Baseball

The Oakland A's have FIRED the food vendor responsible for serving its minor league players meals that look WORSE than the Fyre Festival, the team announced.

Look at these terrible meals -- this is the crap players, coaches and staffers in the A's minor league system were served up during recent road trips ... and the players couldn't take it anymore!

Photos of the insultingly bad meals were posted on the Twitter page for the Advocates for Minor Leaguers group -- a watchdog group for minor league players.

The group explained, "Players in the Oakland A’s organization shared these photos of their recent post-game meals. No employer would serve these meals to employees they care about. Why are the A’s serving them to their future Major Leaguers?"

Great question, right?!

Enter Dave Kaval, president of the A's ... who claims the team was PISSED when it found out about the food situation -- and insists team honchos took immediate action.

"This was totally unacceptable," Kaval said ... "When we found out several weeks ago we terminated the third party vendor."

"We apologize to our players, staff, and coaches. We will redouble our efforts to provide the best options for our team at every level."

Note to players, if the team ever tries to screw you out of food or bottled water in the future, you know who to call ...

New police video shows cops had a conversation about Tony La Russa's MLB resume during his 2020 DUI arrest ... with one officer even saying on camera, "This guy's like the Michael Jordan of baseball."

The footage of the Feb. 24, 2020 incident was released Tuesday to WGN News ... and it's pretty wild.

In the clip, you can see officers in the Phoenix, AZ area had approached La Russa on the side of the road after his car had apparently suffered some major tire damage.

La Russa can be heard on the video having a talk with one cop about his ride ... which eventually led to questions about whether the 76-year-old had been drinking before getting behind the wheel.

La Russa initially said he hadn't had anything to drink ... but after cops told him he blew a .09 (the legal limit is .08), Tony then admitted he DID have a glass of wine before driving.

Tony was eventually placed in cuffs and thrown in the back of a squad car ... and that's when you can see in the footage, he became unhappy.

He griped about his cuffs, and then said, "I'm legitimate. I'm with the Angels. I'm a Hall of Famer."

In video, though, you can see at least one cop had no idea who La Russa was ... because an officer had to explain to the other La Russa's resume.

"He's a f***ing Hall of Famer," one officer said ... before adding, "This guy's like the Michael Jordan of baseball ... like World Series manager, like Manager of the Year."

La Russa -- who was hired as the Chicago White Sox manager just months after the arrest -- was ultimately hit with two misdemeanor DUI charges, though he struck a deal with prosecutors back in Dec. 2020 to close out the case.

Court records show La Russa agreed to plead guilty to a reduced charge of reckless driving ... and, in exchange, officials agreed to drop the other DUI charge.

La Russa was ordered to spend one day in jail -- though his attorney said the MLB manager was allowed to serve it via home confinement.

Kazan also said La Russa was ordered to pay a $1,300 fine and complete 20 hours of community service as part of his sentencing.

La Russa eventually opened up about the arrest in Feb. 2021, explaining, "It was an inexcusable mistake."

New details in the Marcell Ozuna domestic violence arrest -- cops say his wife claimed the MLB star threatened to kill her during a heated dispute "over an infidelity."

It's all in the booking report obtained by TMZ Sports ... in which Sandy Springs Police Officers describe what happened when they arrived to the Atlanta Braves star's Georgia home on May 29.

Two officers say they responded to a report of a domestic dispute -- and the alleged victim told them 30-year-old Ozuna had "took both her cell phones from the bathroom while she showered without her consent."

When she demanded Ozuna return the phones, Marcell allegedly refused -- and then "He threatened to kill her and she threatened to call 911," according to the report.

The woman told cops she took HIS cell phone and called 911 -- and that's when Ozuna tried to leave the property.

But, the woman claims she followed him outside and chased him around a vehicle.

Ultimately, the woman went back inside and locked the door -- and then grabbed a "large kitchen knife" to defend herself.

The woman claims Ozuna got back inside the house and "continued to yell and verbally abuse her."

The woman says she brandished the knife by her hip and "warned [Ozuna] that if he got closer, she was going to hurt him."

"She added that she was afraid for her life due to his aggressive behavior."

The woman says she eventually put the knife down -- but Ozuna continued to act aggressively ... at one point he "pushed his left hand and forearm, (which was in a hard cast) against her face, pushing her back and mushing her in the face with it several times."

The woman says she tussled with Ozuna and he pushed her onto the ground. He then grabbed her by the throat and held her up against the wall ... and that's when one of the officers entered the home and witnessed the strangulation.

Ozuna stopped the attack when he saw the cops, the report says.

Atlanta Braves star Marcell Ozuna was arrested for domestic violence on Saturday ... and is currently sitting in county jail in Georgia.

The 30-year-old outfielder was arrested by Sandy Springs PD (GA) and booked into Fulton County Jail (GA) earlier today for "Aggravated Assault Strangulation" and Battery on a family member, according to jail records.

The records indicate the alleged incident occurred on Saturday. The alleged victim is not identified.

The 2x All-Star -- who was placed on the IL after mangling his fingers at a play at 3rd base earlier this week -- is listed at 6'2", 237 lbs., per jail records.

The Braves -- who signed Ozuna to a 4-year, $65 million deal in 2020 -- issued a statement addressing the arrest.

"We learned of Marcell Ozuna's arrest earlier this evening and immediately informed the commissioner's office. The Braves fully support Major League Baseball's policy on domestic violence which stresses to the fullest that our society cannot and will not tolerate domestic violence in any form," the Braves said.

"Until the investigation is completed, we will have no further comment and all inquiries into the matter should be referred to the office of the commissioner."

FYI, Genesis Ozuna, Marcell's wife, was arrested in June 2020 for allegedly hitting the MLB star in the face with a soap dish.

Welp, they don't call him "El Mago" for nothing ...

Here's Javier Baez going OFF during the Cubs' game against the Pirates on Thursday ... completing what might very well be the most insane play in MLB history!!!

The crazy sequence all kicked off in the top of the 3rd inning at PNC Park ... when Baez hit a ground ball to 3rd base.

As Pittsburgh first baseman Will Craig received the throw from 3rd, though, he went to lazily tag Baez, who for some reason decided to run backward.

Instead of just stepping on 1st or even sprinting to get Baez out, Craig inexplicably jogged toward Javy -- and then all hell broke loose.

Chicago catcher Willson Contreras came home -- and because of Craig's indecisiveness, he actually scored!!!

But, it gets better ... 'cause after that, Javy ran to 1st, and Pittsburgh botched that play too -- underthrowing the toss, allowing Baez to reach 2nd on the play!!

Oh, and did we mention -- ALL OF THIS WAS WITH TWO OUTS IN THE INNING?!!?!

The official scoring goes down like this: "Javier Baez reached on fielder's choice, 3rd to 1st, Willson Contreras scored. Javier Baez to 2nd on Michael Perez's throwing error."

A naked fan had the time of his life during the Washington Nationals' rain delay Wednesday -- slipping and sliding all over the wet field -- and pics of the guy's joy ride are INCREDIBLE.

The scene all went down in D.C. ... when shortly after MLB officials paused the Nats' game against the Reds and tarped up the field due to heavy rain -- a dude stripped off his clothes and ran all over the place!!!

For several minutes, the fan -- dong out and butt fully exposed -- sprinted across the diamond and slid on the slippery field covering!!

In an amazing twist -- he ended up INSIDE the tarp roller to escape stadium security ... and video fans shot of him getting in the big tube is laugh out loud funny!!!

Eventually, authorities at the ballpark were able to get the streaker out ... but you can see in the photos -- he was happy as a clam while being taken off in handcuffs!!

It's unclear if the guy was hauled off to jail or just punished at the stadium ... we're working on it.

As for the game, the rain never really let up -- so it was suspended and will resume once the rain officially dissipates on Thursday afternoon.

WARNING: LOOK AWAY IF YOU'RE SQUEAMISH!!!

Atlanta Braves star Marcell Ozuna JACKED UP his hand sliding into a base during a game Tuesday night ... and there's worry he could now miss significant time over it all.

The gnarly injury all went down in the 3rd inning of the Braves game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park ... when Ozuna was trying to avoid a tag at third base.

In video of the play, you can see as the ATL outfielder went head-first into the bag ... his hand got caught on Red Sox star Rafael Devers' left foot.

Ozuna's fingers were crunched so badly at impact, TWO of them dislocated -- and the digits were apparently so wonky after the collision, players on the field had to look away!

Braves manager Brian Snitker said after the game the ring finger AND the middle finger on Ozuna's left hand were popped out of place ... and he's being sent back to Atlanta for further evaluation.

"I saw him," Snitker said. "He had splints on [the fingers]. He wasn't feeling real bad, but it did them both. So, they're just going to make sure everything's good in there."

Snitker continued, "Hopefully it's just, you know, put them back [in place] and he's a little stiff for a few days."

Ice up, Marcell ... and get better soon!

Ex-New York Mets manager Mickey Callaway -- who has been accused of several instances of sexual harassment over the past 5 years -- has been banned from the league until at least the 2023 season, MLB announced Wednesday.

46-year-old Callaway -- who most recently served as the Los Angeles Angels pitching coach -- has been under league investigation since 5 women came forward in February and alleged several instances of misconduct ... including sending unsolicited shirtless selfies and asking for nude photographs, among other claims.

MLB concluded its investigation and determined Callaway violated league policies. The league says placing Callaway on the Ineligible List is "warranted" through the completion of the 2022 season, when he will be eligible for reinstatement.

Callaway spoke about the punishment in a statement to ESPN minutes ago ... saying, "My family and I fully support MLB’s strong stance against harassment and discrimination and are grateful to the Commissioner and his office for their thorough investigation."

"I apologize to the women who shared with investigators any interaction that made them feel uncomfortable. To be clear, I never intended to make anyone feel this way and didn’t understand that these interactions might do that or violate MLB policies."

"However, those are my own blind spots, and I take responsibility for the consequences."

He added ... "In my 25 years in professional baseball, I have never taken for granted the privilege of being even a small part of this great game of ours."

"To say I regret my past poor choices would be an understatement. I remain hopeful that I can return to baseball when eligible at the conclusion of next season, but for now, I plan to work on my own shortcomings and repairing any damage I have caused with my colleagues and, particularly, my family."

So much for home-field advantage.

A massive crowd of Dodgers fans flocked to Minute Maid Park in Houston to watch L.A. take on the Astros on Tuesday ... and trolled the living hell outta the home team over the infamous cheating scandal!!

It was the first time fans were in attendance for a Dodgers vs. Astros game in Houston since the 2017 World Series -- which, of course, many believe was tainted due to the 'Stros' elaborate electronic sign-stealing operation.

"Cheaters!" chants? Check. Mean signs? Check. Blowup trash cans? Check. Dominant win for the Dodgers? Big ass check.

The scene was insanity as Clayton Kershaw led L.A. to an easy 9-2 win ... and you gotta think the Dodger fans taking over the stadium had to play a part in it.

Of course, Dodgers players and fans have refused to forgive the Astros for robbing them of a title in '17 ... and let their hatred ring from start to finish.

The signs were aplenty -- with fans saying things like "Read this sign ... you cheated!" and making references to the trash can that was used in the operation as the real MVP of the series.

Dodgers star Justin Turner was a huge fan of the support ... saying, "It was awesome. Some of the guys said tonight it finally felt like we were playing real baseball again."

"We knew it was going to be loud. We knew there was going to be energy in the building tonight. Our Dodger fans obviously traveled really well."

But, bad news for the 'Stros ... Pantone 294 -- the group that organized the takeover -- is teasing it's only gonna get worse for Houston on Wednesday night.

All hell broke loose in a minor league baseball game Tuesday night ... with players throwing violent haymakers at each other during an insane brawl that was all captured on video.

The melee went down in the 8th inning of a game between Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres minor leaguers in South Bend, Ind.

The Cubs' affiliate, the South Bend Cubs, was taking on the Padres' affiliate, the Fort Wayne TinCaps ... when the ending of the game turned ugly in a hurry.

Video from the broadcast shows all of the action initially began in the 7th inning ... when Cubs shortstop Delvin Zinn got into a heated argument with the TinCaps' bench.

You can see in footage from the game's broadcast, Zinn was clearly enraged by something TinCaps players had said ... and he needed to be held back by teammates.

Fast-forward just a few minutes later in the 8th inning, when a violent fracas broke out after a TinCaps player had struck out.

Check out the clip, the Cubs' catcher said something to the Ft. Wayne player after the pitch ... and then EVERYBODY rushed the field!!!

The benches cleared, and multiple punches were thrown and landed for several seconds.

Eventually, it was all broken up ... and according to the game's box score, FOUR players were ejected by umps immediately.

The Cubs went on to win the game, 12-10 ... but the fireworks might not be over there.

The two teams are set to play FIVE more times this week ... and even if suspensions are handed down -- more drama could unfold.

The Cleveland Indians will be without star pitcher Zach Plesac for the foreseeable future ... and it's all 'cause the guy took of his shirt "aggressively."

For real.

Manager Terry Francona just made the bizarre announcement Tuesday ... saying Plesac broke the thumb on his throwing hand undressing earlier this week -- and is now going straight to the injured list.

"He was, I think, probably rather aggressively ripping off his shirt and he caught it on his chair,” Francona told media members.

"It was pretty swollen [Monday] so we sent him to get X-rays."

A broken digit on Plesac's throwing hand could cost the pitcher weeks -- if not months -- of the season, but Francona said they don't expect to have an official timetable for his return until the 26-year-old sees more specialists later this week.

"We're not going to know any more other than he is an [injured list]," Francona said. "We will get a lot more information [Wednesday]."

Of course, it's a weird injury ... but it's shockingly not that weird given the strange baseball injuries already this season.

You'll recall, Braves starter Huascar Ynoa broke his hand punching a bench in frustration ... while A's starter Jesus Luzardo injured his hand playing video games.

A baseball player in the Dominican Republic was so upset with an umpire ... he attacked the guy with his bat AND helmet -- and video of the incident is INSANE.

It all went down Sunday ... when MLB Insider Hector Gomez says Elvis LeBron lost his mind during a tournament game over an ump's balls and strikes calls.

You can see in the footage, LeBron exchanged several words with the man behind the plate after one call ... and the conversation got so heated, LeBron was ultimately tossed from the game.

The ejection, though, clearly enraged LeBron ... and video shows the baseball player decided to go nuclear.

LeBron shoved the ump in the face with his left hand, and violently swung his bat at the guy with his right hand.

The ump went crashing to the ground ... but LeBron's assault didn't stop there.

The clip shows LeBron then took off his helmet and fired it at the ump ... and then went after the guy again with his bat -- before other players and coaches intervened.

Fortunately, cooler heads ultimately prevailed ... but according to Gomez, LeBron was arrested by local police a short time later.

The ump, meanwhile, tried to finish out the game ... but he was taken to the hospital about an hour later to get checked out, Gomez says.

Felipe Vazquez -- once considered one of the best pitchers in Major League Baseball -- has been found guilty of statutory sexual assault stemming from an inappropriate relationship with a 13-year-old girl.

The 2-time All-Star was arrested in 2019 following allegations Vasquez had sex with a 13-year-old girl in his Ford Mustang in Pennsylvania back in 2017 when he was 26.

Officials say the MLB closer also sent the girl graphic videos and photos -- and told her in text messages he was planning to have sex with her again.

The texts were discovered by the alleged victim's mother -- who alerted police. Investigators say the images depicted numerous "unique and distinguishable" tattoos on his body ... which they were able to match to Vazquez through public images on the Internet.

Prosecutors moved forward with 25 criminal charges against Vasquez -- including 10 counts of child pornography, 10 counts of unlawful contact with a minor and 1 count of corruption of minors.

But, on Thursday, the jury in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, found 29-year-old Vazquez guilty on 15 total counts -- including statutory sexual assault, sexual abuse of children, child pornography and corruption of minors.

The victim was in the courtroom with her family when the verdict was read, according to WPXI's Amy Hudak ... who also shot video of Vazquez returning to jail Thursday evening following his conviction.

Vazquez now faces serious prison time when the sentencing portion of the case begins -- and he could also be deported to Venezuela.

It's been 3 days since Kevin Pillar was drilled in the nose by a 94-MPH fastball ... and yeah, his face still looks like hell.

The MLB star showed off another selfie of the battle wounds he suffered after Jacob Webb accidentally pounded his mug with a heater during the Mets-Braves game on Monday night ... and it's still VERY bad.

You can see in the pic, Pillar's got two awful black eyes ... and the scrape on his nose is still bloody.

His whole face, meanwhile, is puffed up like a marshmallow -- but somehow, the dude still appears to be in great spirits.

"For those who have been asking: Still feeling good," the 32-year-old Mets outfielder captioned his pic.

"Ready to get my nose functional again so I can breathe out of it. Will be back soon!"

As we previously reported, the Mets say Pillar suffered multiple nasal fractures after he was hit by the pitch ... and have said he's meeting with doctors and specialists to see how to proceed with the injury going forward.

Pillar, meanwhile, said the day after the incident he wanted to get back to the field ASAP.

IT'S TEBOW TIME IN JACKSONVILLE!!!

Tim Tebow has formally signed his 1-year contract with the Jaguars to begin his journey as an NFL tight end -- and is expected to work out with the team STARTING TODAY!!

33-year-old Tebow -- who hasn't worked out with an NFL team since a brief stint with Eagles in 2015 -- says he's ready to compete for a roster spot.

"I want to thank the Jaguars for the opportunity to compete and earn the chance to be part of this team," Tebow said Thursday morning.

"I know it will be a challenge, but it is a challenge I embrace."

He added, "I am dedicated to taking the direction of our coaching staff and learning from my teammates. I appreciate everyone's support as I embark on this new journey."

Tebow will rock #85 on his jersey for Thursday's practice -- though NFL Network's Ian Rapoport says the number could change if he makes the roster.

Tebow is facing a steep uphill battle to make the roster considering he was drafted as QB back in 2010 ... and spent the past 5 years playing minor league baseball for the NY Mets organization.

Will he be able to make an impact? NFL tight end Marcedes Lewis told us he thinks Tebow has a legitimate shot.

How much does CC Sabathia HATE Tony La Russa for the Yermin Mercedes drama in Chicago?

"This s*** is terrible. He shouldn't be f***ing managing that team ... s*** is stupid as f***."

Yeah, that much.

The former New York Yankees superstar went absolutely IN on the White Sox manager Thursday ... blasting the 76-year-old on his 'R2C2' podcast for starting unnecessary beef with his players.

If you missed it ... the whole ordeal boils down to this -- Mercedes hit a home run off a position player on a 3-0 count in a blowout win over the Twins earlier this week.

And, while nobody seemed to have an issue with it ('cause, ya know, it was a 15-4 game and a position player was pitching) -- La Russa decided to railroad Yermin anyway.

The manager publicly called out his rookie and said he'd punish the young, budding star for the swing. Which, of course, ultimately led to the Twins throwing at Yermin in their ensuing matchup.

Fast forward to Thursday ... and Sabathia could not have been more upset at La Russa for igniting the entire situation.

"Tony La Russa's out of touch with the game, cuz," Sabathia said. "He should not be managing one of the best teams in the American League. Period."

CC continued, "You got a rookie that's basically been carrying your f***ing team these first six weeks of the season, this guy's been carrying you and now you don't have a problem with the f***ing weird-ass Minnesota Twins throwing behind one of your biggest hitters?! That's just f***ing stupid."

CC then went in on the Twins for the situation too ... saying, "I was so mad, cuz. Then I was re-pissed off yesterday when [Tyler Duffey's] weird ass threw behind him!"

"You guys look f***ing stupid," CC said of the Twins. "You guys were losing 15-4, cuz! ... Play better! You guys f***ing suck!"