MLB

NY Yankees pitcher Aroldis Chapman has been suspended 30 games for his role in an alleged domestic violence incident involving his GF ... and will lose roughly $1.7 MILLION in salary.

As we previously reported, Chapman's girlfriend claimed he pushed and choked her during an argument back in October ... then went to the garage and fired several shots into the wall.

Chapman denied wrongdoing (though admitted to "poking her" in the shoulder) -- and was NOT charged with a crime ... but the MLB decided there was enough evidence to punish Chapman under the league's domestic violence policy.

Chapman issued a statement saying, "Today, I accepted a 30 game suspension from Major League Baseball resulting from my actions on October 30, 2015."

"I want to be clear, I did not in any way harm my girlfriend that evening. However, I should have exercised better judgment with respect to certain actions, and for that I am sorry."

"The decision to accept a suspension, as opposed to appealing one, was made after careful consideration."

"I made this decision in an effort to minimize the distractions that an appeal would cause the Yankees, my new teammates and most importantly, my family. I have learned from this matter, and I look forward to being part of the Yankees’ quest for a 28th World Series title."

How do you top a tricked out Polaris? A fire-breathing Lambo? And a cherry red Alfa Romeo??

How about a super pimped out custom Jeep with your jersey number painted on the hood???

That's how NY Mets superstar Yoenis Cespedes will hit up spring training Friday ... so says his personal car guru, Alex Vega.

Vega -- who runs The Auto Firm in Miami -- tells us he personalized the hell out of the Jeep complete with some cool baseball themed surprises. Here are the highlights:

Complete body kit with a custom hood (with #52 on it), custom LED lights all around, a 4 inch lift kit, custom Avorza red leather seats stitched like a baseball glove, new exhaust system ... and 22x14 custom Avorza wheels.

"This is one of the craziest Jeeps we've done ... right up there with [Floyd Mayweather's]," Vega says.

Nice work.

Kobe might be retiring but Dodgers star Yasiel Puig is keeping his swaggiest tradition alive ... buying his very own helicopter to get to practice ... according to a guy who knows all about it.

Puig has been posting hints all over social media he might be buying a chopper ... so when we had his friend and personal vehicle customizer, Alex Vega, on TMZ Sports we had to know ...

Is this guy for real or what?

Alex said not only is Puig buying the heli ... but once it's done Vega and the guys down at the Auto Firm in Miami are going to do a once over on it ... making it into the most pimped out bird in the sky.

What will Alex be working on? Our sources tell us Puig is copping a Robinson R44 helicopter that's gonna set him back around $350k ... if he buys it used.

Congrats Yasiel ... but remember, you have NO EXCUSE to be late to practice now.

Major League Baseball just sent an interesting message to Jose Reyes -- stay away from the team while your domestic violence case is pending ... but don't worry, we'll still pay you.

Reyes has been accused of grabbing his wife by the throat and slamming her into a glass door during a Hawaiian vacation back in October.

Reyes was arrested -- and the trial begins in April.

So, what is MLB to do?

On Tuesday, Commish Rob Manfred gave the orders to put Reyes on paid leave until the case is resolved.

If Reyes is convicted, we're guessing the gravy train comes to an end -- and if he's exonerated, Reyes should be back in uniform without any damage to his bank account.

"The Commissioner's Office will have no further comment on this matter until a final disposition is announced."

Marc Anthony says he adamantly denies having anything to do with an alleged human traffic conspiracy -- in which top Cuban baseball prodigies were smuggled into the U.S.

Anthony recently got into the sports management business -- launching Magnus Sports -- which recently teamed up with Praver Shapiro Sports Management.

The issue for Anthony revolves around an agent named Bart Hernandez -- who has worked for Praver -- and was arrested and charged with player smuggling in a case surrounding MLB player Leonys Martin.

In an effort to blunt any insinuation that Anthony had ANY knowledge or played a role, he and Magnus issued a joint statement condemning the alleged illegal activity.

"Magnus Sports and Mr. Marc Anthony were surprised and concerned to learn of the charges filed against independent contractor Bart Hernandez."

"We strongly and in no uncertain terms condemn any and all forms of the behavior contained in the indictment. We trust that the legal process will result in a just verdict."

Pablo Sandoval is WAYYY ahead of the game ... surprising his girlfriend with a $140,000 pre-Valentine's Day gift ... and it all went down live on "TMZ Sports."

The Boston Red Sox 3rd baseman FaceTime'd in from The Auto Firm in Miami -- where he commissioned car god Alex Vega to hook up his lady with a killer custom vehicle.

Her reaction is priceless -- and you can see the whole thing on "TMZ Sports" on Friday at 9 PM PT, 12 AM ET on FS1.

File this one under: Kid's Say The Darndest Things.

Lenny Dykstra's son Cutter must be a summa cum laude graduate of Keepin' It Real University ... and not even family is immune to his straight talk.

Cutter was leaving The Nice Guy in Hollywood with his wife -- Jamie-Lynn Sigler -- when we asked if he thought his dad should join Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Piazza in Cooperstown.

Rap star Common says there are no shortcuts to greatness ... and athletes who use HGH can never, ever be compared to legends like Michael Jordan and LeBron James ... who did it au naturel.

Common was out in Beverly Hills when we talked all things sports with him ... and when the conversation turned to HGH ... the Chicago rapper sounded off.

HGH is a hot topic right now ... with everyone from Mark Cuban to Chris D'elia weighing in on whether or not its time for the sports world to accept the health benefits the drug can offer.

Check it out -- Common's not the type of guy to diss anyone -- but he makes it clear -- HGH just takes all the wonder and fun -- out of professional sports.

Roy Halladay is firing back at his hero-turned-nemesis, Roger Clemens ... telling TMZ Sports he wasn't a cheater, and Clemens is just trying to deflect.

The former Blue Jays teammates started warring because Halladay tweeted "No Clemens no Bonds" -- due to their alleged steroid use -- the night before the latest Hall of Fame inductees were announced.

Clemens responded by accusing Halladay of "using amphetamines" when they were in Toronto. Roy flatly denies it, and points out Roger is the only person to ever accuse him of using illegal drugs.

“I grew up a huge Clemens fan. Getting to play with him, he became a role model. When I heard that he had cheated, it was like finding out Santa Claus wasn’t real all over again to me.”

Baseball great Kirk Gibson's son hasn't taken a swing in the majors, but he's still hitting home runs ... on the beach with his smoke show GF.

Cam Gibson -- who was drafted by his pop's old squad, the Detroit Tigers last summer -- and girlfriend Mackenzie Miller were in Maui this weekend ... and both flaunted their assets.

Unlike his dad's famous clutch World Series homer -- no one would say it's "impossible" these 2 hooked up. Hard bodies attract hard bodies ... aka #AbsGetCakes.

Former Yankees pitcher David Wells has no problem with his ex-team trading for the troubled Aroldis Chapman ... saying his off-the-field issues DON'T MATTER ... cause the dude can flat out pitch.

Chapman is currently under investigation by the MLB for allegedly choking his girlfriend making some wonder why the Yanks would deal for him now ... Wells ain't one of them.

"In all honesty I don't give a crap what he's done off-the-field. As long as he shows up to practice, plays hard and produces ... I'll take him."

Wells knows the Yankee organization -- having won a World Series with the Bronx Bombers in '98 -- and says this is far from the first time they've taken a chance on a player ... but it always works out.

You might not think the MLB is the swaggiest league around ... but it turns out the hardball heroes are going custom car crazy for the holidays ... and TMZ Sports has pics of the jaw dropping rides.

We spoke with Alex Vega ... the dude behind south Florida's premiere customizing spot, The Auto Firm ... and he says the yuletide season has his spot JUMPING with baseball players looking to upgrade.

New York Yankees SS Starlin Castro brought his S50 AMG in and totally flipped it ... adding a full carbon fiber body kit, Avorza 22 inch Av37 forge wheels and all white custom leather interior.

Pablo Sandoval of the Boston Red Sox wasn't outdone by his Yankees rival ... adding a wide body kit, Avorza red and black leather and a custom exhaust system ... all setting him back $65k.

But the craziest job title went to Mariners RF Nelson Cruz... who dropped $40k on his Polaris slingshot ... adding a custom glow-in-the-dark paint job, a new sound system and 38 inch forged wheels.

The video we posted showing a man fighting another outside of Blue Martini in Miami is not Yasiel Puig.

TMZ Sports previously reported the video showed Puig based on representations made by people present at the club. But we have now determined he is not in the video.

It's no guarantee ... but Barry Bonds' new job as the hitting coach for the Miami Marlins is a "good start" in his quest for Cooperstown ... so says Marlins superstar Giancarlo Stanton.

Bonds hasn't made the cut for the Hall of Fame in his 3 years of eligibility ... due to allegations he juiced during his 22 year MLB career.

But Stanton -- who signed a $325 MILLION contract with the Marlins last year -- clearly thinks it's a good move for both Bonds and baseball ... he recently told "TMZ Sports" he thinks he can add a TON of value to the team as a coach.

When you've got a nickname as bad ass as "Da Meat Hook" ... ya gotta get one tatted on your body, right?

That's exactly how ex-MLB star Dmitri Young feels ... 'cause the 2-time All Star told us he loved the nickname so much, he HAD to memorialize it in ink -- and he showed us!

Also, Young had a busted finger ... courtesy of an 8-year-old with a baseball bat.

Jay Z's got some competition in the sports management world ... all thanks to Marc Anthony -- who just started his own company and ALREADY signed a pretty huge client.

Anthony just announced the creation of Magnus Media ... Marc's version of Roc Nation Sports ... and already inked Reds closer Aroldis Chapman, who holds the record for the fastest pitch ever recorded (105 mph).

Anthony's not going at it alone -- he's partnered up with Praver Shapiro Sports Management -- a sports agency that focuses on MLB players.

Anthony's been involved with Major League Baseball for years ... and famously sang the National Anthem at Shea Stadium in 2001 when baseball resumed after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.