nothing to do with it.

53-year-old Luhnow -- who was hired by the Astros in 2011 -- says he signed a deal with the team in 2018 that included $31 million in guaranteed compensation in addition to performance bonuses.

But, when the team fired him for cause following an investigation into allegations the team conducted a high-tech sign-stealing system in 2017 ... Luhnow claims he got screwed out of a ton of money, more than $22 million.

In his breach of contract lawsuit, Luhnow claims the Astros fired him "even though [he] had no knowledge of -- or involvement in -- the sign-stealing schemes."

He adds, "Yet everyone above and below Luhnow in the Astros organization came away unscathed" -- including the "video room employees who conceived and orchestrated the sign stealing system."

Luhnow claims the "investigation" -- which he puts in quotes in his suit -- was "deeply flawed" and wrongly made him a scapegoat, claiming he had knowledge of they scheme.

"The truth is the Astros had no basis to fire Luhnow, a respected executive with an unblemished record and a 16 year history of compliance with MLB rules."

The Astros fired Luhnow in January 2020 -- after the MLB report was released.

He was hit with a 1-year ban -- same as manager A.J. Hinch -- but Luhnow has not been hired by another team.

Hinch, on the other hand, was just hired to manage the Detroit Tigers.

Better start warming up that arm, Mr. President-Elect.

The Washington Nationals have invited Joe Biden to throw out of the first pitch of the 2021 season -- when they take on the New York Mets at home on April 1st.

And, right now, it seems they expect him to accept.

"We look forward to hosting President-Elect Biden on Opening Day of the 2021 season," the team said in a statement.

"We're excited to continue the long-standing tradition of sitting Presidents throwing out the first pitch at the home of the national pastime in our nation's capital."

Worth noting ... Donald Trump did NOT throw out a ceremonial first pitch at an MLB game during his presidency -- the ONLY president to skip the tradition since it began with William Taft in 1910.

Trump famously attended Game 5 of the 2019 World Series when the Nationals played the Houston Astros -- but he didn't throw out the first pitch.

As for Biden, he played a little baseball as a kid -- and threw out the first pitch for the Baltimore Orioles during Opening Day in 2009.

The pitch wasn't horrible (looking at YOU, Dr. Fauci) ... but it wasn't a perfect strike either.

Justin Turner is breaking his silence about the COVID debacle during Game 6 of the World Series -- saying he's apologized to his teammates for "failing to appreciate" the dangers of the virus.

MLB has also wrapped up its investigation into Turner -- and is admitting the league could have handled the situation better.

The Dodgers star 3rd baseman was pulled from Game 6 in the 7th inning right when MLB and Dodgers officials learned a recent COVID test of his turned up positive.

But, Turner returned to the field with his wife Kourtney after the game ended to partake in the victory celebration with teammates, coaches and others.

At the time, MLB blamed Turner for not following COVID protocol -- claiming he "emphatically refused to comply" with official orders.

Now, Turner is speaking out in a statement saying ... "I will not make excuses for my conduct but I will describe my state of mind."

"Winning the World Series was my lifelong dream and the culmination of everything I worked for in my career."

"After waiting in the isolation room while my teammates celebrated on the field, I asked whether I was permitted to return to Sheffield with my wife in order to take a photograph."

"I assumed at that point that few people were left on the field. I was under the impression that team officials did not object to my returning to the field for a picture with my wife."

"However, what was intended to be a photo, capturing the two of us, turned into several greetings and photos where I briefly and unwisely removed my mask."

"In hindsight, I should have waited until the field was clear of others to take that photo with my wife."

"I sincerely apologize to everyone on the field for failing to appreciate the risks of returning to the field. I have spoken with almost every teammate, coach, and staff member and my intentions were never to make anyone uncomfortable or put anyone at further risk."

MLB commish Rob Manfred is also speaking out -- saying MLB has concluded its investigation into the COVID incident and feel they could have handled it better.

Manfred essentially says Turner deserves some blame for the incident -- but not all of the blame.

"Mr. Turner has publicly recognized that his conduct was wrong and has expressed remorse for that conduct," Manfred says in a statement.

Manfred says there were multiple "miscommunications" in the insanity following the game and MLB could have done a better job communicating the protocol to Turner.

"In retrospect, a security person should have been assigned to monitor Mr. Turner when he was asked to isolate, and Mr. Turner should have been transported from the stadium to the hotel more promptly."

It seems MLB will NOT punish Turner for the incident.

Alex Cora is back in Boston ... the Red Sox have re-hired him as their manager after he spent this past season serving a ban for his role in the Astros' cheating scandal.

The team made the move Friday ... according to MLB Network's Jon Heyman, who added Red Sox brass interviewed Cora last week in Puerto Rico.

"Apparently," Heyman reported, "he answered all their questions satisfactorily."

Of course, the hiring will no doubt cause controversy in MLB circles ... Cora was outed as one of the integral pieces of the Astros' sign-stealing cheating scandal back in 2017.

Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a report last February that Cora -- a 'Stros bench coach at the time -- was the mastermind behind the whole trash-banging scheme.

For his part, Alex didn't deny the cheating and accepted the one-season ban that Manfred hit him with ... but the 45-year-old manager added he was pissed others involved in the scheme weren't hit with similar punishments.

"We all did it," Cora said in an interview with ESPN this summer ... before adding, "Everyone who was part of the team from around mid-May until the end of the season, we are all responsible."

Ex-MLB prospect Brandon Martin has been convicted of killing three men -- including his disabled father -- with a baseball bat back in 2015 ... and could now face the death penalty.

27-year-old Martin was a promising young shortstop in the sport ... and was a first-round pick of the Tampa Bay Rays in 2011.

Martin killed his 64-year-old dad, 58-year-old uncle and a 62-year-old alarm installation worker at their family home in Corona, CA in September 2015.

The details are gruesome ... Martin beat the men with a black bat inscribed with his name before stealing the alarm installer's truck and fleeing the scene.

The following day, law enforcement spotted the pickup truck ... and Martin tried to escape before ultimately ditching the vehicle, breaking into a house and jumping from a 2nd-story window in an attempt to get away.

Martin was charged with 3 counts of first-degree murder ... as well as a number of other charges stemming from the incident. He pled not guilty and the case went to trial.

A jury started deliberating earlier this week ... and after 4 hours, Martin was found guilty on all 7 counts, including all 3 first-degree murder charges.

The conviction makes Martin eligible for the death penalty ... which is being sought by the District Attorney.

Cody Bellinger's 2020 is SO MUCH BETTER than yours ... 'cause just a few days after he won the World Series -- he got put into a big role in an uber-popular video game!!

The L.A. Dodgers superstar announced Wednesday he'll be a character in the newest installment of the Assassin's Creed series ... and his avatar looks awesome!!

Bellinger says his in-game character will be named Otta Sluggasson ... and, of course, the game-version of Belli will wield a big, spiked baseball bat and wear eyeblack.

Belli and the creators of the game, Ubisoft North America, released footage of the outfielder in the creating process of the avatar ... and it ain't hard to see Cody loved all of it.

Bellinger tested out weapons, got his face scanned, and even did a voiceover for the role!

As for a description of the virtual Bellinger ... video game creators say Otta is a "Dane with a knack for hitting rocks very very far."

Checks out to us!