Baseball

There's no crying in baseball ... but there was an exception on Friday, when Sammy Sosa returned to Wrigley Field for the first time in 21 years -- and was met with a passionate standing ovation from Chicago Cubs fans.

The hatchet burying went down at the iconic stadium when the Cubs hosted the Seattle Mariners ... a sign the organization and its former superstar were ready to leave the past in the past for good.

The 56-year-old was essentially exiled from the franchise due to his ties to performance-enhancing drugs ... as he tested positive for a banned substance in 2003.

TMZ Sports has obtained the 911 calls related to the tragic accident that took the life of Baltimore Orioles minor leaguer Luis Guevara -- and in them, you can hear nearly a dozen Good Samaritans frantically trying to get the injured baseball player help.

Eleven calls in total were provided to us through a public records request ... and in one of them, a woman can be heard telling a dispatcher she saw two jet skis collide with one another while in Sarasota, FL on June 15.

Speaking with someone nearby, the caller described that one jet ski was stopped ... before another "guy ran into him. Full throttle."

Scary scene at Thursday's Tampa Bay Rays game ... one of their pitchers, Hunter Bigge, took a line drive foul ball to the face while he was in the dugout -- leading to him being carted off the field.

It all went down during the top of the 7th inning. Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman turned on a 3-2 pitch (he was way ahead of it) from Connor Seabold, sending the baseball directly at Bigge's face at 105 MPH, knocking him off his feet.

Ruthschman and Gunnar Henderson, who were in the on-deck circle, immediately reacted to the scary situation. The broadcast caught fans and players on both sides concerned for the Harvard graduate as medical professionals tended to him.

3:41 PT -- MLB just announced Santana will be facing punishment for his actions ... with the league handing him a four-game suspension and an undisclosed fine.
He is appealing the ruling, so his suspension won't begin until a decision is made.

Pirates pitcher Dennis Santana tried to smack the hell out of a heckler during his game Thursday -- and the wild altercation was captured on video.

The reliever's outburst went down during the second game of the Pittsburgh vs. Detroit doubleheader ... after Santana says a man sitting near the Pirates' bullpen "crossed the line."

Footage shot by fans near the incident shows Santana pointing out the trash-talker to security, before he leaps up and attempts to hit the man in the face with an open left hand.

1:55 PM PT -- ICE is fact-checking the Dodgers' statement ... saying its agents were "never" at the stadium. But as Homeland Security said, CBP vehicles were present "very briefly, unrelated to any operation or enforcement."

1:05 PM PT -- Homeland Security tells TMZ Sports the agents' presence at the stadium had nothing to do with the Dodgers.

Federal agents were denied access to Dodger Stadium on Thursday ... after the team confirmed it refused to allow the government vehicles from entering the venue's parking lots.

ICE vans and masked agents were spotted posting up outside one of the stadium lot's gates ... although it's unclear why exactly they were there. According to the L.A. Times, agents declined to comment on the details of their presence.

The outlet went on to say the federal vehicles attempted to move inside the stadium grounds ... but were rejected.

The Vatican City is slowly turning into the Windy City ... 'cause Pope Leo XIV was back showing major love for his Chicago White Sox this week!!

The Pontiff put his fandom on display as White Sox chants erupted during the General Audience address on Wednesday ... acknowledging the message of support for the ball club as he cruised around on the Popemobile.

Since being elected, Leo has embraced his South Side ties with open arms ... and he is no stranger to wearing his fandom on his sleeve.

Latin American pop singer Vanessa Hernández is getting death threats for singing the National Anthem in Spanish at a baseball game ... but, she's still proud she did it, and she says big-time celebs have her back.

We spoke with Vanessa -- better known by her stage name Nezza -- Wednesday ... and, she tells us George Lopez, Becky G and many more stars have reached out and offered her support during this particularly trying time.

ICYMI ... Nezza sang the song at Dodger Stadium in L.A. Saturday -- later claiming a Dodgers team official told her she was not to sing it in Spanish ... and posting a behind-the-scenes TikTok as proof. She sang it in Spanish anyway ... and, she says it feels good to be on the right side of history.

Luis Guevara -- a 19-year-old minor league baseball player with the Baltimore Orioles -- died Sunday night after he was involved in a watercraft crash on the Florida waters.

The Orioles shared the tragic news Tuesday night ... with general manager Mike Elias saying the organization was "devastated following his tragic passing."

"Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and teammates, and we ask for their continued privacy during this difficult time."

Shohei Ohtani's Dodgers pitching debut was available to Ippei Mizuhara during his first night in prison, TMZ Sports has learned.

A Federal Bureau of Prisons spokesperson tells us ... at the Federal Correctional Institution Allenwood Low in Pennsylvania -- where Mizuhara was taken into custody this week -- inmates did have access to MLB Network, which broadcast the highly anticipated Dodgers vs. Padres game.

It's unclear, of course, if Mizuhara tuned in ... but the spokesperson told us Ohtani's former interpreter would have certainly had the option to if he wanted, as he "has access to 12 televisions" on a normal day behind bars.

Boston Red Sox exec Craig Breslow has been on the receiving end of a ton of backlash after trading away star player Rafael Devers ... to the point where his home address was published online -- and now cops are aware of the situation.

Newton Police tell TMZ Sports ... after Devers was dealt to San Francisco, the department was "notified by representatives from the Boston Red Sox Organization that some members of the Red Sox have been victims of doxing on social media due to a recent trade."

While cops were tipped off, NPD added it is not investigating any online threats.

Despite long lines and brutal weekday Los Angeles traffic, thousands of Shohei Ohtani fans flocked to Dodger Stadium on Monday to catch his L.A. pitching debut, creating stunning scenes at the ballpark.

Check out some photos from the two-way star's big night ... even hours before Ohtani toed the rubber for the first time since the 2023 season, his supporters were seen all over the stadium.

No. 17 jerseys were everywhere -- some were adorned with hot dog costumes! -- and even as he warmed up in the bullpen, hundreds were seen with their cameras out filming every one of his movements.

Boston fans irate over the Rafael Devers trade can put down the tiki torches and pitchforks ... former Red Sox general manager Dan Duquette tells TMZ Sports the team should not be considered a loser in the swap.

While Duquette acknowledges Boston did part ways with a hell of a bat in the middle of its lineup when it sent Devers to San Francisco in a stunner on Sunday night ... he said there are far more reasons for Red Sox backers to be pleased with the move.

First and foremost, he said it was clear to him Devers didn't want to be there ... and jettisoning him sends a strong message to younger players in the locker room.

Ippei Mizuhara is behind bars -- Shohei Ohtani's former right-hand man and interpreter has surrendered to federal authorities to start his 57-month prison sentence.

A spokesperson for the Federal Bureau of Prisons confirmed to TMZ Sports that 40-year-old Mizuhara reported to the Federal Correctional Institution Allenwood Low facility in Pennsylvania on Monday ... hours before the Japanese superstar is slated to make his first pitching start for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Mizuhara was sentenced to 57 months in prison this past February for stealing more than $16 million from Ohtani ... and was initially ordered to surrender in March, but the date was pushed back at his attorney's request.

Taylor Lewan can breathe a little sigh of relief following his terrible first pitch at the St. Louis Cardinals game last week ... 'cause WWE Superstar Tiffany Stratton just gave him a run for his money with an even worse attempt.

The WWE Women's Champion was out in Flushing, Queens, on Thursday to catch the Mets' series finale against the Washington Nationals ... but before the outing, she was given the honors to throw the ceremonial toss.

Stratton -- rocking a custom Mets City Connect jersey with her name on it -- opted not to go with the full windup as Lewan did for his attempt. While she didn't sail it to the left, she did throw it well over the catcher at home plate ... with some comparing it to a bit of an eephus pitch.

You can take the guy out of the South Side, but you can't take the South Side out of the guy ... 'cause Pope Leo XIV was spotted repping his White Sox at The Vatican!!

The pontiff ditched his zucchetto for a black ball cap during the general assembly in Rome this week ... giving a wide grin as he showed support for his local baseball team.

Maybe word hasn't made its way to Leo -- the Sox stink right now with a 23-44 record ... either that, or he's still keeping the faith.

Red Sox phenom Roman Anthony recorded his first MLB hit Tuesday night, and while Bostonians everywhere rejoiced ... all most of the internet could focus on was a fan in the stands who was cheering him on -- his sister.

Anthony -- the No. 1 overall prospect in baseball -- played in just his second-ever Big League tilt at Fenway Park ... and while he shined, it was Lia Anthony who found herself dominating the headlines.

Roman's sis was shown on the Sox vs. Rays broadcast multiple times ... and fans couldn't help but rave over her stunning appearance.