MLB

Tim Tebow ... NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Heisman Trophy winner turned Mets farmhand had a chance to be a hero in NY's spring training game Friday ... but instead, he tripped over his own shoes!!

The sad scene all went down in the Mets-Cardinals exhibition game ... where Tebow's squad was up 3-2 in the top of the ninth inning.

With two outs left in the game, Tim could've closed everything down by catching a lazy pop fly to left field -- but he fell to the ground before he could make the grab!!

The vid is pretty depressing ... Tim takes a solid route to the ball, camps underneath it, but then gets his feet tangled in his shoelaces and goes crashing to the grass.

SO CLOSE!!!

The ball landed just a few feet from him ... allowing the game-tying runner to advance to second base.

To make matters worse, Tebow -- the No. 9 hitter for the day -- was 0-for-2 on the afternoon with 2 strikeouts. YIKES!!!

Fortunately for the ex-NFL QB, the Mets were able to get the next batter to fly out to right to end the game ... but social media is already ROASTING poor Timmy for the effort!!

Of course, it hasn't been all bad news bears for Tebow this spring ... he just hit his first home run of camp earlier this week, but clearly, this ain't going to help make the Mets' opening day roster.

Well, Alex Bregman better get used to this ...

The Houston Astros superstar was just DRILLED for the first time since he was revealed to be a cheater ... and it all begs the question -- HOW MANY MORE TIMES WILL IT HAPPEN THIS YEAR?!

The 3rd baseman stepped up to the plate in the 5th inning of Houston's spring training game against the Cardinals on Wednesday ... and he WORE one right in the back.

Bregman said afterward he didn't think it was intentional -- "It was a splitter. It just got away from him" -- but, COME ON!!!!!!

The HBP sure seemed fishy to us ... you can see the pitch -- on a 3-2 count, nonetheless -- plunked Bregman SQUARELY between the shoulder blades.

And, as you can tell from Bregman's reaction ... it wasn't exactly a lollipop!!

Of course, the 'Stros are likely going to face this all season long after the MLB announced it found they cheated their way to a World Series title in 2017.

In fact, ex-MLB star Aubrey Huff told us just a few days ago he sees this happening REGULARLY to the 'Stros in 2020.

And, according to the unofficial counter on Twitter ... Bregman's hit by pitch marked the SEVENTH time a 'Stros player has been plunked so far this spring.

Announcer: "Now batting ... Jose Altuve."

Fans: BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That's how it went down at Spring Training in West Palm Beach on Monday when the Houston Astros star made his first plate appearance since the cheating scandal.

Shocked, right?!?

Altuve didn't seem fazed by the chilly reception -- in fact, the guy hit an RBI double against the Detroit Tigers all by himself without any help from high-tech cameras and trash cans!

There was another awkward moment in the game ... Altuve was technically hit by a pitch -- though it was truly accidental. He was clipped in the foot by a breaking ball in the dirt.

Remember, Astros manager Dusty Baker has expressed concern about pitchers throwing at Altuve and other Houston players involved in the cheating scandal -- he doesn't want vigilante justice.

But, again, that didn't seem to be the case this time around ... but it's a loooong season.

Derek Jeter's New York Yankees jersey from the legendary shortstop's FIRST Major League Baseball game just sold for $369,000 ... a record-setting sale price!!

21-year-old Jeter made his debut for the Yankees on May 29, 1995 ... when the Bronx Bombers took on the Mariners at the Kingdome in Seattle.

DJ batted 9th in the order ... and went 0-for-5 with a strikeout. The Yankees lost the game 8-7.

The NYY grey road uniform that DJ wore was recently put on the auction block at Goldin Auctions ... where a (very rich) fan paid $369k.

The uni is signed by Jeter ... and is also inscribed with "Game Used, 5-29-95 MLB Debut".

Jeter only played 14 more games in the '95 season ... and didn't have much success. He hit .250 with no home runs and 11 strikeouts.

But, EVERYTHING changed the next year -- Jeter became a superstar in 1996 ... hitting .314, batting in 78 runs and winning the A.L. Rookie of the Year.

Jeets also helped lead the Yankees to their 1st title in almost 20 years ... his 1st of 5 titles.

The Philadelphia Phillies debuted a new look for their beloved mascot, the Phanatic, this weekend -- but in very anticlimactic fashion ... he appears to have not changed very much.

The lovable, green monster furball trotted out onto the field Sunday ahead of the team's game against the Pirates in Clearwater, FL -- where they're hosting their Spring Training home opener. The buzz was that the costume would look a bit different ... for legal reasons.

Long story short ... Phillies brass are in the middle of this legal sitch with the original creators of the Phanatic's design, Bonnie Erickson and Wayde Harrison, who drew up what fans have come to enjoy for decades now. Well, the rights expire this summer ... and the two designers want their fair cut in order to have the mascot continue being used by the team.

It doesn't appear the Phillies wanna pay Erickson and Harrison though, so they've come up with this new design that's supposed to be different enough to avoid having to pony up potentially millions. This is what they came up with, and frankly ... kinda the same, no?

ACTUALLY ... there are slight modifications to the suit. The nose is a bit shorter and more evenly rounded, and it looks ol' Phanatic here dropped a few pounds too. The new mascot also has different colored socks, shoes and a bigger caboose -- plus, wings along the arms.

Aubrey Huff says there's going to be A LOT of bruises on Astros players' backs this year ... saying the punishment for their cheating scandal is going to be all-out bean wars in 2020!

"I would suggest a lot of those guys -- especially Altuve and Bregman -- wear bulletproof vests up to the plate all year long!" Huff tells TMZ Sports.

Of course, ZERO Houston players were punished for their roles in the 2017 cheating scandal ... and a LOT of people are pissed off about it.

So much so, Huff says pitchers will take matters into their own hands -- regardless of Rob Manfred's rulings -- and hit the Astros at the dish all season.

"Listen, you pay the piper," Huff says. "You reap what you sow. If you're going to go out there and cheat, you're going to get drilled."

As for Huff's thoughts on the Astros' scheme ... he says he's always down for some sign-stealing tricks, but he admits Houston just went way too far.

David Ortiz just went OFF on Mike Fiers for blowing the top off the Astros' cheating scandal ... with Big Papi straight-up calling the ex-Houston pitcher a "snitch."

"I'm mad at this guy, the pitcher that came out talking about it, and let me tell you why," Oritz said at Red Sox camp Thursday. "Oh, after you make your money, after you get your ring, you decide to talk about it?"

"Why didn't you talk about it during the season when it was going on? Why didn't you say, 'I don't want to be no part of [this]?' So, now, you look like a snitch."

As we previously reported ... Fiers blew the whistle on his former team just a few months ago in an interview with The Athletic -- revealing the 'Stros cheated their way through the 2017 season.

Of course, the scandal didn't help Fiers personally pitch better -- the scheme only helped hitters at the dish -- but Big Papi is still railroading the guy for not speaking up while it was all going down.

"That's my problem," Papi said. "Why nobody say anything while it was going on?"

For his part, Fiers has seemed to understand the criticism in all of his interviews this month ... saying to the San Francisco Chronicle just this week, "I said from the beginning, 'I'm not away from this.'"

Atlanta Braves outfielder Nick Markakis just went SCORCHED EARTH on the Houston Astros -- saying he feels the cheating players "needs a beating" for tarnishing the sport he loves.

"It's damaging to baseball," Markakis told WSB's Zach Klein ... "I feel like every single guy over there needs a beating."

Markakis also went off on MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred ... saying he should be "embarrassed of himself" for the way he handled the scandal.

This clip is straight fire -- and it seems like a BUNCH of MLB stars agree with him.

Mark Cuban is ripping Manfred as well -- essentially saying Rob's the laughingstock of pro sports for the way he's handled the Astros cheating scandal.

"Baseball is a mess right now," Cuban said Monday ... "and they have zero vision to see them out of it. I’m thankful they didn’t let me buy a team."

Cuban is clearly pointing out that players and fans are PISSED Manfred is refusing to punish individual players for their role in the cheating scandal that many believe helped Houston win the World Series in 2017.

In fact, people want Manfred to strip the Astros of their '17 title -- but Manfred ain't moving on that.

Everyone from Mike Trout to Justin Turner and Cody Bellinger has spoken out about the way Manfred is handling the issue.

For his part, Manfred says he promised immunity to players who participated in the MLB investigation.

Enter Cuban -- who famously tried (and was unsuccessful) in buying the Texas Rangers back in 2010 ... and now Mark thinks the failed attempt was a blessing in disguise.

Instead, Cuban can continue to focus on his other endeavors ... running the Dallas Mavericks and starring on "Shark Tank."

In case you need a refresher ... the MLB investigation found Astros players and staffers were involved in a complex scheme using cameras, spies and trash cans to alert batters to which pitches they were about to face.

Mike Trout -- the best player in baseball -- says the tip-off is a HUGE advantage to the hitters and creates a ridiculously unfair advantage.

The S.F. Giants will NOT allow Aubrey Huff to be a part of their 2010 World Series reunion later this year ... and they say it's all 'cause of their ex-star's actions on Twitter.

"Earlier this month, we reached out to Aubrey Huff to let him know that he will not be included in the upcoming 2010 World Series Championship reunion," the Giants said in a statement Monday.

"Aubrey has made multiple comments on social media that are unacceptable and run counter to the values of our organization."

Huff has used his Twitter page to send off controversial tweets almost weekly throughout the past couple years ... but it was a series of comments he made about the Giants' hiring of a female bench coach last month that really landed him in hot water.

Just hours after SF made Alyssa Nakken the first full-time female coach in MLB history ... Huff ripped the move, writing, "Couldn’t imagine taking baseball instruction from an ex-female softball player."

He later added, "I got in trouble for wearing a thong in my own clubhouse when female reporters were present ... Can’t imagine how it will play out with a full-time female coach running around. This has #metoo & #BelieveAllWomen written all over it."

Huff -- who also made headlines last year for his pro-Donald Trump tweets about teaching his kids to use guns just in case Bernie Sanders becomes the next president -- was NOT happy about the Giants' decision to bar him from the celebration.

"Quite frankly, shocked," Huff told The Athletic on Monday. "Disappointed. If it wasn’t for me, they wouldn’t be having a reunion ... But if they want to stick with their politically correct, progressive bullsh*t, that’s fine."

Huff went on to blast team CEO Larry Baer -- who was caught on video last year in a fight with his wife -- for the move, writing, "I find this whole thing very hypocritical coming from a man who has had his share of real controversy for pushing his wife."

He added, "And while I'm disappointed the Giants are so opposed to President Trump, and our constitutional rights that they'd uninvite me to my team's reunion, it shows me that now more than ever we have to stand up for our first 1st amendment rights."

Huff was a superstar for the Giants in 2010, hitting .290 with 26 home runs and 86 RBIs. He finished seventh in the MVP vote that season.

The Giants, though, say there's no chance they let him be a part of their planned reunion on Aug. 16, saying, "While we appreciate the many contributions that Aubrey made to the 2010 championship season, we stand by our decision."

The Houston Astros' former No. 1 overall prospect was just banned 162 games ... and, no, it has nothing to do with the team's cheating scandal.

The MLB announced Francis Martes -- a pitcher who was touted as the team's next big thing back in 2016 -- has been suspended for a full season for testing positive for PEDs.

It's the second time Martes has been busted for violating the league's drug policy ... in March 2019, he was banned 80 games after a positive drug test.

Martes was a BEAST early in his career ... ranking as high as 15th overall on MLB prospect lists -- but he's struggled to reach his potential so far.

In his first big-league action with Houston in 2017, he posted a 5.80 ERA in 54.1 innings pitched. In 2018, he underwent Tommy John surgery.

What's interesting about all of this ... Martes now becomes the first player from the '17 Astros team since news of their scandal broke to get hit with a punishment from Rob Manfred.

Doubtful that's what Cody Bellinger was looking for ...

Here's a side of Mike Trout you don't see very often -- he's PISSED -- claiming MLB should punish the Houston Astros players who cheated their way to a World Series victory.

Trout -- the best player in baseball -- went off on the situation to reporters at an L.A. Angels spring training workout on Monday ... saying the players are getting off WAY too easy.

"They cheated," Trout said matter of factly ... "I don't agree with the punishments, the players not getting anything. It was a player-driven thing."

"It sucks too, because guys' careers have been affected. A lot of people lost jobs. It was tough. Me going up to the plate knowing what was coming -- it would be pretty fun up there."

Trout added, "It's sad for baseball ... it's tough."

The 28-year-old -- an 8-time All-Star and 3 times A.L. MVP -- said he noticed the Astros trash can banging during the 2017 season but didn't connect the dots until now.

"I lost some respect for some guys ... all the stuff coming out, it's tough to see."

As for the players accused of cheating, MLB commish Rob Manfred says he gave immunity to players who cooperated with the MLB's investigation ... which means no major punishment to the individuals.

Tim Tebow admits he had a "couple of conversations" with the people at the XFL -- but ultimately turned down Vince McMahon's new football league to continue his baseball career.

"There was some communication," Tebow told reporters at a Mets Spring Training media event in Florida over the weekend ... "We had a couple conversations."

But, the 32-year-old former Heisman Trophy winner says it's not the right move for him because he's laser-focused on making the NY Mets major league roster.

Tebow is entering his 5th season with the Mets -- where he's been trying to earn a spot as a power-hitting outfielder.

There's no bad blood between Tebow and the XFL -- in fact, it's the opposite. Tim showered the league with praise while explaining his decision to stick with baseball.

"I love what they're doing, and I think it has a chance to have success, and I think that's great."

"I think there needs to be a place for a lot of players that are really good, and should and could be playing in the NFL, and are better than a lot of NFL players. There's a chance they're going to be seen."

"So, I think it's awesome, and I think it's good for a lot of guys that are going to get a spot on an NFL roster because they're going to show a team they're worth it. But, for me, this is what I wanted to do and pursue it, and be all in."

The XFL also made a run at Colin Kaepernick -- but says the QB wanted a salary that the league just couldn't afford.

Pete Rose belongs in the Hall of Fame 'cause he's one of the greatest baseball players ever, and Cooperstown ain't the morality police ... so says Rudy Giuliani.

TMZ Sports talked to the former NYC mayor (and Donald Trump's attorney) in the city on Sunday ... and asked him about the president's Tweet imploring baseball to put Rose in the HOF.

Giuliani doubled down on Trump's message ... saying "Charlie Hustle" has more than paid the price for betting on baseball -- a cardinal sin in MLB -- over 30 years ago.

"I've long believed that Pete Rose has been left out long enough to make up for whatever he did wrong. It is a Hall that's supposed to recognize baseball accomplishments. He's one of the best of his era."

FYI -- Rose was a 17x All-Star, NL MVP, 3x World Series champ and has 4,256 hits -- more than any other MLB'er.

Giuliani went on to say the National Baseball Hall of Fame is full of guys who weren't the best people off the field ... but the HOF is about playing ball, and nothing else.

"I would say the Hall of Fame is to recognize great baseball players. Some of them may be moral, some may be average, some may be immoral. I don't think we're telling children to copy their behavior if we say they're great baseball players."

"So, it gets a little silly when we use it as a justice system."

It's a long shot, but Rose's standing within baseball could be changing ... 'cause just last week, he petitioned MLB commish Rob Manfred and requested reinstatement.

CODY BELLINGER JUST WENT OFF!!!!

The Los Angeles Dodgers superstar didn't hold back at all in a meeting with reporters over the Astros' cheating scandal ... ripping the team, its superstars AND its owner!!!

"I thought the apologies were whatever," the NL MVP said. "I thought Jim Crane's was weak. I thought [Rob] Manfred's punishment was weak, giving [the players] immunity."

"These guys were cheating for three years!"

The scorched-earth rant didn't stop there ... Bellinger added, "I think what people don't realize is [Jose] Altuve stole an MVP from [Aaron] Judge in '17. Everyone knows they stole the ring from us."

Bellinger claims the scandal -- and the ensuing apologies from the guys -- has forced him to lose any respect he previously had for the guys in Houston.

"I would say everyone in The Show, in the big leagues, lost respect for those guys."

In fact, Bellinger is so pissed off at Altuve and the 'Stros, he says he doesn't believe the team ONE BIT when they say they never used wearable devices to cheat.

"I don't know what human hits a walk-off home run against Aroldis Chapman to send your team to the World Series, and one, has the thought to say, 'Don't rip my jersey off.' But, two, go into the tunnel, change your shirt and then come out and do your interview. That makes no sense to me."

If you're wondering ... the Dodgers and 'Stros aren't scheduled to play each other in the 2020 regular season.

Current Houston Astros players are FINALLY saying they're sorry for cheating in 2017 ... with Alex Bregman and Jose Altuve issuing apology statements Thursday.

The team was found to have illegally stolen signs from opposing catchers and pitchers in the '17 season ... but 'Stros players were BLASTED this offseason for never officially apologizing.

But, Bregman and Altuve just changed that with brief statements out at Houston's spring training camp ... with the two megastars admitting they screwed up.

"I'm really sorry about the choices that were made by my team, by the organization and by me," Bregman said, "I've learned from this and I hope to regain the trust of baseball fans."

Altuve added, "I want to say that the whole Astros organization and the team feel bad about what happened in 2017. We especially feel remorse for the impact on our fans and the game of baseball."

Houston owner Jim Crane reiterated his players will NOT be punished for their roles in the sign-stealing scheme ... placing the blame squarely on team officials -- a la Alex Cora and A.J. Hinch -- instead.

For his part, new manager Dusty Baker said he hopes MLB fans will accept his players' apologies and "forgive them."

Toronto Blue Jays catcher Reese McGuire -- a former MLB first-round pick -- was arrested last week after cops say he was caught exposing his penis in a Florida parking lot.

The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office tells TMZ Sports ... deputies were called to a public parking lot in Dunedin, Fla. on Friday after a man was seen inside of an SUV exposing himself.

FYI, Dunedin is the spring training home of the Toronto Blue Jays -- and pitchers and catchers were expected to report to camp today.

Cops say when they arrived ... they identified McGuire as the suspect, and say he was "cooperative and did not deny the allegations."

Police say they arrested the 24-year-old ... and booked him for misdemeanor "exposure of sexual organs."

Cops say McGuire is due in Florida court in mid-March -- a spring training off day for the Blue Jays -- to face charges.

For their part, Toronto says it's aware of the allegations against its catcher ... writing in a statement, "[McGuire] has been in communication with the club and we are working to gather more information."

"Out of respect for the legal process, neither he nor the club will comment any further at this time."

McGuire has played 44 games for the Blue Jays since 2018 ... batting .297 with seven home runs.

He was selected with the 14th overall pick by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 2013 MLB Draft ... and was later traded to the Jays in a deal that included Francisco Liriano in August 2016.