MLB

The family of late Cardinals outfielder Oscar Taveras has some cash headed their way ... all thanks to a longtime fan who's auctioning off his treasured souvenirs.

Taveras got his first taste of the majors this season, but he made a huge impression on a Cards fan. TMZ Sports has learned the guy -- who wants to remain anonymous -- bought a bunch of Taveras memorabilia ... just one day before the 22-year-old died in a car accident.

We're told the items include -- Oscar's first home run ball, cleats from his first big league game, and a game worn post-season jersey ... all autographed and going up for auction.

We're told the fan decided to unload the merch through Goldin Auctions -- so he can donate all the profits to Oscar's family in the Dominican Republic. The auction will open on January 12th.

Kerry Collins couldn't just sling a football ... the former NFL quarterback had a GUN as a pitcher too ... so says Mike Piazza.

Mike was out in NYC when we asked if there were any athletes who impressed him with during the ceremonial first pitch over the years.

That's when Mike brought up the ex-Carolina Panthers QB -- who said he fired the ball so hard back in the day, it actually scared him when he was behind the plate.

They say you shouldn't knock something 'til you try it ... but this sounds gross -- Yasiel Puig puts KETCHUP on his sushi.

Ketchup. And raw fish. Together.

At least, that's what Puig's L..A Dodgers teammate Adrian Gonzalez told us last night when we asked if anyone on the Blue Crew had any weird superstitions or habits before a game.

But after some brief Internet research, it appears Puig's not alone in his big red habit ... in fact, one food blog praised the combo as a "hidden culinary connection."

Pablo Sandoval's sick car collection just got $200,000 sicker ... 'cause the S.F. Giants super star just tricked out his brand new Range Rover ... and TMZ Sports has the footage.

Sandoval took his '14 Avorza Range Rover Sport to The Auto Firm in Miami ... where they hooked it up with a Lumma wide body kit and 22-inch Avorza AV7 rims.

We spoke with Auto Firm honcho Alex Vega -- who's done work for stars like Yasiel Puig and Hanley Ramirez -- who tells us Sandoval owns several Range Rovers ... but wanted this one to stand out.

Check out the clip of Sandoval seeing his ride for the first time -- you can tell he's fired up ... and says it's his "favorite" of all his whips.

It's one of the most famous Yankees rules ... NO BEARDS DURING THE SEASON!!!

But with star pitcher CC Sabathia, who's growing out his whiskers in the off-season, we had to ask the 34-year-old if he was planning to rage against the machine this year ... and fight to keep his face warmer when it's time to put on the pinstripes.

Don't worry Steinbrenners, Sabathia told us he's gonna play by the family rules ... even though he likes his new scruff.

Pittsburgh Pirates superstar Andrew McCutchen is a MARRIED MAN ... one year after proposing to his girlfriend Maria Hanslovan on "Ellen" ... TMZ Sports has learned.

The two were married in a ceremony on November 22nd ... they reportedly picked the date because of Andrew's jersey number ... 22.

When he proposed, Andrew told Maria ... "I did this to show you that ... If I could tell the whole world how much I love you, I would do that."

Obviously, she said yes and this weekend ... they finally swapped "I dos."

And to prove it's official ... Maria already changed her last name on her Twitter account to McCutchen!!!

Congrats!!!

The mangled finger that "fell off" Jose Canseco's hand during a poker game WILL NOT be popping up on eBay -- 'cause the whole thing was a giant prank ... TMZ Sports has learned.

As we previously reported ... the former baseball star blew off part of his finger last month while cleaning a gun -- but got it reconnected in surgery.

Last week, Jose claimed the reattached digit went rogue ... tweeting, "I was playing in a poker tournament last night and my finger fell off."

Disgusting. Funny. And totally untrue. Jose now admits it was a HOAX.

We contacted Canseco about video he says he shot of the finger fail -- and when push came to shove ... he had to cop to the prank. Jose says he cooked up the plan when he came across the fake finger in a Halloween store.

As for the eBay auction he was pimping on Twitter -- sorry, sickos ... the real deal's still attached.

When you've banged as many chicks as Derek Jeter ... running into exes becomes an occupational hazard, and Tuesday night it was Jessica Alba's turn for the awkward moment.

Jeter and Alba were both guest speakers at the Goldman Sachs technology conference in Las Vegas. Jeter was there for his new website (theplayerstribune.com) and Alba was talking about her Honest Company baby products.

The after party went down at Hyde Bellagio Nightclub -- and sources inside tell us Jessica and Derek did have a 10-minute chat while they were there. Nothing hot and heavy, we're told ... just enough to talk about her kids and his retirement.

Still ... Cash Warren and Hannah Davis can't be thrilled.

Hours after Giancarlo Stanton signed his brand new $325 MILLION contract, the MLB superstar HIT THE CLUB and partied with a $20,000 bottle of champagne ... and TMZ Sports has the pics.

The Miami Marlins outfielder hit up FDR at the Delano Hotel in Miami .. where he was seen raging around 3 AM Tuesday morning with his boys ... and some very attractive ladies.

But the best part of the night ... when the guy who just signed the LARGEST sports contract in American history was GIFTED a $20k bottle of rare champagne.

It's called Moët Nectar Impérial Rosé Leopard Luxury Edition Methuselah -- and the 6 liter bottle is coated in a 22-carat gold leaf. It's one of only 60 bottles ever created.

So, who paid for the bubbly? We're told it was a gift from a well-known Miami party queen named "Julz" ... who just wanted to help Giancarlo celebrate.

So, the guy with the $325 million check gets free drinks. #RichGetRicher

FOR SALE: Used .45 caliber Remington pistol.

It's clean. It's got gold-plated grips. And it took out Jose Canseco's middle finger.

The former MLB superstar has announced he's selling the handgun that blew off the middle digit on his left hand.

Jose had previously explained that the gun accidentally fired while he was cleaning it earlier this month ... and says the whole thing freaked him out because the bullet almost struck his girlfriend.

Now, Jose says he wants the weapon out of his life for good ... well, as long as the price is right.

Canseco has said he wants to sell the gun on eBay -- but the company doesn't allow people to sell firearms on the website ... so he's gonna have to find another way to unload it.

So far, no word on the asking price.

Oh, and Jose also says he's considering selling the finger he shot off ... claiming it's currently being stored in his freezer.

Canseco says it could be used for "stirring straw for drinks."

Did you know ... World Series MVP Madison Bumgarner and country music superstar Eric Church are from the same small county in North Carolina?

And did you also know that tonight county officials are going to vote on whether they should honor its two heroes with giant signs bragging that Eric and Madison grew up there??

Well, it's all going down in Caldwell County, NC (population: 80,000) in just a few hours.

We know ... the Caldwell County Board of Commissioners are voting to decide if they should go to the N.C. Dept. of Transportation and request the signs.

Each sign would say something like, "Caldwell County ... Home of Madison Bumgarner."

We're told the vote is likely to pass -- everyone in town seems to LOOOVE these guys -- and then it will be up to Dept. of Transportation to make the final decision.

Before he became an international music star, Daddy Yankee was a real-deal baseball prodigy ... until one bullet changed everything.

The reggaeton king was out in NYC last night and told us he had a shot with the Seattle Mariners back in the day ... when he played 3rd base.

But Yankee was shot in the hip during the peak of his baseball career -- and had to abandon his MLB dreams. Fortunately, things worked out and he became a megastar.

Yankee's not bitter about it -- even though the bullet is still lodged in his hip ... which can be a pain in the ass in airports.

Check out the clip.

Ex-NY Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte has found his second calling -- he's a football coach ... even though he says he doesn't know a helluva lot about the sport.

42-year-old Pettitte retired back in 2013 after 18 seasons in the league ... but Andy tells us he's been keeping busy spending time with his wife and their 4 kids.

One of his post-MLB hobbies ... coaching youth football.

Yasiel Puig has landed in Japan ... and the guy's LOVING IT.

The L.A. Dodgers slugger is part of an MLB All-Star team that's taking on the Japanese national team in a 5-game series ... but when he's not on the field, Puig's been taking in as much culture as he can.

"We visited some temples, that was a very spiritual experience," Puig tells TMZ Sports ... "We took the bullet train from Osaka to Tokyo, very cool."

"I have not been shopping yet, but I will go here in Tokyo."

Puig says he's a HUGE fan of sushi -- and has been scarfing up as much raw fish as he can get his hands on ... saying, "I LOVE IT!"

Puig and his MLB All-Star teammates are reportedly getting $100k each for participating in the series.

St. Louis Cardinals rookie Oscar Taveras' blood alcohol level was 5 TIMES the legal limit at the time of his fatal crash last month ... officials in the Dominican Republic say.

The 22-year-old MLB rising star died on October 26th when the car he was driving smashed into a tree. Oscar's 18-year-old girlfriend, who was a passenger in the car, was also killed in the wreck.

Initially, cops said preliminary evidence did not lead them to believe Oscar was intoxicated at the time of the crash ... but toxicology reports showed his blood alcohol was at an extremely high level.

Cops also say he was driving "very, very fast" at the time of the accident.