MLB

Raw emotion from NY Mets player Dom Smith -- who just couldn't hold back the tears while talking about Jacob Blake ... and it's powerful stuff.

For the first time this season, Smith took a knee during the national anthem -- right before the Mets took on the Miami Marlins on Wednesday.

After the game, 25-year-old Smith said he's been feeling "very emotional" lately about events like the Jacob Blake shooting -- and wanted to make a statement to the world.

But, when he was pressed about what's been "most difficult" for him over the past few days, Smith couldn't fight back the tears.

"I think the most difficult part is to see like people still don’t care," Smith said.

"For this to continually happen, it just shows the hate in people’s hearts. That just sucks, you know?!"

"Being a Black man in America is not easy."

The Mets won the game 5 to 4, but Smith didn't play particularly well. He went 0-4 but later explained he "just wasn't there [mentally]."

The Milwaukee Brewers have now opted out of their game Wednesday against the Reds ... following the NBA's lead in protesting after the Jacob Blake shooting.

Players from the team met just hours before they were set to take the diamond against Cincinnati at Miller Park ... and eventually decided to sit out.

Of course, Blake was horrifically shot 7 times in the back by a police officer just 45 minutes from Milwaukee on Sunday ... and athletes all across the country are now furious and seeking justice.

In fact, Brewers star reliever Josh Hader spoke about it all just minutes before the team made the decision ... praising the Milwaukee Bucks for being the initial ones to boycott.

"It's more than sports," Hader told media members of the situation. "And [the Bucks] showed it. It's not about the game. It's more than that. And this is a time where we need to really not stay quiet and empower our voices."

Hader added, "It's something that can't just stay quiet and it's nothing that we can just put behind us. It's something that all of us we have to continue to voice and bring light to this situation that we have because it's a big thing."

As we previously reported ... after the Bucks did not come out to the court for their playoff game Wednesday -- the rest of the league's playoff schedule for the day was postponed.

Begs the question ... how many other MLB teams will now follow suit?

A historic moment nearly turned disastrous for the White Sox on Tuesday ... star OF Eloy Jimenez smashed up his ankle celebrating a no-hitter -- and, for a while, it didn't look good.

Here's the deal ... Chicago ace Lucas Giolito went OFF against the Pittsburgh Pirates -- twirling a sparkling 9 no-hit innings with 13 strikeouts -- and after the final out, his teammates mobbed him to celebrate.

The problem? When Eloy rushed into the mosh pit ... Edwin Encarnacion appeared to step on his foot, twisting his ankle.

Eloy -- who's been a MONSTER for Chicago this season -- crumpled to the diamond in serious pain ... and was down on the ground for nearly the entirety of the Sox's celebration.

Fortunately, Eloy was able to hobble off the field under his own power ... and, for now, the White Sox believe Jimenez avoided serious injury.

"Jumping up and down, he kind of twisted his ankle a little bit," Chicago manager Rick Renteria told reporters after the game.

"But thankfully he walked off the field OK under his own power, and we’ll see how he’s doing tomorrow."

It'd be a huge blow for the Sox if Eloy has to miss any time ... he's batting .306 with NINE home runs this season.

The Washington Nationals have fired a team employee after surveillance cameras appeared to catch the man throwing hot coffee on a woman in a disturbing scene in the Dominican Republic.

Footage from the incident is shocking ... according to ESPN, Nats employee Jazhiel Morel, who helped work with the team's academy in Boca Chica, D.R., was at a convenience store recently when he got into an argument with a cashier.

Unclear what prompted the altercation ... but you can see in the clip, the man gets so upset with the woman -- he tosses two cups of coffee straight into her face before leaving the store.

Nats general manager Mike Rizzo said in a statement he fired the man immediately after learning of the video ... adding the actions in the clip were "horrific."

"We do not tolerate this type of behavior in our organization," Rizzo said.

Police in the D.R. say Morel turned himself in on Monday morning ... and say they're questioning the man as part of the initial steps of the investigation.

D.R. cops added the coffee throwing is "a punishable act of violence."

A Mike Trout rookie card just netted a stunning $3.9 MILLION at auction for Vegas Dave ... and the dude is already spiking the football in his critics' faces, saying, "Cheers haters."

"I just flipped a piece of cardboard for 3.6 million dollars in 24 months which required no manual labor," said Dave Oancea, who initially bought the card for $400K in 2018.

"That’s more money than each of my critics will ever make working a 9-5 for 40 hours a week for 40 years for a boss they don’t like even like."

The figure for the card is staggering ... it's now the most expensive baseball piece EVER -- smashing the $3.1 million record that a Honus Wagner card garnered in 2016.

Vegas Dave initially scooped up the Trout card because of its insane rarity -- it's a 1 of 1 -- and he guaranteed at the time the card would make him SERIOUS bank.

Ken Goldin -- whose Goldin Auctions company facilitated the sale -- told the Washington Post he wasn't exactly surprised to see VD's prediction come true.

"This [Trout] card is the best possible card of the best player today, and there’s only one of them that was produced," Goldin said. "And the whole world knows there’s only one.”

For the Angels' part, Trout's manager, Joe Maddon, was blown away by the sale ... joking with reporters over the weekend, "That puts him right up there with, what did the Mona Lisa sell for?"

Wanna know what a hand looks like after its been through hamate bone surgery???

No? Well, Tommy Pham just showed off the results anyway -- and it's all GROOOOSSSSS!!!!

The San Diego Padres star busted up the bone last weekend fouling off a pitch ... and went through surgery at some point in the last few days to get it all fixed.

Seems the operation went well ... but when Tommy showed off a pic of the aftermath -- it was gnarly!!!

Check out the wound ... there's stitches. It's purple. It's yellow. It's nasty.

Good news is, Pham is only set to miss around 4-6 weeks ... and should be able to help the Padres at some point in their playoff run in September.

And, if we're keepin' it real, it's not like S.D. needs him all that much at the moment anyway ... have you seen all the grand slams they've been hitting lately?!?!

2019 World Series MVP Stephen Strasburg might be DONE for the season ... and the team says it's all 'cause of an ailment you get from typing too much!!!

Washington Nationals manager Dave Martinez said Friday the ace could have season-ending surgery due to carpal tunnel syndrome -- a nerve issue in the wrist.

Of course, the injury is commonly brought on by people who spend too many hours at a keyboard ... but Strasburg clearly got it from hurling curveballs and 95 mph fastballs.

Strasburg had complained of tingling and numbness in his hand prior to taking the bump this season ... and ultimately went on the IL last week over the injury after only starting 2 games.

Martinez says the 32-year-old saw a hand specialist this week ... and the Nats got the bad news Friday.

It's a huge blow to the team ... Stras was arguably the biggest reason the Nats won the World Series last season -- and not having him for a postseason run could spell an early exit.

WARNING: THIS VIDEO WILL MAKE YOU SQUIRM!!!

A Philadelphia Phillies pitcher was hit square in the groin by a 105 mph line drive Thursday ... and the ball caught so flush with the guy's man junk -- he needed a cart to leave the field.

Relief pitcher Jose Alvarez was facing Blue Jays outfielder Lourdes Gurriel in the bottom of the 5th -- when LG launched a comebacker that found its way straight into Alvarez's crotch.

Alvarez was able to shake off the pain for long enough to get the out at first ... but immediately after, the dude crumpled to the grass, wincing and grabbing his ding dong area.

Jose was down on the field for several minutes ... before, eventually, trainers loaded him onto a cart to take him into the locker room.

Unclear the extent of Jose's injuries ... but dude did give a wave on his way off the diamond -- a decent sign everything might be all right after all.

But, man. Yikes.

Cincinnati Reds announcer Thom Brennaman says he's "ashamed" that he used a homophobic slur on air ... and says he's now dedicating himself to working with the LGBTQ community to grow from this experience.

"As many of you know, I said something hateful on the air Wednesday night," Brennaman said in a long op-ed posted on Cincinnati.com ... "something no one should ever say."

Brennaman says he didn't realize the homophobic f-word was "so rooted in hate and violence" -- and says he vows to never use it again.

"I cannot erase what I have done," Thom said. "The only thing I can do is humbly apologize, accept the consequences of my actions and resolve to be better and behave differently from now on."

Brennaman directly addresses the LGBTQ+ community ... saying, "I am truly and deeply sorry. You should never be denigrated with crude and hateful language. I failed you, and I cannot say enough how sorry I am."

Brennaman also says he has already spoken with MLB exec Billy Bean -- who's openly gay -- and Bean has agreed to work with him on how to "become a more informed person."

"I immediately plan to participate in diversity, equity and inclusion training and have reached out to PFLAG for resources and guidance," Thom said.

Brennaman -- who's been suspended by the Reds and pulled from the "NFL on FOX" schedule -- says he doesn't know if he'll ever work in broadcasting again ... but says this incident has forced him to "reflect on who I am and how I am want to be seen and thought of."

Cincinnati Reds announcer Thom Brennaman uttered an offensive, homophobic slur while calling the Reds game Wednesday ... apparently not realizing his microphone was on.

Brennaman -- who was announcing a doubleheader against the Kansas City Royals -- was heard referring to a city as "one of the f** capitals of the world."

Seconds later he snapped back into announcer mode and read a promo for the Reds Live Pregame Show ... as if nothing had happened.

But, viewers were SHOCKED ... and the clip went viral on social media in a matter of minutes.

56-year-old Brennaman has been calling MLB games since the '90s and has been the featured play-by-play broadcaster for major events like the BCS National Championship Game, the 2007 Fiesta Bowl, the 2008 Sugar Bowl ... even the 2011 Pro Bowl.

He's been working with the Reds since 2006.

Cal Ripken Jr.'s Iron Man streak is now his second-most awesome feat ... 'cause the MLB legend says he was able to beat prostate cancer in a matter of weeks!!

The 59-year-old told reporters Thursday he was diagnosed with the disease way back in February ... but, thankfully, he says he's been cancer-free since March surgery.

"The cancer was all contained in the prostate, they did a pathology report afterward and confirmed that that was the case," Ripken Jr. said.

"I’ve since had a three-month test to see if my PSA was undetectable and it was, so we can make a case that all the cancer was contained and it’s all out now."

Ripken Jr. says he was initially going to keep everything private ... but after realizing going public with his experiences could help others have similar success with the illness, he let it "slip out."

"I wouldn’t say the Iron Man contributes to it, but I was the kind of person who was thinking, ‘OK, I’ll just keep this a secret,'" Ripken Jr. said.

"But the longer you deal with it and you understand the outcome has been favorable and positive, the reason I’m letting it slip out now is I want to use the opportunity to help other people who struggle with that decision and encourage other people to go get their regular exams, get their tests."

The Toronto Blue Jays say they're sorry players wore shirts that depicted their mascot as a homeless person ... and now, the team has officially banned the apparel from the clubhouse.

Several Blue Jays players were spotted wearing the T-shirts this month ... with pitcher Anthony Bass proudly displaying the attire on social media last weekend.

The all blue shirt featured the words "Homeless Jays" ... and showed a Blue Jay cartoon wearing tattered clothes while holding a baseball bat with a sack of belongings in it.

Of course, the shirt was meant to be a play on the Blue Jays being barred from playing games in their hometown over the COVID-19 pandemic ... but many called it straight-up offensive.

And, in a statement released by the team this week ... it agreed, apologizing for a "lapse in sensitivity" toward homeless people -- and adding they won't allow players to wear it again.

"The Blue Jays take accountability for ensuring negative stereotypes are not perpetuated and for supporting marginalized groups in our community," the team said. "The club has addressed the issue of the T-shirts with our players and they will not be worn again."

The team added, "The Blue Jays have a strong commitment to lifting up our most vulnerable through Jays Care Foundation, including a longstanding partnership with Toronto Community Housing."

Maybe Carlos Santana didn't get the memo ...

The Cleveland Indians star 1st baseman rocked a "Chief Wahoo" shirt under his jersey during Tuesday's game -- despite the team BANNING that logo back in 2019.

Remember, the team -- along with Major League Baseball -- put out a grand statement back in 2018 saying the club would officially do away with Chief Wahoo, explaining the logo was "no longer appropriate."

Critics have long said the logo felt like an insensitive, racist caricature of a Native American.

MLB and the Indians put out a joint statement saying they had "thoughtful and productive discussions" and ultimately agreed to move on from the logo by the start of the 2019 season.

The last time Wahoo was on an official Indians uniform was Oct. 2018.

So, you can imagine the shock when Santana wore the shirt during Tuesday's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates ... in a monster game for Santana in which he had 2 hits and 5 RBIs. Lots of camera time.

Plus, he wore the undershirt -- without his jersey -- at the post-game presser where Wahoo was more prominently displayed.

Our MLB sources tell us ... the league is aware of the shirt -- and there are plans to talk with the Indians organization about the issue so it won't happen again.

Reds star Trevor Bauer is taking his support for Joe Kelly to his feet ... rockin' "Free Joe Kelly" cleats for Cincy's game Wednesday -- and the tribute is pretty amazing!!

As we previously reported, Kelly is set to undergo a 5-game suspension as soon as he comes off the Dodgers' injured list ... and it's all because MLB says he threw at cheating Houston Astros players last month.

But, dozens of guys in The Show -- including Kelly himself -- think it's all BS ... saying Joe didn't actually hit anybody, and he really wasn't involved in the near brawl on the field either.

Enter, Bauer ... who hates the Astros so much and is so firmly in Kelly's corner on the situation -- he had custom Joe Kelly cleats made for his start against the K.C. Royals!!!

TB showed off the footwear just hours before he took the bump ... and on the left shoe, Bauer had Kelly's infamous mocking face painted over the Nike swoosh.

On the right shoe, Bauer had the words "Free Joe Kelly" scribbled over the emblem.

"FREE JOE KELLY!" Bauer said along with the cleat announcement.

Trevor's support for Joe went one step even further ... the Cincy ace also made shirts for Kelly -- and says the proceeds from the tees will go to a charity of Joe's choice.

How's that for a pitching brotherhood?!?!

Imagine hitting a towering 400-foot grand slam in an MLB game ... and APOLOGIZING FOR IT?!?!

Fernando Tatis Jr. did exactly that Monday night ... with the bizarre scene making baseball purists go CRAZY over the 21-year-old!!

Here's the deal ... the San Diego Padres were up 10-3 on the Texas Rangers in the 8th inning when Tatis Jr. was ahead 3-0 in a count.

Padres manager Jayce Tingler says he instructed Tatis Jr. to take the next pitch and to NOT run up the score ... but the shortstop says he missed the sign from coach, and blasted the baseball to the moon!!

The homer was SICK -- it traveled over 400 feet and was Tatis Jr.'s 2nd of the night ... giving him 7 RBIs in total -- but EVERYONE was seemingly pissed at the Padre for it.

Check out the footage from the field ... Rangers manager Chris Woodward was furious -- and when Tatis Jr. got back to his own bench, you can tell his teammates weren't pleased either.

Afterward, Tatis Jr. says he was sorry for smacking the home run ... saying next time he'll likely take the pitch instead of crushing it and piling on runs.

"Those experiences, you got to learn from it," Tatis Jr. said. "Probably next time, I take a pitch now that I learned from it.”

Added Tatis Jr.'s manager, "He’s young, a free spirit and focused and all these things, and that’s the last thing we’ll ever take away. But that’s a learning opportunity, that’s it and he’ll grow from it."

In fact, the Rangers were so pissed over Tatis Jr.'s swing ... they nearly hit San Diego's next batter, Manny Machado, with a fastball in retaliation.

Of course, other baseballers rushed to Tatis Jr.'s defense ... saying the unwritten MLB rule needs to be abolished -- and the dude should keep swinging no matter what.

"Hey [Fernando] listen up," Reds star pitcher Trevor Bauer said of the controversy. "1) Keep swinging 3-0 if you want to, no matter what the game situation is 2) Keep hitting homers, no matter what the situation is"