Baseball

Forget name, image and likeness … this is name, name and name.

Ben Rice just secured the most perfectly on-brand endorsement in sports ... linking up with Ben’s Original rice in a partnership that feels less like a deal and more like destiny.

Ben Rice. Ben’s rice. It practically signed itself.

But this isn’t just a funny coincidence … the Yankees standout is using the collab to do some real good, teaming with No Kid Hungry to help fight childhood hunger. The effort is already getting underway, starting with a donation tied to 22,000 meals for kids in need -- a nod to Rice’s No. 22 jersey.

Opening Day is next week, but baseball fans better start making room in their stomachs now ... 'cause TMZ Sports got an inside look at menus from several teams across MLB -- and they'll have a root-root-rooting for the home team!!

The Cubs, Diamondbacks, Dodgers, Marlins, Nationals, Orioles, Rays and White Sox revealed some of the specialty menu items from Levy Restaurants that will be available when the first pitch is thrown.

For those in the DMV hoping to catch a Nationals game, the DC Monument Chicken Tower has it all. Inspired by the Washington Monument ... it comes with grilled chicken, smoked bacon, mixed greens, creamy chipotle ranch and gruyère cheese on a soft pretzel bun.

Deion Sanders and Karrueche Tran are still going strong ... and the Hall of Famer isn't shy about expressing his love for his lady -- saying during a recent vacation that she's "sweet as sugar."

The Colorado Buffaloes head coach opened up on his son Deion Jr.'s vlog on Tuesday ... as everyone was enjoying a getaway in St. Croix with family, friends, and Tran.

As the couple was enjoying the weather together, his son asked him to share something about Karrueche that no one knows ... and Deion praised her warm heart and endearing personality.

Team USA got their silver medals … and then made it clear they didn’t want ‘em.

Seconds after a crushing 3-2 loss to Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic final, multiple U.S. stars were seen pulling the medals right off their necks -- some before they even reached the dugout.

Cameras caught guys like Mason Miller, Kyle Schwarber, Logan Webb and Bobby Witt Jr. ditching the hardware almost instantly in a moment that’s now blowing up online.

The scene couldn’t have been more split.

Venezuela is on top of the baseball world after toppling Team USA in the finals of the World Baseball Classic ... and the players and fans were loving every second of it -- celebrating from the moment they scored the final out!

Fans were going wild in Alfredo Sadel Square, located in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela ... where they were throwing drinks and jumping for joy after Daniel Palencia struck Roman Anthony out to win the country's first-ever title in the tournament.

While supporters were partying in Venezuela, back stateside, Venezuelan fans were living it up inside LoanDepot Park in Miami. The stadium concourse was filled with fans chanting and using noisemakers -- a celebration that lingered in the area for an hour.

USA baseball is looking to channel a little Olympic magic ahead of the World Baseball Classic final against Venezuela ... as the team pulled up to the ballpark rocking game-worn sweaters from the gold medal-winning men's hockey team!

Each member of the squad got to rep a different player as they made their way to the crucial matchup ... and it was all thanks to Fanatics.

The captain of Team USA baseball, Aaron Judge, was handed the jersey of Auston Matthews -- who captained the men's hockey team during the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Other players spotted in the Red, White and Blue included Mason Miller, David Bednar, Logan Webb and Bryce Harper.

Pete Crow-Armstrong made it clear he called dibs on "his boy" Jack Hughes ... adding they wanted to show how the men's hockey team winning it all has inspired them during their WBC run.

If Italy needed any more motivation to win their World Baseball Classic semifinal matchup with Venezuela ... here's a stunning model wearing nothing but lingerie and a jersey to show support for her home country's team ahead of Monday's crucial game!!

The folks at Eats are capitalizing on all the action going down in the tournament ... and they joined forces with Ines Trocchia to pay tribute to Italy and their epic home run celebration.

The clip is really well done -- Ines takes several sips from a cup as she salutes the team ... and even kisses a baseball for good measure. It's a bit too sexy to share on our site -- but here's the link. You're welcome in advance.

Shohei Ohtani is taking the blame after Team Japan’s shocking exit from the World Baseball Classic … posting an emotional message to fans apologizing for falling short.

The Japanese superstar shared the note on Instagram after Japan’s title defense came to an abrupt end ... thanking supporters for backing the team -- while admitting he feels responsible for the disappointing finish.

“To all the fans, thank you for your support,” Ohtani wrote. “Your cheers pushed us forward every single day. We couldn’t reach the result we hoped for, and I strongly feel my own shortcomings.”

Japan entered as the defending champs after winning the 2023 WBC … when Ohtani famously struck out Mike Trout in the championship game to seal the title and take home MVP honors.

Team USA is heading to the World Baseball Classic final … and Derek Jeter says the controversial ending is exactly why baseball may need to change how these moments are handled.

The Americans beat the Dominican Republic 2–1 Sunday night, but the semifinal ended with a debated called strike three from closer Mason Miller to Dominican shortstop Geraldo Perdomo -- with the tying run standing on third base.

Perdomo watched the pitch sail low -- seemingly thinking he had drawn a walk -- but home-plate umpire Cory Blaser rang him up to end the game instantly. Replays appeared to show the pitch below the strike zone, sparking immediate debate.

Jeter, who was on the FOX postgame show, suggested the moment highlights why the tournament may eventually adopt an automated challenge system.

Team Japan is set to take the field on Saturday against Venezuela in the quarterfinals of the World Baseball Classic in Miami ... and Yoshinobu Yamamoto and his teammate -- L.A. Angels pitcher Yusei Kikuchi -- gave folks at the park an up-close look at their arms!!

TMZ Sports obtained footage of the duo hitting a nearby park not long after they landed in the 305 earlier this week ... which shows them working on their mechanics as they get set not only for more WBC action -- but also for the upcoming MLB season.

Luckily for the two, they seemed to avoid drawing any crowd as they did their thing -- perhaps the parkgoers were oblivious to the star power in their presence.

Team USA manager Mark DeRosa tried to clear up his World Baseball Classic controversy -- but in doing so, he accidentally added another mix-up to the pile.

The skipper was already under fire after suggesting the U.S. clinched a quarterfinal spot before its matchup with Italy -- a comment that looked even worse after the Americans were stunned 8–6.

When DeRosa addressed the situation publicly on Thursday, he owned the original comment he made during a TV appearance on MLB Network after a big win over Mexico in the game prior.

But while explaining the situation, DeRosa misspoke again -- saying both teams entered the matchup 2–0, when in reality the U.S. was actually 3–0 heading into the game.

Team USA can send a thank-you card to Vinnie Pasquantino -- because the slugger basically rescued their World Baseball Classic hopes Wednesday night … while playing for Italy.

The Kansas City Royals first baseman put together a historic performance in Houston ... blasting three home runs in Italy’s 9-1 win over Mexico, the first three-homer game in WBC history.

And the craziest part? That explosion saved Team USA from elimination.

3/12 11:18 AM PT -- The plaintiffs in the matter released a statement following the news of the settlement with Ohtani and his agent:

"After further discussions between the parties, we recognize there was a misunderstanding of what transpired during the development of this project, and we are therefore withdrawing our lawsuit," the statement said. "The misunderstanding was of a business nature that is not uncommon in complex real estate ventures, and all parties have reconciled. The parties are enthused to move forward in a positive and mutually beneficial manner. We are proud of our contributions to the development of this world class project and look forward to its completion.

Shohei Ohtani and his agent, Nez Balelo, have settled their Hawaii real estate lawsuit ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Attorneys for both parties struck a deal to dismiss the case with prejudice ... saying they agreed to a settlement "of all claims and causes of action."

As we previously reported, the plaintiffs in the case claimed that the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar and Balelo sabotaged a $240 million real estate venture they had agreed to enter.

Team USA manager Mark DeRosa is walking back a costly comment after mistakenly saying the Americans had already clinched a spot in the next round -- hours before a stunning 8-6 loss to Italy put the squad’s World Baseball Classic hopes in serious jeopardy.

DeRosa made the remark during an appearance Tuesday morning on MLB Network's "Hot Stove," where he suggested the U.S. had already punched its ticket to the quarterfinals. He even hinted the game against Italy would be used to give some regulars a breather.

But the math wasn’t right.

The field wasn't the only thing seeing action during Monday night's World Baseball Classic showdown between Mexico and the United States of America ... a brawl broke out in the stands between fans of the two countries, and it was ugly!

The fight went down in the outfield seats at Daikin Park in Houston, and was captured on video. The clip shows a man in Team Mexico gear running up on another man rockin' Team USA swag, before the two start swinging on each other.

While we don't know what kicked off the festivities, both sides landing solid blows -- with the supporter of the red, white and blue taking a nasty tumble down the stairs at one point.

Seattle Mariners stars Cal Raleigh and Randy Arozarena might be trying to win a World Series together, but they were anything but teammates on Monday ... and that was made clear during a handshake snub in the USA vs. Mexico matchup at the World Baseball Classic.

The drama kicked off as Arozarena made his way up to the batter's box for his first plate appearance ... and when he leaned over to show some sportsmanship to the Big Dumper, the catcher left him hanging.

Arozarena was spotted listening closely to whatever Raleigh was saying ... but it turns out he wasn't having any of it -- 'cause he went off about the matter in a postgame interview.