MLB

Russell Wilson will serve as a mentor to minor league players in the Texas Rangers organization when he appears in the team's spring training camp in AZ ... a rep for the Rangers tells TMZ Sports.

With Wilson's baseball agent already confirming that the Seattle Seahawks quarterback will be on hand when the team gets together in Surprise, AZ in a few weeks ... many were wondering if the former baseball star would actually suit up and get on the field.

FYI -- Wilson was a bigtime baseball prospect ... and his MLB rights currently belong to the Rangers after they acquired him in a deal with the Rockies back in December.

But the Rangers tells us ... Wilson won't need his cleats when he shows up to camp -- because he'll be "in a role of talking to our minor league players as opposed to a player."

The team says, "His leadership skills are off the charts and we feel it could be very beneficial for our young guys to be around him."

He didn't like the way Philip Seymour Hoffman portrayed him in "Moneyball," but former Oakland A's manager Art Howe tells TMZ Sports he never held a grudge against the actor ... saying, "He was just playing the part he was given."

Howe says he was "in shock" when he learned PSH had passed away Sunday ... explaining, "We never got to meet. I remember reading an article where he said he wanted to meet me and apologize for how he portrayed me. Now we're never going to have that chance."

Howe says he was very unhappy with the way he was portrayed in the flick -- but says he points the finger at the producers and the writers ... not PSH.

"Even though I didn't agree with the way I was portrayed, I didn't blame him -- he was just playing the part he was given," Howe says.

Dodgers superstar pitcher Brian Wilson's 100+ MPH right arm ain't the only gun in his arsenal anymore ... 'cause the guy just got a sweet revolver permanently inked on his non-pitching hand.

The '10 World Series champ was walking his beard out of a tattoo parlor in L.A. yesterday ... when he unholstered the freshly-inked pistol on the back of his left hand.

Wilson's already one of the most tatted up players in MLB ... but unfortunately, this one's going to get covered up by his glove while he's on the mound.

Seems the cop in the Yasiel Puig case overreacted when he said the Dodgers star could've killed his mom on a FL highway ... because officials have now dropped the reckless driving charge saying Puig is nothing more than a common speeder, TMZ Sports has learned.

We posted the video of the crazy arrest ... in which Puig, sporting pink shorts, was pulled out of his Mercedes and berated by an angry Highway Patrol Officer who caught the MLB star doing 110mph with his mom in the car.

At the time of the Dec. 28th arrest, the cop insisted Puig was driving recklessly and hauled him to jail. If convicted, Puig could have been sentenced to 90 days in jail.

But today the State dropped the case against the 23-year-old ... saying speeding alone on an open highway doesn't constitute "reckless driving" and he wasn't doing anything else to warrant a charge other than "speeding."

So in the end ... Puig gets a speeding ticket ... and that's it.

Pittsburgh Pirates superstar Andrew McCutchen tells TMZ Sports ... just because he makes a fortune doesn't mean he pays for team dinners -- in fact, it often comes down to CREDIT CARD ROULETTE.

The reigning National League MVP (who signed a $51.5 mil contract in 2012) was in NY and told our photog he's happy to cover family 100% of the time -- and even rookies get a free meal every now and then -- but when it comes to his highly paid teammates, luck often dictates who gets stuck with the bill.

For the record, credit card roulette is super popular with athletes -- everyone gives their card to the server, who then picks one at random ... and that unlucky S.O.B. pays for the entire check, tip included.

Cutch, who recently proposed to his GF on the "Ellen" show, also admits the one downside of being engaged ... he often gets "stuck" watching his fiancee's favorite show -- the Kardashians.

Justin Verlander and Kate Upton are back together, and no one's happier than a boat load of teenage boys in Tampa.

Sure, sources tell us the boys in this video shot today were definitely cheering more for getting a peek of Kate in-person (primo material for any hormone-filled boy) -- and probably never noticed the Cy Young winner.

But still ... the Detroit Tigers ace and the supermodel were spotted all over each other -- partying on a boat for Tampa's annual pirate-themed Gasparilla festival.

Justin sported the traditional buccaneer eye patch as a costume. Kate's costume -- just looking hot.

Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Carl Crawford says his baby mama is trying to shake him down for more cash ... despite the fact he gives her AT LEAST $10,000 per month, this according to docs obtained by TMZ Sports.

Crawford -- who's in the middle of a $142 MILLION contract -- is also in the middle of a custody war with ex-girlfriend Amy Freeman, the mother of his 2 minor children.

As we first reported, Crawford's pissed that Freeman recently picked up and moved the family from Arizona to L.A. -- claiming she's trying to squeeze him for more money with the help of CA's more favorable child support laws.

Now, Crawford has filed new docs claiming the judge should force her to stay in AZ because it's not only best for their children ... but because he takes damn good care of her in the Grand Canyon state.

Crawford says he's not only paying for the kids to go to fancy schools, but has showered his ex with multiple homes, cars and $10k per month in child support.

L.A. Dodgers star Yasiel Puig has something in common with one of the fastest pitchers ever -- they both reach speeds of 110 miles per hour. The only difference ... the pitcher gets in the Hall of Fame and Puig gets arrested.

Yasiel was pulled over this morning in Collier County, Florida. Cops say they clocked him at 110 in a 70 MPH zone. He was arrested for reckless driving and taken to the local jail.

This is Puig's second arrest this year for the same offense. He was arrested in April for going twice the speed limit.

12/29 -- The L.A. Dodgers tell TMZ Sports, "We have spoken to Yasiel and made it clear that we, as an organization, are very disappointed in his recent behavior."

Larry King's wife pulled a risky move Friday night ... throwing a surprise birthday for her 80-year old husband ... but don't worry, the T.V. legend made it out alive.

Larry's wife Shawn King planned the whole thing without her husband having a clue ... and the look on his face when he realizes it's a surprise party is classic.

Guests like Pat Boone, Paul Anka and Warren Beatty arrived early to hit some balls on the field ... and they all had a fancy dinner after the big reveal.

It reportedly costs upward of $25k to rent out Dodger Stadium for a private event.

Take that Kim and Kanye!

David Ortiz wasn't chugging cheap champagne during his crazy World Series celebration last night -- the stuff Big Papi was pounding runs $100,000 per bottle ... TMZ has learned.

You've seen the pics -- Ortiz hoisting a giant gold bottle of bubbly, while the rest of his Boston Red Sox teammates celebrated their victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.

Now, we've learned ... the booze was a 15 litre bottle of Armand de Brignac Nebuchadnezzar Champagne, also known as "Ace of Spades" ... and it runs between $100k and $150k in the club scene.

These bottles are SUPER rare -- a Russian billionaire once splurged on a bottle for Zac Efron and Heather Graham when he spotted the actors at a bar in Chicago.

The Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals are facing off on the field tonight for Game 1 of the 2013 World Series -- but the real battle is between two bearded baseballers.

With beards like this, both teams are clear winners.

The FBI, the Boston PD, the Dept. of Homeland Security ... just about every law enforcement group in the land will be patrolling the Boston area in force during the World Series in an effort to thwart a possible terrorist attack, TMZ has learned.

In the wake of the Boston Marathon bombing back in April, the city is taking every possible measure to make sure people are safe when the Series comes to Beantown on Wednesday.

TMZ spoke with multiple law enforcement agencies ... who told us the Boston PD will be in charge of coordinating the plan to keep the area safe.

The police presence will be huge -- and in your face -- with uniformed and undercover officers, bomb-sniffing dogs, snipers and other counterterrorism measures in place.

Still, cops tell us ... as usual, they count on the people to provide tips if they see anything suspicious. See something, say something.

This is L.A. Dodgers star Andre Ethier stealing a page from serial fashion assassin (and TBS sideline reporter) Craig Sager ... and rocking an aggressively ugly plaid suit near the team bus.

It appears the pic was taken outside Dodger Stadium today as Ethier and the team boarded the team bus for their trip to St. Louis for Game 6 of the NLCS.

We're not saying Ethier's outfit is the worst we've ever seen (we're looking at YOU Dwyane Wade) ... but it's definitely up there.

Diggin' the yellow bow tie though.

Cal Ripken Jr. tells TMZ ... his mother is "doing well" after she thwarted a gun-toting bad guy who allegedly tried to jack her car in a bank parking lot in Maryland.

Cops say Violet Ripken was held up at gunpoint on Tuesday afternoon -- but calmly pressed the panic button on her car key and scared the guy away. The suspect was later arrested after cops obtained a photo of the suspect from a nearby ATM.

Scary stuff ... but last night outside Madeo in L.A. -- where Cal was having dinner with fellow Orioles legend Eddie Murray -- Ripken told us his mom is on the mend after the frightening encounter ... her second incident with a gunman in 2 years.

There's something about Cal Ripken Jr.'s mom -- because cops say she was just threatened at gunpoint in Maryland ... barely a year after she was abducted at gunpoint in the same area.

Law enforcement in Aberdeen tell TMZ, Violet Ripken was leaving an NBRS bank Tuesday when she was confronted by a handgun-wielding man in the parking lot. Vi told cops the man demanded her car.

At that point, cops say Cal's mom was able to sound the panic alarm on the vehicle, and the man fled. He was later apprehended by police.

Thankfully, Cal's mom wasn't hurt during the exchange -- but it's still a scary reminder of last July, when Violet was abducted at gunpoint, forced into a car, and held against her will for 23 hours.

If New Jersey had a baseball team, it should be called "THE LOSERS," this according to Snooki ... talk about biting the hand that fed ya.

It's pretty shocking, considering the MTV star spent several years in NJ ... where she lived, boozed and shot her reality show.

But right after she made the comment on the way out of Boa Steakhouse in L.A., the backtracking began ...

Snooks insisted the comment was NOT made to be a shot at Jersey on the whole, but more of a shot at HERSELF and the "Jersey Shore" cast, because "we were all turds back then."