MLB

5-year-old Hailey Dawson showed everyone that disabilities don't have to hold anyone back ... throwing out the first pitch at a Baltimore Orioles game with her robotic hand.

Hailey's right hand is not fully developed because a rare disease called Poland Syndrome.

UNLV engineers and Hailey's mom worked together to design her 3-D printed prosthetic called the Flexy-Hand 2 ... that helps her with the ability to grip things.

Thanks to their hard work, Hailey was able to use the Orioles-themed robotic hand to throw out the first pitch to third baseman Manny Machado before Monday night's game.

1:30 PM PT -- Sabathia says he regrets making a "bad decision" by trying to get involved in the fight.

Yankees star CC Sabathia was leaving a Toronto nightclub when a massive fight broke out ... and several people had to hold him back from the action.

Milwaukee Brewers 1st baseman David Denson announced he's gay -- the first Major League Baseball affiliated player to do so -- and he says his teammates are showing full support for him.

Fetty Wap’s “Trap Queen” and the KC Royals are like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups -- and since the players have turned the song into their unofficial summer theme ... Fetty paid 'em a visit.

The Royals have been playing a game where they work "1738" -- the opening lyric to Fetty's hit -- into all their interviews. Anyone who fails gets fined in the clubhouse.

Guess F-Dub caught wind of this, and dropped by Kauffmann Stadium on Tuesday evening to check out the Royals' skills, and to jump them into his Remy Boyz 1738 crew ... with t-shirts.

Warning, Alex Gordon ... do NOT let Fetty introduce you to the stove.

Pete Rose desperately wants the new MLB Commissioner to believe he's not a liar, because the disgraced baseball great just underwent a polygraph exam ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Multiple sources tell us Rose went to Jack Trimarco & Associates in Beverly Hills on Wednesday to take the lie detector test ... and it's all connected to his efforts to be reinstated.

Rose wasted no time reaching out to Commissioner Rob Manfred when he took the MLB reins this year. According to Manfred, Rose has filed a formal request to have his lifetime ban lifted. We're told Rose is hoping the polygraph results will help him build a case for Manfred.

Reversing the ban would be the first step to Rose possibly getting on a Hall of Fame ballot.

Trimarco's pretty famous in lie detector circles. He's worked on terrorism cases like Oklahoma City and the '93 World Trade Center bombing. He's also the guy who truth tested Jose Canseco about steroids in baseball.

He hasn't played 1 minute for the Clippers yet ... but Paul Pierce has already found a way to DISAPPOINT his new coach -- when he CHOKED on the mound at the Dodgers game.

FYI -- Pierce had the honor of throwing out the 1st pitch at Dodgers Stadium earlier this week ... but failed ... and got showered with boos from the crowd.

So, when we saw Doc Rivers in L.A. yesterday, we showed him the footage for the first time to get his candid reaction -- and it was hilarious.

"On no. That is awful."

Check out the clip ... Rivers does offer a pretty good excuse for Pierce ... and then reveals an embarrassing baseball secret about himself.

John Rocker UNLEASHED THE FURY all over a sports memorabilia dealer in NY this week -- cussing the guy out for being late to pick him up en route to the airport ... in classic John Rocker fashion.

The ex-MLB pitcher -- and former "Survivor" contestant -- was out in Cooperstown, NY this past week signing autographs at an event for Paterno Brothers Sports ... and things went fine until it was time to go the airport.

According to Brian Paterno ... Rocker's car was running late due to unexpected traffic on Monday -- and when it got to his hotel, Rocker was furious -- and ripped into the people who were in charge of his transportation.

One of the people traveling in the car with Rocker began recording Rocker's meltdown -- in which you can hear John tearing everyone a new A-hole.

Lots of cuss words ... some insults ... more cussing ... and more general Rocker rage.

Eventually, John got to the airport -- but missed his flight. You can imagine how that went.

It's not ALWAYS great sharing a name with a sports legend ... just ask NBA star Reggie Jackson who says he got some hate tweeted his way after the OTHER Reggie cussed people out in public last week.

Reggie -- who just signed a 5-year $80 MILLION contract with the Pistons -- was out in L.A. this week when he told us he gets confused with the MLB Hall of Famer all the time, especially on social media.

So with Reggie (MLB) making headlines for GOING OFF on some autograph seekers in Cooperstown on Friday, Reggie (NBA) told us some angry fans accidentally spit their cyber venom his way.

For the record, Reggie (MLB) eventually apologized for the rant ... saying, "A sincere apology for my profanity in public to all fans. Certainly not a way to communicate. Mad or not, no excuse."

The battle for Minute Maid Park is over ... and the Houston Astros have won -- with Taylor Swift agreeing to reschedule a concert date that would have conflicted with an Astros playoff game.

Zack Hample ... the guy who caught A-Rod's 3,000th hit ... tells TMZ Sports that since snagging the lucky ball he's been dogged by people making "scary" threats for him to return the ball to the Yankees stud.

Hample ... a notorious ball hawk who actually writes a blog on how to catch dingers ... says some fans want him to return the ball so badly that they are filling up his inboxes with dangerous talk.

"I try to disregard it, but when some people make personal threats and say things, it's scary."

Zack also tells us he adamantly refutes the rumors that he knocked over kids and old ladies to get the ball ... saying Internet haters are spreading the lies to smear his name.

"What I do, is totally respectful, and done with the utmost care. It's all lies."

Hample still hasn't made up his mind about what to do with the rock just yet -- despite yet another offer from the Yankees -- but he says he doesn't understand why people are giving him a hard time.

90s Major Leaguer Darryl Hamilton was killed by his girlfriend in what police are calling a murder-suicide -- and right before the shooting ... she begged her ex-husband to call cops.

The 911 call was placed by Monica Jordan's ex Sunday around 4:45 PM outside Houston. He tells the operator Monica sounded distraught, and wanted him to get over to her house immediately.

Monica was living with Hamilton, who retired after the 2001 season ... and had played for the Mets, Giants, and several other teams.

The ex husband said he didn't think there were any weapons in the house. He was wrong. When police arrived they found Hamilton's body with multiple gunshot wounds -- and Monica's body with one self-inflicted gunshot wound.

How bad do the New York Yankees want A-Rod to have his 3,000 hit ball back? So bad that the team is offering a smorgasbord of AWESOME pinstriped-themed goodies ... so says the guy who caught it.

We spoke to Zack Hample ... the lucky dog who snagged A-Rod's historic dinger, and he tells us the Yanks made an incredible offer to him the minute the MLB authenticated his ball.

According to Hample the deal included ...

- Seats in the "Legends" section of Yankees stadium

- A personal meeting with A-Rod

- His own press conference with the media

- Appearances on the YES network for the rest of the season

- A "sizable" donation" to the charity of Hample's choice (with A-Rod to match the donation)

FYI -- sitting in the swanky "Legends" section of Yankees stadium is a big deal, with tickets running up to $1,500 per game ... and include gourmet food and drinks for the whole 9 innings.

Hample says it ain't just the Yanks who want the ball -- with multiple auction houses and collectors offering big cash for the rock -- but he hasn't made up his mind about what to do with it just yet.

Boston Red Sox star Pablo Sandoval broke the CARDINAL RULE when it comes to dropping a deuce during a MLB game ... so claims David Price who says Pablo needs to be smarter on the crapper.

As you've probably heard ... Sandoval was benched by the team after he got caught liking sexy photos on Instagram while the Sox were playing the Braves earlier this week.

Pablo later said he was using his phone while taking care of biz in the clubhouse bathroom ... and "f**ked up" by violating the team's no social media during games policy.

Which brings us to Price -- a 4-time All Star and Cy Young winner -- who tells us EVERYONE in the MLB uses their phones when nature calls, but ya GOTTA be able to show restraint and not leave a digital trail.

You'll probably die if you try it ... but Wade Boggs is finally revealing the secret to pounding 100 beers in 24 hours.

You've heard the legend ... that Boggs once slammed 64 beers on a flight from Boston to L.A. during his days in the MLB (the exact number has been disputed).

In fact, the famous story inspired an episode of "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia."

So, how the hell did he do it? He probably didn't ... but he had a funny answer when we asked him about it in NYC yesterday.

Gotta respect when a politician is honest ... like when Jeb Bush admitted to us he didn't know about the MLB hacking scandal yesterday because as he put it: "Man, I'm running for president. I've been busy!"

The former Gov. was leaving NBC in New York when we asked about the FBI investigation into the St. Louis Cardinals for allegedly hacking the Houston Astros to steal top secret information.

Bush has a serious MLB connection, considering his brother George W. was a co-owner of the Texas Rangers.

Scary moment for the Los Angeles Dodgers ... when the team plane made an emergency landing Sunday night because of a mechanical issue.

The team jet had departed from San Diego at 7:15 PM after beating the Padres 4-2, when their aircraft -- United Airlines Flight 2207 -- called in an emergency landing at LAX.

The flight landed safely at 8:16 PM -- with all 176 passengers and crew on board.