Baseball

Hall of Famer Roberto Alomar -- one of the greatest second basemen of all time -- has been banned from Major League Baseball ... after an investigation into sexual misconduct claims from 2014.

Commissioner Robert Manfred announced the move on Friday ... saying 53-year-old Alomar has been terminated from his gig as a league consultant and placed on the "Ineligible List."

The ban, Manfred says, comes after MLB hired a law firm to investigate claims of sexual misconduct made by a "baseball industry employee," who came forward earlier this year about the alleged incident that happened in 2014.

After the investigation, it was determined Alomar violated MLB's policies ... resulting in severe punishment.

"We are grateful for the courage of the individual who came forward," Manfred said Friday. "MLB will continue to strive to create environments in which people feel comfortable speaking up without fear of recrimination, retaliation, or exclusion."

The Toronto Blue Jays followed suit by severing ties with Alomar, who was serving as a special assistant to the team ... and going one step further by scrubbing him from the team's "Level of Excellence."

Of course, Alomar was a star in the '90s -- he made 12 All-Star teams, won 10 Gold Gloves and won 2 World Series championships ... and was inducted into Cooperstown in 2011.

The Jays are also taking down Alomar's banner at the stadium, which honored his retired number #12 with the organization.

Alomar addressed the punishment minutes ago ... saying, "I am disappointed, surprised, and upset with today's news."

"With the current social climate, I understand why Major League Baseball has taken the position they have."

"F***ing s***. Motherf***er. Every goddamn time. What the f***."

That's how Tyler Glasnow reacted when his teammate made an insane catch Wednesday ... and after TV cameras captured the whole thing, his mom was NOT HAPPY at all about it!!

The Rays pitcher's profane rant all went down in the 7th inning of Tampa's game against the A's ... when Kevin Kiermaier incredibly hauled in a fly ball DEEP in center field.

Glasnow was so PUMPED for the catch ... he spewed every swear word in the book -- and then tipped his cap to his outfielder.

The problem? Glasnow's words were so naughty AND so clear on the television broadcast, Tampa's ace said afterward his mom told him he needs to cut it out going forward!!

"My mom texted me like, 'You got to stop cussing on TV,'" Glasnow said. "'Like, cover your mouth or something!'"

Tyler, though, said he just couldn't help it!

"That’s my only reaction I can give him," Glasnow said. "It’s just unbelievable."

Don't worry ... Glasnow -- who by the way is becoming arguably the best pitcher in baseball -- said he will work on it, telling reporters after the game he's going to try to make Mom happy.

"There's some swear words going on when everything kind of goes well or someone does well," Glasnow said. "So, I should work on covering my mouth like my mom said."

Bryce Harper is lucky to have avoided complete disaster Wednesday ... the MLB star was drilled in the nose by a 97 MPH pitch, but thankfully, he says he's somehow "all good."

The Phillies outfielder was up to bat in the 6th inning of Philadelphia's tilt with the St. Louis Cardinals ... when Génesis Cabrera's pitch got away from him and smashed BH right in the face.

The clip is horrifying ... the fastball appeared to catch Harper right between the eyes -- and Bryce immediately left the game for the training room.

Of course, with players like Giancarlo Stanton having suffered SEVERE damage from being hit with pitches in the face in the past ... many feared the worst for Harper.

But, fortunately, Harper said in a video after the game he passed all tests and expects to recover in no time.

"Everything feels good," Bryce said, showing off nothing more than minor swelling on his nose. "Everything came back good -- CT [scan], all that kind of stuff."

"So, face is still there. So, we're all good. See you guys soon!"

As for Cabrera -- who also hit Didi Gregorious in the back in the at-bat following Harper's -- he felt so badly about the night, he apologized after the game.

"I really wish him the best," Cabrera said of Harper. "I hope he has a speedy recovery, in whatever it is that happened, and that he'll be able to return to baseball activities."

"The game got away from me at that point. I'm really sorry for everything that happened today. None of it was intentional. And again, I'm sorry for everything."

Scary moment on the MLB diamond Tuesday night ... umpire Kerwin Danley was hit in the face by a foul ball -- and appeared to be knocked out cold behind home plate.

The tense moments all went down in the 6th inning of the Giants vs. Rockies game in San Francisco ... when Sam Hilliard foul-tipped a pitch right into Danley's facemask.

You can see in footage from the broadcast of the game, Danley immediately fell backward and laid motionless for several seconds.

Really scary moment.

Trainers rushed to tend to the 59-year-old ... and, fortunately, he was able to get up minutes later and leave the field under his own power.

The Giants said after the game that Danley was "doing well" ... though he was experiencing a "slight headache."

This is not the first time Danley -- who's had a history of concussions -- has had a scare behind home plate ... back in 2008, he was hit in the jaw by a fastball, and a year later, he was hit in the head by a broken bat.

STOP WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND LOOK AT THIS ADORABLE BUNNY!!!

A pair of San Francisco Giants fans hit up Oracle Park to watch their boys take on the Miami Marlins on Thursday ... and forget the peanuts and crackerjacks, they brought their cute ass therapy rabbit along to enjoy the fun!!

The 4 1/2-month-old bunny named Alex belongs to owners Kei Kato and her fiancé, Josh Row ... who bought the Flemish giant after Kato's brewery restaurant closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Alex helps with Kato's anxiety and stress ... and brings joy to the couple's life during the tough times.

The furry friend has been living it up since he joined the family -- from NASCAR races to tubing and kayaking ... and even helped hand out Easter eggs to kids!!

The fun continued when Kato and Row brought Alex to his first baseball game ... and it was a monumental moment -- it's believed he's the VERY FIRST bunny to attend a ballgame at Oracle Park, according to the team.

Alex -- who was wearing a Giants-colored bowtie -- quickly became a fan favorite ... and the Marlins even tried to convert him to their side with some free merch, while SF invited him back as their good luck charm.

Giants CEO Larry Baer also spoke about their new fan ... saying, "Love this therapy bunny," Baer said. "We could all use a therapy bunny right about now!"

So, what's next for the lovable trio?? They're hoping to hit up a Warriors game ... and Golden State has already welcomed Alex with open arms.

A dad at an MLB game went from hero to zero REAL QUICK on Thursday ... fumbling a home run ball, dropping his nachos and losing a shoe in a sad moment that was all caught on video.

The scene went down in the 6th inning of the Reds vs. Diamondbacks game in Cincinnati ... when Eugenio Suarez hit a missile to deep center field.

The ball -- coming in HOT -- landed in a dude's hand ... but when the guy wasn't able to fully secure it, calamity ensued.

The Reds fan, who appeared to be with his son, fell down three rows of seats and spilled his nachos as he tried to recover the loose ball, and then he even lost a shoe!!

But, the worst part? ANOTHER FAN SCOOPED UP THE BALL BEFORE HE COULD GET IT!!

The kid with the man could not have been more disappointed ... showing a look of complete and utter disgust when the dude got back to his seat.

We'd like to say there was a happy ending here ... but it doesn't seem the guy got his nachos replaced or another ball -- and, by the way, the home team ended up losing 14-11.

If you needed further proof Tim Tebow is the sweetest boy on Earth -- here it is ...

The former Heisman Trophy winner granted a 105-year-old's birthday wish this week ... sending an adorable video shout-out to the woman -- and the whole thing was cute as hell!!

Here's the deal ... Cora Belle Edison has been a Tebow superfan for YEARS, never missing one of his games and even calling the former quarterback "handsome!" during her 105th bday party last week.

And, after she told local station WJTV in Jackson, Miss. her wish for her big 1-0-5 was to meet Tim ... TEBOW ACTUALLY REACHED OUT!!!

The 33-year-old -- alongside all his dogs -- sent the woman a heartfelt message ... saying, "Hey, Mrs. Edison. This is Tim Tebow. I wanted to make this video to say happy birthday."

"I know last Tuesday that you turned 105 years old and that is so incredible."

He continued, "I also know we have a lot in common. I know that you have five children, and I’m the baby of five, so we have that in common. And, I know that you were a nurse, and you loved helping people and that's also what I feel called to do. But, most importantly, I also know that you love the Lord, which is most important."

Tebow then praised Edison for the legacy she's left on the planet ... and added, "I really hope I get the chance to see you and give you a hug."

"But, even if I don’t get the chance to give you a huge here on Earth, I know I will in heaven and I look forward to that day."

J Lo and A-Rod may have broken up, but there are still some housekeeping matters to tend to  .... notably, who gets the $1.8 million engagement ring?

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... J Lo still has the ring in her possession. As you may know, an engagement ring legally is a "gift in contemplation of marriage." When the couple breaks up before hitting the alter, in most states the person who proposes gets the ring back.

Our sources say there's been no discussion between J Lo and A-Rod over the fate of the ring. However, our sources are quick to add ... the former couple exchanged "massive amounts of jewelry." A-Rod bedazzled J Lo with all sorts of bling, and she fortified his massive watch collection. So, they could just call it a wash, but they haven't decided yet.

We're told the engagement ring is NOT in the Dominican Republic, where J Lo's been shooting a movie. She didn't want it lying around every day while she films ... for security reasons.

The Minnesota Twins will NOT be taking the field Monday afternoon -- the team has postponed its matchup with the Boston Red Sox following the fatal shooting of Daunte Wright at the hands of a police officer.

"Out of respect for the tragic events that occurred yesterday in Brooklyn Center, and following the additional details in this evolving situation, the Minnesota Twins have decided it is in the best interests of our fans, staff, players and community to not play today's game," the team said in a statement.

20-year-old Wright was shot and killed by a police officer during a traffic stop Sunday afternoon in the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Center.

Cops say they were trying to take him into custody after learning he had outstanding warrants ... and Wright attempted to flee.

BC Police Chief Tim Gannon claims the officer meant to use her taser during the incident, but accidentally shot Wright instead. He died at the scene.

Protests and riots broke out in the area following the tragedy ... and the National Guard was deployed on the scene.

The Twins -- who were set to open a 4-game series with the Sox -- say they worked with MLB, local and state officials to reach its decision ... and will announce a makeup date at a later time.

The L.A. Dodgers got their World Series rings on Friday -- and good lord, SO. MANY. DIAMONDS!!!!!

The ring ceremony took place right before the Dodgers home opener against the Washington Nationals ... and it was special!!!

Each of the Dodgers players was introduced to the crowd by their childhood MLB heroes.

So, Mookie Betts was intro'd by Jimmy Rollins. Chase Utley introduced Cody Bellinger. And "Big Papi" David Ortiz did the honors for Julio Urias.

But, let's get to the hardware ...

Of course, each ring featured the Dodgers iconic "L.A." logo on top -- made from 17 genuine blue sapphires.

Notice the baseball diamond design -- featuring 4 large diamonds representing each of the bases.

The "infield" is loaded with 29 smaller diamonds, representing the number of home runs hit by the Dodgers during the 2020 postseason.

There are 16 more sapphires and 44 diamonds surrounding the perimeter of the top of the ring.

And, the sides??? You guessed it -- MORE DIAMONDS!!

According to MLB, the total number of diamonds just on the sides totals 96!

So, congrats to the champs -- the 32-year drought is over! Just make sure to keep those things in a safe!

Touching moment in the MLB on Thursday ... Kolten Wong got a standing ovation in his return to St. Louis -- and he was so emotional about it, he had to take his ensuing at-bat in tears.

It all went down in the 1st inning of the Brewers' tilt with the Cards ... when Wong -- who played in STL from 2013 through 2020 -- was set to take his first AB as an opposing player at Busch Stadium.

But, as soon as his name was announced over the PA system ... fans roared so loudly for the Cards' former second baseman, the game was paused for several seconds.

Even Wong's ex-teammates, pitcher Adam Wainwright and catcher Yadier Molina, took a few bows to pay their respects to the 30-year-old.

And, all of love clearly hit Wong HARD ... 'cause he spent his entire ensuing at-bat crying.

Fortunately for Wong, Wainwright didn't throw him a single strike on four pitches ... and he was able to head down to first base pretty quickly to re-collect himself.

Babe Ruth secretly penned a handwritten letter to his mistress -- behind his wife’s back -- nearly 100 years ago ... and now the super unique item just sold for a fortune at auction, TMZ Sports has learned.

An undisclosed buyer dropped $201,851 on the letter at SCP Auctions ... which was discovered years ago in the scrapbook of Nell Wilson -- Ruth’s alleged woman on the side.

Ruth wrote ... “Dear Nell, Very sorry but my wife jumped over on me without me knowing it this is the first time she ever did that she is watching me so don’t get mad and I will see you Monday night."

Bambino continued ... "The club is watching so the only way I will be able to see you all night is for you to stop in at the Aldine Hotel and I can see you. Babe”

After signing his name, Ruth -- the most famous baseball player in the world -- terrified of his wife catching him, wrote ... “Nell, don’t call me up.”

Ruth married as a 19-year-old in 1914 -- tying the knot with Helen Woodford -- a waitress he met at a Boston coffee shop during his rookie season with the Red Sox.

Over the years, the Sultan of Swat picked up a reputation as a hard-partying womanizer ... which obviously caused serious problems in his relationship.

But, Babe and Helen were devout Catholics ... so divorce wasn’t an option

The letter -- written around 1922 -- shows proper wear on the edges, and contains a signature authenticated by PSA ... important for collectors.

The piece originally sold back in 2004 for $86k ... but like the rest of the collectibles market, the value exploded!

Ruth's letter isn’t the only awesome piece of Yankees history that recently sold ... SCP unloaded a one-of-a-kind signed photo of the '27 Bronx Bombers -- aka Murderers Row -- for $444,031.

Ask we previously reported, the photo contains sigs from Ruth and Lou Gehrig.

Speaking of “The Iron Horse” ... one of the last bats ever used by the dying superstar sold for $715k.

So, go ask grandma if she ever dated a legendary baseball player.

Insanely scary moment on the MLB diamond Wednesday ... Reds star rookie Jonathan India was drilled in the forehead by a 94 MPH fastball, but thankfully, he appears to be okay.

India was at the dish for his second at-bat of Cincinnati's game against the Pirates ... when pitcher Chad Kuhl lost control of a fastball and accidentally plunked the 24-year-old in the head.

India immediately crumpled to the ground in pain ... and Kuhl got down into a squat in disbelief that he had just misfired that badly.

Miraculously, India popped up to his feet just a few seconds later ... and after a short talk with trainers, he stayed in the game.

In fact, India was feeling so good ... in the next inning, he made a hell of a play throwing out a base runner at home plate!!!

It was an awesome throw ... but it was even more awesome that the dude's going to be all right after all that.

A man tragically died during a taco-eating contest in California's central valley -- and now, his son wants the owner of the org that hosted it to pay up.

Marshall Hutchings is suing Fresno Sports and Events -- the company that owns the Fresno Grizzlies minor league baseball team -- for hosting what he calls an inherently dangerous amateur taco eating competition at Chukchansi Park back in 2019 ... during which his father died.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Hutchings claims his dad, Dana, wasn't warned or told about the risks involved in devouring as much grub as possible in a short amount of time ... and, as a result, began choking on "chewed and unchewed" taco remnants.

Hutchings says people attempted to save him with CPR and a defibrillator, before paramedics arrived to rush Dana to the hospital ... where he was pronounced dead.

Hutchings asserts FS&E had no business holding an event like that with novices -- because he says professional food eating is serious business, and requires preparation and training on the participants' part ... insisting Average Joes aren't equipped to compete safely. Long story short, Hutchings claims the event was too dangerous, and the company didn't take proper steps in running it -- which ended up costing a life.

"ASTROS SUCK! ASTROS SUCK! ASTROS SUCK!"

Angels fans let the cheating-ass Astros HAVE IT during their game in L.A. on Monday night ... chanting insults at them and trolling them with a symphony of banging trash cans!!!

The scene was epic ... in right field at Angel Stadium of Anaheim, fans had a seemingly endless supply of garbage bins to heckle Houston players with.

It started early in the night when one fan lifted one over his head and banged on it incessantly.

Later, one person actually threw an inflatable trash can onto the field. Then, just minutes after that, someone dumped an entire bin over the wall!

Things got so relentless -- the Angels actually had to set up security in right field to make sure it all calmed down!!!

Eventually, the trash bins seemed to get to Houston ... 'cause it blew a 5-3 lead late in the game and ultimately lost, 7-6!

And, the limited capacity crowd sure let the Astros know about it ... joining in unison to chant "Astros suck!" at players.

Of course, the 'Stros are still hated by everyone after MLB officials determined they illegally stole signs and banged on trash cans to relay them to batters during their World Series run in 2017 and the following year.

The players caught a bit of a break last season with no fans allowed in stadiums ... but it's clear, they ain't gonna get the same kind of treatment this year.

MLB fans in Texas pretended like it was 2019 on Monday ... packing into the Rangers' stadium to see a game with absolutely no regard for social distancing.

The scenes from Globe Life Field are WILD ... there's hardly an empty chair in the 40,000-seat stadium -- and people wearing masks over their noses and mouths are few and far between.

In fact, it straight-up looks like nobody in the stadium has any worry that a global pandemic is still raging onward.

Of course, we knew this was coming ... the Rangers announced last month they would not put a limit on attendance for Opening Day against the Blue Jays -- something President Joe Biden blasted the team for.

"I think it's a mistake," POTUS said to ESPN last week. "They should listen to Dr. Fauci, the scientists and the experts. But, I think it's not responsible."

The Rangers have said repeatedly Monday will be a one-time-only event ... with team president of baseball operations Jon Daniels saying he believes there will be no more sell-outs following Monday's action.

"I think after Opening Day, reality is we're not going to be at full capacity, I doubt it," Daniels said.

The Rangers have insisted they'll enforce a mask policy -- only allowing fans to drop the face coverings to eat or drink.