Baseball

"I just remember being on the line for the national anthem and I said, ‘Lord, please, just help me get through this night.’"

That's Hall of Famer Mike Piazza, reflecting on the post-9/11 game where he launched the most memorable home run of his career, admitting despite the rush of hitting a game-winning shot, the moment is still "bittersweet."

It's all part of an interview with the Mets legend, conducted by OSDB (a large online sports database created by Aaron Rodgers and his biz partners), where MP opens up about the unforgettable game.

Of course, it was the night of September 21, 2001 ... 10 days after America was attacked, and thousands of innocent people were murdered.

Baseball, after taking a week and a half off, was back ... but there was a sense of uneasiness in Shea Stadium in Queens -- only 14 miles from the site of Ground Zero.

That was until the now 53-year-old slugging catcher hit a massive 2-run, go-ahead dinger in the 8th inning off reliever Steve Karsay ... giving the Mets a 3-2 lead over the Atlanta Braves.

The lead held up in the 9th ... and the Mets won the game. But, it was much more important than a dub ... or 1 home run out of Piazza's 427 career long balls.

The HR helped bring those inside the stadium -- and the entire country -- back.

“Afterward, obviously we were excited to win the game and we were excited to give the people something to cheer about and it was enriching for us to get a feeling that people wanted to be together and people wanted to hug and be at the ballpark and try to take the first small steps to getting back to living,’’ Piazza explained.

The HOF'er says this time of year brings back difficult memories, but regardless of how tough it is, "it’s very prudent and very appropriate that we continue to remember and memorialize the tragedy of the events of 9/11."

In fact, Mike says he still finds it hard to talk about his epic home run ... but he obliges fans because he understands it's important to them.

“It’s a little overwhelming for me. I always try to treat it with reverence. At times, I’m uncomfortable when I talk about it. I just do the best I can but I feel that people do want to talk about it so I kind of owe them that.’’

Saturday will mark the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.

The woman who accused Delmon Young of domestic violence made several calls to police prior to the ex-MLB star's arrest Monday ... and in one of them, she said she believed Young was "trying to kill" her.

It's all in police audio, obtained by TMZ Sports, in which you can hear the woman tell multiple 911 dispatchers that she needed help because Young was in her Florida home terrorizing her.

It should be noted Young also put in a call to law enforcement ... one in which he told an operator that his accuser was "drunk" and breaking his stuff.

"She tried hitting me and started doing a bunch of s***," Young said on the call ... before adding, "I'm just trying to avoid her."

As we previously reported, Young was arrested Monday night after cops say a woman, who ID'ed herself as the former baseball player's ex-girlfriend, told them he punched her in the chest and shoved her.

In the police report, cops say they saw surveillance video showing Young hitting her and "screeching in pain."

In her 911 calls prior to the alleged punch and shove, you can hear the woman claim Young was attacking her.

At one point in one of the calls, the woman said, "He broke my TV and he punched me in the face." She later added, "I have blood all over me."

In the calls, you can hear Young in the background denying ever hitting the woman.

Young was ultimately arrested and booked on four charges, including domestic violence.

The New York Mets will honor 9/11 first responders on the anniversary of the attacks once again this year ... by wearing FDNY and NYPD caps during their home game against the Yankees on Saturday.

The team made the announcement Wednesday ... saying players will have the option of wearing FDNY, NYPD, Port Authority Police Department, Department of Sanitation and Department of Correction hats for when they hit Citi Field on Sept. 11.

Of course, the Mets and the Yankees both donned the caps on the 9/11 anniversary last year ... and it was clear back then that the players would prefer to keep the tradition going on a yearly basis.

NY also announced the Mets' and Yankees' managers from the 2001 season, Bobby Valentine and Joe Torre, will take part in the first-pitch ceremonies before the game.

The Mets also said 14 coaches and players from the 2001 season -- including Mike Piazza, who hit that famous home run in the days after the attacks -- will be at Saturday's game as well.

First responders will also be in attendance and will join the FDNY honor guard, NYPD honor guard and others on the field.

The Mets added that the game's national anthem will be done by the NYPD Cops and Kids Chorus, while FDNY Firefighter Regina Wilson will sing God Bless America.

"You come at the king, you best not miss."

Baltimore Orioles announcer Kevin Brown had an awesome tribute to the late Michael K. Williams on Tuesday ... by reciting one of the actor's most iconic lines while making a home run call.

Of course, MKW's Omar Little from "The Wire" is widely considered one of the best characters in TV history ... with plenty of classic dialogue that has lived on long after the show ended in 2008.

Since the hit drama was set and shot in Baltimore, Brown let out one of his favorite Omar phrases after O's outfielder, Austin Hays, hit a dinger in the bottom of the third inning ... and the moment will give you chills.

Brown also tweeted about Williams' tragic death on Monday ... saying, "'The Wire' is one of the things that's made me fall in love with Baltimore."

"It was my saving grace during the first few months of COVID last year. And, nobody on-screen could match Omar's presence."

"The best performance on the best narrative TV show of my lifetime. I'm gutted."'

FYI -- Hays is in the middle of a hot streak ... he's had a hit in 14 straight games.

Williams was a huge sports fan himself ... and was often spotted at New York Knicks games over the years.

Former MLB star Delmon Young -- the MVP of the 2012 ALCS -- was arrested Monday ... after his ex-girlfriend alleged he punched her in the chest and shoved her to the ground.

Officers at the Davie Police Dept. in Florida, according to docs obtained by TMZ Sports, say the incident all went down at around 11:44 PM on Monday night.

Cops in the docs say a woman claiming to be Young's ex-GF said the former baseball player showed up to her home and began banging on her door and ordering her to come outside.

The woman, cops say, then claimed when she stepped outside of her apartment, Young confronted her and got violent with her.

Cops say the woman told them Young punched her in the chest, and then shoved her to the ground as she attempted to flee and call 911.

In the docs, police say surveillance video captured the whole incident ... saying the footage revealed Young did hit the woman. Cops say the video also showed the woman "screeching in pain."

In the docs, cops note Young is 6 feet 2" and approximately 280 pounds ... while the woman is 5 feet 5", 130 pounds.

Cops claim in the docs Young ultimately fled the scene in a white SUV Maserati ... and say the 35-year-old blew through a stop sign and then hit 90 MPH in a 45 MPH zone.

Young was eventually arrested and booked on 4 charges ... including domestic violence. Jail records show he's still behind bars.

This is far from Young's first brush with the law -- the ex-Tampa Bay Rays outfielder has been arrested multiple times before, including in 2016 when he was accused of roughing up a hotel valet.

MLB umpire Manny Gonzalez will be away from baseball diamonds for the foreseeable future ... after he suffered a head injury while being drilled in the face by a foul ball on Monday.

The scary scene all went down in the first inning of the Red Sox's game against the Rays ... when Tampa Bay first baseman Jordan Luplow fouled a pitch right into Gonzalez's jaw.

You can see in the footage of the play, the ball hit Gonzalez so hard, he was staggered ... and he eventually dropped to the ground.

Trainers raced out from the dugouts to check on the 41-year-old -- who was so dazed, he needed to be removed from the game.

Sources tell TMZ Sports ... Gonzalez is now currently being evaluated under the MLB's concussion protocols and is out indefinitely.

Of course, this is far from the first time we've seen terrifying incidents involving umps behind home plate.

Remember, back in April, Kerwin Danley appeared to be knocked out after he, too, was hit by a foul ball. And, in 2020, John Tumpane was drilled in the face by a 99 MPH Gerrit Cole fastball and was slow to get up.

Former MLBer Kyle Farnsworth is getting ripped for his take on Orioles outfielder Trey Mancini ... after the ex-pitcher called out the star's toughness in his first season back after battling cancer.

29-year-old Mancini -- who beat stage 3 colon cancer in September 2020 -- has played in 128 games during his miraculous comeback in 2021 ... but took Monday off after getting hit in the foot and experiencing some "general soreness."

While most people wouldn't care what the 43-93 Orioles are doing in September, Farnsworth was randomly pissed about Mancini sitting out ... tweeting out some unnecessary criticism (without actually name-dropping him).

"So I just saw that a MLB player didn’t play today because of general soreness," Farnsworth tweeted.

"Are you kidding me. It’s September. Everyone is sore. If you can’t play through soreness, you shouldn’t be playing the sport. SMH!"

Of course, everyone knew who Farnsworth was talking about ... and the replies started to flow in.

"My man @TreyMancini is a living legend," Mets pitcher Marcus Stroman said Tuesday. "A true role model to the youth who has battled an incredible amount of adversity."

"Past players with poo-poo careers/opinions need to keep it down. He’s a cancer survivor who beat the odds and is a blessing to society. Keep inspiring Trey!"

FOX analyst Ben Verlander added ... "This tweet was in regards to Trey Mancini. I just can’t fathom sending this. You’re referencing the guy that beat Stage 3 cancer and sat out all last year due to cancer treatment? That’s really who you’re talking about sitting out a game? Wow.."

Mancini has 21 homers, 66 RBI and a .262 batting average this season ... and has been one of the few highlights for the Orioles this season.

Farnsworth has yet to delete the tweet -- there's still time, Kyle -- and has not addressed the backlash ... and it's unclear if he'll do either.

Derek Holland ain't rockin' n' rollin' all night and partying every day -- dude's got to pitch, after all -- but he's paying homage to KISS nonetheless, by coppin' some custom Gene Simmons-themed cleats!!!

TMZ Sports has learned the Tigers pitcher wanted to honor Detroit while on the mound this season ... so he hit up famed shoe artist Michael Jordan to get some heat for his feet.

And, after tossing some potential ideas for the cleats around, the two settled on KISS spikes ... and they came out AWESOME.

The cleats have the faces of the famous band members painted on them ... and feature a sweet rainbow paint job that we're told took around 10 HOURS to complete.

Unclear when Holland plans to rock them this season ... but it certainly won't be the first time he's sported some fire on the pitching mound.

Holland also owns Eminem and Kid Rock cleats ... and while he was playing for Pittsburgh in 2020, he famously got Jordan to create him some Mr. Rogers footwear as well.

New York Mets Acting General Manager, Zack Scott, was arrested for driving while intoxicated early Tuesday morning after cops say they found him asleep at the wheel of his car, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

44-year-old Scott was busted at 4:17 AM by police in White Plains, NY ... after they found the Mets exec conked out in his 2018 Toyota Highlander, according to the White Plains PD.

Cops say Scott -- who was hired as assistant GM in 2020 and named acting GM once Jared Porter was fired for allegedly acting inappropriately with a reporter -- refused to take a breathalyzer ... but did attempt a field sobriety test.

He did not pass the test, according to police.

Scott was charged with DWI ... and released shortly after his arrest.

As for the Mets -- who have been playing bad on the field and dealing with controversies off if it (hey, Javy Baez) -- they're clearly not happy with their GM.

“We were surprised and deeply disappointed to learn this morning about an alleged DUI involving Zack Scott. We take this matter very seriously. Zack will not be traveling with the team for our upcoming road trip while we learn more and determine next steps.”

Scott is due back in court to face a judge on Thursday morning.

Longtime MLB exec Bob Boone -- Aaron Boone's famous father -- is leaving his job with the Washington Nationals ... and it's all 'cause the team has made COVID vaccines mandatory.

ESPN reported the news Wednesday ... explaining Bob -- a key front-office advisor for the team for YEARS -- is not willing to comply with the Nats' new policy that all non-playing employees must get the vaccine.

It's a huge deal -- 73-year-old Bob has been with the org. since 2005 ... and was most recently serving in a role as a senior adviser to Washington GM Mike Rizzo.

The Nats have said, according to The Washington Post, employees have until Sept. 15 to get the COVID vaccines ... otherwise, their contracts will be terminated.

Players, however, will still be allowed to remain with the organization even if they refuse to get the vax.

"As a company," the Nats said in a statement regarding the policy last week, "we have a responsibility to do everything we can to keep one another safe and felt that mandating vaccines was the absolute right thing to do for our employees and our community."

FYI, Bob's son, Aaron -- the New York Yankees manager -- has said he got the vaccine in March.

Mets exec Sandy Alderson is furious with Javy Baez and other players for giving thumbs down gestures to fans this weekend ... with the team prez calling the moves "unprofessional."

Baez, Kevin Pillar and Francisco Lindor all made the hand movements during their win over the Washington Nationals on Sunday ... with Baez later explaining it's all 'cause NY fans have booed them during their recent slump.

"They gotta be better," Baez said of Mets fans after saying he does hear the jeers after poor at-bats at the plate.

"I play for the fans and I love the fans, but if they're going to do that, they're just putting more pressure on the team and that's not what we want."

"We’re not machines," Baez added. "We’re going to struggle. We’re going to struggle seven times out of 10"

Not long after Baez finished giving those comments ... Alderson made it known he would NOT accept the gesture from the team's new superstar or anyone else on the squad going forward.

"These comments, and any gestures by him or other players with a similar intent, are totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated," Alderson said.

"Mets fans are understandably frustrated over the team’s recent performance. The players and the organization are equally frustrated, but fans at Citi Field have every right to express their own disappointment. Booing is every fan’s right."

73-year-old Alderson added he will be meeting with Baez and the rest of the team and staff to make sure they get the message.

"The Mets will not tolerate any player gesture that is unprofessional in its meaning or is directed in a negative way toward our fans," Alderson said, adding, "Mets fans are loyal, passionate, knowledgeable and more than willing to express themselves."

"We love them for every one of these qualities."

The investigation into Trevor Bauer's alleged assault is over -- police have turned over their findings to the L.A. County D.A., who will now decide whether the MLB All-Star will be charged with a crime.

TMZ Sports has confirmed ... the Pasadena Police Department has concluded their months-long investigation into 30-year-old Bauer -- who has been accused of hitting and choking a female companion without permission while they were having sex.

Now, detectives have sent all relevant info to the county District Attorney.

Bauer had a huge win in court last week ... after a judge dismissed the accuser's request for a permanent restraining order, determining the pitcher's actions did not exceed the limits set by the victim.

As for the injuries, the judge said they are "not the result of anything she told [Bauer] she objected to."

The judge also ruled Bauer did not pose a continual threat.

Despite the victory, Bauer certainly isn't out of the woods yet -- on top of the possibility of criminal charges, he's still facing punishment from the MLB and a possible civil case.

Another alleged Bauer incident came to light earlier this month ... when an Ohio woman accused him of punching and choking her during sex ... and filed a restraining order last summer, before withdrawing it shortly after.

Bauer has not pitched since late June and remains on administrative leave.

Several San Diego Padres fans got into a wild brawl at Wednesday's game -- throwing haymakers and kicks -- and all of the violence was caught on video.

The scrap happened at some point during the Padres' tilt with the Dodgers at Petco Park ... and while it's unclear what started it all -- you can see in the footage, the combatants landed several punches and kicks in the melee.

At one point, one of the fighters was shoved down a row of seats ... and then was punched and kicked in the face repeatedly.

The fighting then briefly stopped ... but it continued as more haymakers were thrown.

A man was eventually pushed down a row of stairs again -- before, finally, all of the action was broken up.

It's not clear if police are investigating ... we've reached out to cops, but so far, no word back yet.

As for the game, the Padres -- like the fighting fans in the stands -- took the L ... falling in extra innings to L.A., 5-3.

Miguel Sano obliterated a ball into outer space on Wednesday -- crushing the piece of cowhide nearly 500 feet -- and afterward, he dedicated the moon shot to a fan he had drilled in the head earlier in the night.

The story is pretty heartwarming ... before the Twins' game against the Red Sox at Fenway Park -- Sano felt awful after he hit a batting practice homer that cracked a young fan in the head.

28-year-old Miguel felt so bad ... he actually signed a bat for the boy -- and then later, he said he'd get a big hit for him.

And, in the third inning, Sano did just that ... destroying a ball that completely left the stadium!!!

As Sano crossed home plate, he pointed to the fan ... and then gave the kid his jersey after the game as well!

"[The kid] told me to, 'Hit a homer for me and give me your jersey,'" Sano said. "And I said, 'Hey, I'm going to do it and I'm going to try to hit a longer one here and I'm going to give you the jersey.'"

The tape-measure shot was majestic ... and, at 495 feet, it ended up being the longest home run recorded in the MLB this season.

Somehow, though, it was NOT Sano's career longest -- he has a 496-footer on his resume.

Aaron Boone no longer has to worry about being fired ... so says Yanks legend Tino Martinez, who tells TMZ Sports NY's latest surge is more than enough to keep the manager safe.

"I think he's done a great job," Martinez said out in NYC this week. "He's great for the team, the organization -- so I think he deserves to be here as long as he wants."

Of course, Yankees fans and perhaps even ex-NY players didn't always feel that way this season ... 'cause for a while, the Pinstripes were REALLY struggling under Boone.

But, the Yankees have turned the ship around in a big way -- winning 11 in a row ... and vaulting to just 4 games out of first place in the AL East.

Martinez says it's all been impressive to watch ... and should keep Boone around well into next season and beyond.

"The ups and downs of a season make a great manager," Tino told us, "and he's been even keeled the whole time."

For as good as Boone has been in turning around the Yankees ... Martinez clearly feels the manager owes Anthony Rizzo a bit of praise for the recent win streak as well.

Tino tells us the first baseman "changed the culture of the team" after his trade from Chicago to New York -- and is "one of the best ever."

Great news from the Oakland A's -- star pitcher Chris Bassitt underwent a successful procedure to fix his broken face on Tuesday ... and is officially on the road to recovery!!

Of course, the ace took a line drive to the face exactly one week ago against the Chicago White Sox ... which broke a bone in his cheek and required surgery.

Now, the team says their guy has gotten a plate in his face to fix the damage ... going under the knife in Chicago just hours ago.

In fancy medical talk, the team said the doctor "was able to stabilize and plate the tripod fracture with good fixation and debride other small fractured bones from the incident."

In other words, Bassit got fixed up!!

"Chris is stable and resting comfortably and will have follow-up appointments upon his arrival to Oakland," the team said in a statement.

"The A's anticipate Bassitt will return to the Bay Area later this week," the team added.