Baseball

You may not ever be able to throw like Sandy Koufax, but you can now catch like him -- 'cause one of his game-used gloves has just gone up for sale!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... a mitt the former Dodgers star wore during his second MLB season way back in 1956 hit the Grey Flannel auction block on Monday -- and bidding has already reached over $48,000.

A lofty price tag, for sure ... but the glove is certainly worth it -- as the ultra-rare, 67-year-old piece helped Koufax and the Dodgers win the '56 N.L. pennant.

The Rawlings mitt has some cool markings that show it belonged to the legendary pitcher ... including his No. 32 near the wrist strap -- as well as his nickname, "Koo Foo," written in faded black marker on the glove's pinky.

"This is a rare find indeed, one that stretches back to Sandy's earliest days in Major League Baseball," Grey Flannel exec Michael Russek said. "His career speaks for itself and we're confident this glove will generate plenty of action."

The Oakland A's are now one step closer to becoming the Las Vegas A's ... MLB owners just gave their resounding stamp of approval on the team's potential move to Sin City.

All 30 of the league's bosses voted on the Athletics' relocation plans in Arlington, Texas on Thursday morning ... and not a single one disapproved -- paving the way for the team to now pack its bags and send them to Nevada.

Of course, there are plenty of other hoops the team must jump through in order to officially relocate ... namely, the org. must secure funds to build a $1.5 billion stadium on the Vegas Strip. But, it seems all of that is mere formality at this point.

The news is a crushing one for Bay Area fans ... who did all they could to try to sway MLB owners before Thursday's vote, including flying a plane over the owners' meeting earlier this week with a banner that read "A's belong in Oakland - #VoteNo."

The at least somewhat good news for Oakland supporters? The team could still remain in its current city for a while.

A Vegas stadium is not expected to be erected until January 2028 -- meaning staying in the Coliseum for the next four seasons is an option on the table.

If and when the A's officially move, however, it'll be historic ... only one other team has relocated in the last five or so decades -- the Montreal Expos, who bolted to D.C. in 2005.

San Diego Padres chairman and owner Peter Seidler has sadly died at 63 years old ... the team announced Tuesday.

Padres CEO Erik Greupner shared the heartbreaking news on social media .... saying in a statement Seidler was "beloved" in the org.

A cause of death was not revealed ... however, Seidler -- a two-time cancer survivor -- had undergone health issues recently, revealing in mid-September he had needed a medical procedure in August that would force him to miss the rest of his team's 2023 games.

"Today, our love and prayers encircle Peter's family as they grieve the loss of an extraordinary husband, father, son, brother, uncle, and friend," Greupner said.

"Peter was a kind and generous man who was devoted to his wife, children, and extended family."

Seidler bought the Padres back in 2012 with his uncle, Peter, and Ron Fowler after they created the O'Malley Group.

Fowler was named the ownership group's executive chairman ... but in 2020, he transferred his role to Seidler. Fowler still remains as Padres vice chairman.

Outside of baseball business, Seidler was big on helping the homeless in San Diego ... joining the Lucky Duck Foundation as one of the board of directors.

"His impact on the city of San Diego and the baseball world will be felt for generations," Greupner said. "His generous spirit is now firmly embedded in the fabric of the Padres."

"Although he was our Chairman and owner, Peter was at his core a Padres fan. He will be dearly missed."

The Padres will allow fans to pay respect to Seidler at Petco Park's Home Plate Gate on Tuesday afternoon.

There's another Fielder making his way to the MLB ... and this one's father, Prince Fielder, tells TMZ Sports the youngster could turn out to be the best in the family!

We got Prince and his 19-year-old son, Jadyn Fielder, out at LAX this week ... and when we asked if the young Fielder had potential to be better than Dad and Grandpa (three-time All-Star Cecil Fielder), Prince didn't mince words.

"He sure does!" Prince said.

As for why ... Prince told us his kid has been "practicing every day" -- while spending years in MLB clubhouses soaking up knowledge from him and other Big Leaguers.

While Prince is certainly a proud dad, he also clearly isn't blowing smoke ... Jadyn -- a 6-foot infielder who plays high school baseball in Florida -- is regarded as one of the best prospects in the 2024 class.

And, get this ... Prince says his other son, 17-year-old Haven Fielder, has a chance to make a name for himself on an MLB diamond one day too!!

It's all quite the sight ... considering it was just a few years ago that the boys were little tykes watching Prince mash in playoff games and Home Run Derbys -- something that's obviously not lost on Prince.

Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe is hoping to share a dugout with Shohei Ohtani next season ... telling TMZ Sports he believes New York should go after the former MVP in free agency.

"Yeah!" he said emphatically while out at the MLB Flagship Store in NYC on Thursday. "Of course!"

Ohtani is eligible to leave the Angels this year ... after he spent the last six seasons with the team turning himself into one of the biggest superstars the sport's ever seen.

In his time in LA, he racked up three All-Star appearances, a .274 batting average, a 3.01 ERA and 171 home runs.

And, despite undergoing a second surgery on his throwing elbow in September, Volpe made it clear to us he really wants to see the 29-year-old in pinstripes.

"I mean, I think he's the best of the best," Volpe said.

Ohtani is expected to stay off the mound in 2024 while rehabbing, but he is slated to be healthy enough to hit at the dish -- and many in the MLB believe he's now poised to land the biggest contract in the history of the sport.

The calls for Brian Cashman's job have never been louder, but the Yankees general manager ain't goin' down without a fight ... the longtime baseball exec got feisty with reporters on Tuesday while defending his team!

"I think we're pretty f***ing good, personally, and I'm proud of our people," Cashman told a horde of reporters at the GM meetings in Scottsdale, AZ.

Today's media sesh with Cash was highly anticipated... it's the first time Brian spoke since the end of an incredibly disappointing season that saw the Bronx Bombers finish in second to last place, just 2 games over .500, despite their near-$279 million payroll.

Cashman also addressed the perception that he's made a bunch of bad trades ... bringing up Sonny Gray and Joey Gallo, two former Yankees who struggled mightily in NYC, but have had success since leaving, with BC saying he "gets a kick out of" people criticizing the moves.

"Since Joey Gallo's left us, who's picked him up? Two playoff teams. Sonny Gray, he's currently in the competition for a Cy Young Award."

Cashman touched on a bunch more ... including the perception that the Yanks are overly dependent on analytics, something Brian says is flat-out untrue.

"No one is doing their deep dives, they're just throwing bulls*** and accusing us of being run analytically. To be said we are guided by analytics as a driver is a lie," Brian said.

Team owner Hal Steinbrenner also talked to the media during a virtual press conference, promising "big changes" to come.

The question is, as another season passes without a World Series win, will any of those changes involve Cash or skipper Aaron Boone losing their jobs as much of the fanbase wants?

Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez had nothing but great things to say about Bruce Bochy following his World Series victory this week ... telling TMZ Sports there's absolutely no doubt in his mind the Texas manager will be inducted in Cooperstown one day.

"Hall of Famer," the former Rangers catcher said. "Hall of Famer, obviously."

With a 5-0 win over the Diamondbacks on Wednesday, Bochy became just the sixth manager ever to earn four World Series championship rings. Unlike the other five, though, he's not yet secured a place in baseball's HOF.

Pudge, however, clearly thinks that will happen sooner than later ... calling the 68-year-old one of the greatest big-game coaches of all time.

"When you start to play in the playoffs, it's a different monster," said Rodriguez, who was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2017. "It's always a different game. It's a different ball game. And he's the best doing that. He's the best manager in that situation. And we all see it."

Pudge -- who's been working as a special assistant to the general manager of the Rangers -- said Bochy deserves a ton of credit for leading Texas to its first-ever title, adding that his calming presence made a huge difference in the dugout.

"As a player," he said, "you feel comfortable that, 'Hey, he's going to put all the pieces together to bring this game back and win for us.'"

Pudge also had high praise for the Rangers' World Series MVP, Corey Seager ... calling him straight up "one of my favorite players."

Nathaniel Lowe was so giddy during the Rangers' World Series parade Friday, he straight-up downed a fan's beer in seconds -- and then ripped off his shirt in celebration of the achievement!!

The 2022 Silver Slugger award winner was being driven around in the back of a pickup truck to soak in love from Texas fans when the hilarious moment happened.

You can see in video from the scene in Arlington, a Rangers supporter tossed Lowe a Modelo -- before the first baseman cracked it open and drank it 'til the last drop.

But, he wasn't done there ... he then ripped off his jersey and his undershirt -- much to the crowd's delight.

Thousands of people showed up to celebrate Lowe and his Rangers after they won the title over the Diamondbacks on Wednesday ... and one supporter was so thrilled by his team's performance, he actually climbed to the top of a light pole to pump his fists.

Thankfully, he reportedly made it down unharmed.

Following the jaunt around the city ... the Rangers then took the stage to address their fans -- and Series MVP Corey Seager delivered an epic drop-the-mic moment.

The Texas Rangers won the World Series and then they dominated the postgame celebration ... sucking down a ton of beers and bubbly -- all while they blared Creed on the sound system!!

Corey Seager, Nathan Eovaldi and the rest of the guys threw the epic locker room party just a few minutes after they beat up the Diamondbacks, 5-0, at Chase Field in Arizona.

Manager Bruce Bochy got everything kicked off with a congratulations speech -- praising his team for its 4-1 Series win ... and then for a while, the guys got after it.

They dumped bottle after bottle of champagne and Budweiser on each other ... pausing only to make sure they sang Creed's "Higher" -- their unofficial postseason anthem -- as loud as possible.

The fiesta got so rowdy that at some points the guys filled buckets full of beer ... and then they doused each other in the suds.

Eventually, the dudes packed it in to fly back home to Texas ... and you can see in a video of the aftermath of their celebration, it looked like dozens -- if not hundreds -- of bottles of alcohol were spilled during the party.

As for the on-the-field action, Seager made history ... becoming just the second position player ever to win World Series MVP honors. Bochy, meanwhile, logged his FOURTH W.S. title with the victory.

And, Creed made sure to shout out the guys following the dub ... writing on X, "Congratulations Rangers!"

A baseball fan is suing MLB star Jorge Soler ... claiming he hurled a ball into the stands during a 2021 World Series game that ended up causing an "excruciating injury to her right eye."

The lawsuit was filed by Mayra Morris in Georgia on Oct. 25 ... nearly two years after she says Soler caused the injury during one of the Braves vs. Astros championship games at Truist Park in Atlanta.

Norris claims she, her husband and her brother-in-law had seats for the Oct. 29, 2021 contest near the right field grass ... when in the fifth inning, Soler changed her life completely.

She alleges the then-Atlanta Braves outfielder hit her "directly" in her eye after he threw a baseball into the stands during a break in the action "with great force, speed, and intensity."

In the suit, Norris says Soler's toss was not "incidental to the game or any warm-up between players." She also says that after she got checked out by medical personnel, she was diagnosed with multiple fractures, an edema, and an infra-orbital abrasion ... which will require long-term medical care.

She's suing Soler and the Braves for unspecified damages.

Meanwhile, Norris' husband, Scott Norris, is also listed as a plaintiff in the suit ... after he alleges the "loss of companionship, love, affection and intimacy" as a result of the incident.

The Braves did not have a comment on the suit when reached this week ... according to Atlanta News First.

The Arizona Diamondbacks had to threaten to boot people from the World Series on Tuesday night ... and it's all 'cause they wouldn't stop hurling paper airplanes onto the field.

The wild scene happened late in the Rangers' blowout win over the Snakes at Chase Field in Phoenix ... when fans got so bored with the rout on the diamond -- they decided to fold up papers and chuck them from their seats.

Several of the makeshift planes actually made it all the way to players' feet ... and it happened so often throughout the evening, the stadium's public address announcer had to warn people that if it continued, they'd be thrown out.

"Fans are not permitted to throw objects of any kind on the field," the announcer said during a break in the action.

Eventually, the planes stopped ... however, unfortunately for D-Backs fans, the game never really got much better.

Texas jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the third inning ... and while Arizona was able to scratch out a few runs late, they still never really got close to winning, losing the contest, 11-7.

Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez just got in front of a camera with his manhood nearly on full display ... and he's hoping the hilarious sight will now help save some lives.

The MLB legend stripped down to his undies as part of a partnership with underwear company Saxx -- filming a 75-second commercial with the goal of raising awareness for testicular cancer in mind.

In the vid, Rodriguez rocked a pair of boxer briefs that he insisted held his family jewels "like a catcher's mitt" ... before he introduced a "Ballgorithm" that will ultimately raise cash for the good cause.

Rodriguez and his co-host explained ... the algorithm -- a math equation centered around the number of bad balls that a pitcher hurls during a contest -- will be applied to every Rangers vs. Diamondbacks World Series game this fall ... and then that figure will be multiplied by 1,000.

That total number will then be turned into dollars and donated to the Testicular Cancer Foundation -- a cause Pudge tells TMZ Sports he cares deeply about.

"The purpose is just to make people laugh and make people aware to go check themselves," he said, "and we did a nice commercial."

The MLB Hall of Famer -- who's now working as a special assistant to the general manager of the Rangers -- said he's been catching a lot of ribbin' both inside and outside of the Texas clubhouse over the vid ... but he couldn't be happier that it might prevent tragedies for people going forward.

"For me, that's the most important thing," he said. "Pay attention. This is a disease you can get in the early ages. So, our message is just to go check, because you never know."

The Arizona Diamondbacks won the pennant AND the postgame party on Tuesday ... going totally bonkers in the locker room after defeating the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League Championship Series -- and the pics of the boozy bash are nuts!!

The D-Backs came back from a 3-2 deficit to win the final two games of the series ... logging a 4-2 victory at Citizens Bank Park in the elimination tilt to punch their tickets to the World Series.

Of course, no one expected Arizona to face off against the Texas Rangers in the Fall Classic ... considering the D-Backs only won 84 games in the regular season.

Corbin Carroll led the charge for Arizona in Game 7 ... going 3-4 with two RBI, two runs, and two stolen bases. The D-Backs also got some big help from the bullpen, which combined for five shutout innings.

Ketel Marte had the best performance of the series ... batting .387 throughout the seven games for the NLCS champs -- earning MVP honors.

Arizona made sure to celebrate the huge accomplishment ... taking all the Budweiser, Michelob Ultra, and champagne bottles they could and letting the liquid fly!!

There wasn't a dry spot in the locker room ... as all the players threw on their ski goggles and NLCS championship shirts for the festivities.

It's a World Series no one predicted -- the Diamondbacks were 125-1 odds to win it all before the season, and the Rangers were 50-1.

The matchup might not feature the biggest markets in the league ... but it's shaping up to be an entertaining series.

The Texas Rangers are World Series bound ... and the whole squad celebrated like it on Monday -- raging their faces off after their huge American League Championship Series win!!

The Rangers officially eliminated the Houston Astros in Game 7 ... easily handling the defending road champs in an 11-4 victory.

But before Texas switched its focus to the winners of the Philadelphia Phillies and Arizona Diamondbacks series over in the National League, the boys cracked open the bottles of bubbly and brew and doused each other in a locker room party for the ages.

The squad has a lot to be happy about -- it's only the third time they've made it to the Fall Classic in franchise history, and their first since 2011.

Corey Seager -- who won it all with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2020 -- was at the center of the festivities ... with all his teammates drenching him in alcohol.

Cleanup hitter Adolis García was the star of the night ... winning ALCS MVP thanks to his two-homer game and 15 overall RBI throughout the series.

Brace yourselves, Dodgers fans ... there's a chance Clayton Kershaw's career is done -- or, perhaps worse, he ends up pitching for Texas next season.

L.A.'s play-by-play man Joe Davis tells TMZ Sports the two options are very much on the table for the future Hall of Famer ... saying he knows Kershaw won't do anything in 2024 other than stay with the Dodgers, throw for the Rangers -- or hang up his spikes.

The voice of the Dodgers says he fully expects Kershaw to have lengthy conversations with his family in the upcoming weeks and months to ultimately make the best choice of the trio.

"It's a pretty simple decision," the 35-year-old said. "But it's certainly one that a lot of the Dodgers' offseason plans will hinge on the outcome of."

If it is ultimately the end ... Davis said there's simply no debate that Kershaw will go down as "one of the best left-handed pitchers of all-time."

And, it's definitely not hyperbole ... through 16 seasons so far, Kershaw has a 210-92 record, a 2.48 ERA and 2,944 strikeouts.

Former Major League Baseball pitcher Danny Serafini is in some MAJOR trouble ... 'cause he just got arrested for serious felonies!!

Serafini and his alleged accomplice, Samantha Scott, were busted in Nevada Friday for the 2021 fatal shooting of Robert Gary Spohr and attempted murder of Wendy Wood.

Cops said the victims were Serafini's in-laws, but they wouldn't characterize the relationship between the ex-Minnesota Twins player and Scott.

According to a June 2021 press release, officers were called to a home in North Lake Tahoe, California, and discovered Spohr had been shot to death.

His wife, Wendy, suffered a bullet wound in the same attack and was rushed to a local hospital, where she was released after treatment. She passed away a year later.

Security video from their house shows a hooded masked man with a backpack lurking around the property in the hours before the bloodshed. Investigators have not disclosed a motive, and formal charges have yet to be filed against Serafini and Scott.