MLB

Tampa Bay Rays bullpen catcher Jean Ramirez died by suicide, officials in Texas announced this week.

The Tarrant County Medical Examiner revealed the ruling on the manner on Thursday, TMZ Sports has confirmed, adding that the cause was a gunshot wound.

Ramirez was just 28 years old.

"The loss of our son has been the most excruciating experience we have lived," Ramirez's family said in a statement following the release of the tragic news. "Unfortunately, we sometimes don't see the signs. Struggling in silence is not OK."

"It is our commitment to honor our son's life by helping other families. No parent should have to endure the loss of their child. We are very grateful to the Tampa Bay Rays organization, whom we consider our family, for their love and support."

The family continued, "Our son felt loved by all of you. Thank you to our family, friends and everyone else far and near for the outpouring of love and support. God bless you! Rays Up in Heaven."

The Rays announced Ramirez's death on Tuesday -- and many Tampa Bay players, both past and present, mourned the tragedy ... with former Cy Young winner Blake Snell saying, "Man this one hurts."

Ramirez -- who was drafted by the Rays in 2016 -- joined the team as its bullpen catcher in 2019. He had said his goal was to move up in the ranks and perhaps one day manage a roster in The Show.

Tragic news ... the Tampa Bay Rays announced Tuesday bullpen catcher Jean Ramirez died unexpectedly this week. He was just 28 years old.

No further details surrounding his passing were provided.

"He brought so much passion and energy each day to our clubhouse and bullpen, and his love for the Rays and baseball was evident to all who interacted with him," Rays manager Kevin Cash said.

"Jean will be deeply missed."

Added former Rays superstar pitcher Blake Snell, who won a Cy Young in Tampa, "Man this one hurts."

Ramirez was picked by the Rays out of Illinois State Univ. in the 28th round of the 2016 MLB draft ... and he went on to play catcher in the team's minor league system for 3 seasons.

Ramirez then joined the big league club as its bullpen catcher in 2019 -- and had said his ultimate goal was to move up in the ranks and one day manage a roster in The Show.

"He exuded so much joy in all he did, and his kind heart was truly a gift to all," Rays' president of baseball operations Erik Neander said.

"As we process this unexpected and difficult loss, we are grateful for the times we shared with Jean."

A 100-year-old contract, hand-written by Babe Ruth, is available for auction ... and is expected to rake in a FORTUNE -- up to a million bucks.

The document -- an endorsement deal with bat company Hillerich & Bradsby -- was written entirely by the then 23-year-old Ruth, and is dated September 9, 1918.

Ruth signed his name, "Geo. H. Ruth," 6 times on the paper ... so Hillerich & Bradsby could take the best version of his John Hancock and stamp it on bats.

The signatures were all authenticated by PSA ... and given a grade of MINT 9.

The contract also comes with the original mailing envelope, also addressed entirely by Ruth.

"Mr. Bradsby/Louisville Base Ball Bats/Louisville, Ky." the MLB legend wrote. The envelope in which the contract was sent was from the Hotel Metropole in Chicago.

The deal came together when the company approached Ruth, and asked to use his name. For his troubles, the Bambino requested $100.

Yes, $100 for arguably the greatest baseball player ever. Compare it to current players who regularly sign contract and endorsement deals worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

FYI, a lot of the game's early-day sluggers used Hillerich & Bradsby bats ... including Ty Cobb and Lou Gehrig, in addition to Babe.

The unique piece is now available for bidding at MINT25/Lelands. Bidding started at $100K ... but there have already been 8 bids, with the high bid reaching 145K.

But, you can expect the contract to sell for much more ... 'cause people behind the auction tell us they expect it'll ultimately go for around $800K to $1 million!

Former MLB pitcher Jim Corsi passed away early Tuesday morning after a battle with liver and colon cancer. He was 60 years old.

The sad news comes just one day after an interview was released ... where Jim said, "I'm at peace. I know if I die, I'm going to a better place," according to Steve Burton of WBZ TV.

On Tuesday, Burton confirmed Corsi passed away overnight with his family at his side.

In the interview that aired Monday, Corsi -- who had been battling Stage IV liver cancer and terminal colon cancer -- urged people to stay on top of their health, something he wished he did a better job of in his younger years.

"I made a mistake when I was younger by not getting a colonoscopy," Corsi said.

"I was a professional athlete and thought I was invincible, strong. You’re not. Cancer is not prejudice to anybody."

But, despite his bout with cancer, Jim still managed to walk his daughter down the aisle during her wedding in October 2020 ... a moment he said he'll never forget.

Corsi -- who was drafted by the Yankees in 1982 -- played for five different teams ... but he spent most of his time in the big leagues with the A's and Red Sox.

During his MLB career, Corsi posted a career ERA of 3.25 and a 22-24 overall record as a relief pitcher.

Kimera Bartee -- Detroit Tigers first base coach and former MLB outfielder -- has died, the team announced in a statement on Tuesday.

He was just 49 years old.

Tigers GM Al Avila confirmed the tragic news, saying ... "All of us in the Tigers baseball family were shocked and saddened to learn that first base coach Kimera Bartee suddenly passed away on Monday at the age of 49."

"Throughout his time in our organization as both a player and coach, Kimera was known as a kind soul but intense competitor who did his best every day to elevate those around him to do great things."

The cause of death is not known at this time, but Bartee was visiting his father in Omaha, when he suddenly collapsed ... according to the Detroit Free Press.

Bartee -- a 14th-round draft pick by the Orioles out of Creighton University -- made his MLB debut with the Tigers in 1996.

Kimera spent 4 of his 6 seasons in the big leagues with Detroit ... before becoming a coach for three different orgs. -- the Pirates, Phillies, and Tigers.

Pirates chairman Bob Nutting released his own statement on Kimera's passing saying ... "We are deeply saddened to hear the news of the sudden passing of Kimera Bartee."

"He was a great person, whose upbeat attitude and infectious smile would always lift the spirits of anyone who interacted with him. Our hearts go out to his family, whom he loved so much. He was much too young and will be dearly missed."

MLB superstar Mookie Betts is officially a married man -- the Dodgers slugger tied the knot with his longtime girlfriend, Brianna Hammonds, at an oceanside wedding in California on Wednesday ... and TMZ Sports has the pics!!!

The ceremony in Rancho Palos Verdes looked amazing -- with 29-year-old Betts rocking a green suit and Brianna in a stunning white dress.

Betts' Dodgers manager, Dave Roberts, and teammates Justin Turner, Chris Taylor, Joe Kelly, Kenley Jansen and more came through for the monumental moment ... as well as rapper Nelly and Heisman winner Eddie George.

The reception looked like a blast -- with all the players and their WAGs partying it up all night.

Taylor also had more to celebrate -- he just inked a 4-year, $60 million deal this week!!

As we previously reported, Betts and Hammonds got engaged in January 2021 after 15 years of dating. They have a baby girl, Kynlee, together.

Betts -- a 2-time World Series champ -- already had two rings ... and now he's gotta do some rearranging for number three!!

Atlanta Braves star Marcell Ozuna had his hand aggressively wrapped around his wife's neck just minutes before his arrest last May ... new police video, obtained by TMZ Sports, shows.

The incident all went down on May 29 in Sandy Springs, GA., after cops say they were called to a residence regarding "an assault in progress."

In an officer's bodycam footage from the scene, you can see as the cop arrived at the home, Ozuna grabbed his wife around her throat with his right hand.

"Get your hands off her!" the officer can be heard telling the 6-foot-1, 225-pound MLB player in the footage. "Get on the ground! Get on the ground!"

Ozuna -- who was wearing a hard cast on his left hand due to an injury he had suffered in a game just days before the incident -- complied, and was eventually arrested.

In police documents, cops say Ozuna's wife told them the altercation had all begun over cheating claims.

Ozuna was initially hit with felony charges over the incident, including aggravated assault by strangulation. But, the counts were eventually reduced to misdemeanor family violence charges -- and Ozuna agreed to enter into a pretrial diversion program to close out the case.

Ozuna was ordered to, among other things, complete at least 200 hours of community service as well as take an anger management course. He was also placed on six months of supervision.

The outfielder was ultimately suspended by the MLB over it all this week, getting hit with a 20-game ban -- although because the punishment was retroactive in nature, Ozuna is now eligible to return as soon as the 2022 season begins.

"Any instance of domestic violence is unacceptable, and we fully support the decision by the commissioner's office regarding Marcell," the Braves said after the MLB announced the suspension.

"We are encouraged to know that Marcell has accepted full responsibility for his actions and is taking the necessary measures to learn and grow from the situation."

We've reached out to both the MLB and the Braves following the release of the police video, but so far, no word back yet.

Marcell Ozuna was slapped with a 20-game suspension, retroactively, after commish Rob Manfred says an investigation concluded the Atlanta Braves star outfielder violated MLB's domestic violence policy.

31-year-old Ozuna was placed on administrative leave in May 2021 after he was arrested for allegedly getting physical with his wife. At the time, authorities said Marcell repeatedly grabbed his wife by the neck and slammed her into a wall. Cops claimed they actually witnessed some of the attack.

Ozuna -- one of the leagues best players -- missed 20 games.

The Braves ended up making a deep playoff run -- winning their first World Series since the mid-90s -- without Ozuna's bat and glove.

In addition to the alleged incident, Marcell was also dealing with a serious hand injury he sustained playing at Fenway Park just days before he was arrested. .

The criminal charges were ultimately dropped ... and the 2-time All-Star was never convicted of a crime.

However, Manfred still believes there's enough there to warrant the suspension.

“My office has completed its investigation into the allegations that Marcell Ozuna violated Major League Baseball’s Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy."

The commissioner continued ... "Having reviewed the totality of the available evidence, I have concluded that Mr. Ozuna violated our Policy and that discipline is appropriate.”

FYI, Ozuna was scheduled to make $12 million last season ... meaning the suspension cost him over 1.5 mil!

A rare piece of memorabilia is hitting the auction block -- a concert ad signed by both Marilyn Monroe AND Joe DiMaggio ... and the item could sell for some serious coin!!!

Here's the backstory -- TMZ Sports is told an 11-year-old girl saw the couple having dinner at The Beverly Hills Hotel in 1952 ... and approached the Yankees legend for an autograph.

Shockingly, the girl had no idea who Monroe was ... so Joe asked if she wanted the model's Hancock as well.

Both Joe and Marilyn signed the inside of a folded concert advertisement that was on their dining table ... scribbling the words, "Warmest Regards, Marilyn Monroe" and "Best Wishes, Joe DiMaggio."

As for the ad, it's for Eddie Bergman and his orchestra at the hotel's Palm Terrace (we're assuming the dude had bangers).

Get this -- there are 9 holes in the old flyer, which came after the girl used a tack to pin her prized possession on her corkboard in her room!

Now, she's ready to part ways with the item -- it's hitting the market Dec. 11 ... and there's a chance it sells for a fortune!!!

A massive amount is not unusual for the celebrity couple ... just this summer, an autographed baseball by Monroe and DiMaggio sold for $384k.

DiMaggio was one of the greatest MLB players ever ... some of his accolades during his 13-year career with the Yanks include winning 9 World Series, 3-time AL MVP and 2-time AL batting champion.

Arizona Cardinals' defensive end J.J. Watt is stepping up in a major way ... by offering to pay for the funeral expenses of all the victims of the Waukesha Christmas parade tragedy.

Watt was devastated after learning of the deadly incident ... calling it "horrific" and expressing concern for those who had been injured and killed.

The incident hits close to home for Watt, especially since he's a Wisconsin native and Badger alum. He also went to high school in nearby Pewaukee, just a few miles from Waukesha.

Now, the Cardinals star is putting his wallet where his enormous heart is ... 'cause he is offering to cover the funeral costs of all the lives lost as a result of the heinous catastrophe.

Of course, J.J. is known to give back -- in 2017, Watt was named the NFL's Walter Payton Man of the Year ... which recognizes recipients for their charitable efforts.

In 2018, he also offered to cover the funeral costs of the people who died in the Santa Fe High School shooting ... and he raised $37 million in an effort to help rebuild Houston and the Gulf region after they had been ravaged by Hurricane Harvey.

Watt's efforts come at a time where a community reeling from tragedy is looking for a reason to celebrate something positive.

Guess you could say this is a bad ... sign.

The Guardians era is off to a piping hot start ... with Cleveland's new team store sign falling off the stadium wall and breaking into a bunch of pieces.

The Land's MLB team officially said goodbye to its old controversial nickname for good on Friday ... and the Guardians welcomed the change by releasing its new merch for fans to purchase at 9 AM.

As diehard Clevelanders lined up to get their swag, the new sign that was being placed on the Progressive Field wall tumbled to the ground. Luckily, no Guards fans were injured during the incident, according to Tom Withers of the AP.

It's yet another hiccup for Cleveland since the name change was announced -- as we previously reported, the organization was sued by the Cleveland Guardians roller derby team last month ... being accused of bullying the OG Guardians into changing their name.

Here's hoping it's smooth sailing from here -- 'cause someone could get hurt.

Bryce Harper was so overwhelmed by winning the second MVP award of his career on Thursday ... he broke down in tears.

MLB Network cameras captured the emotional moment ... just seconds after the league announced the Philadelphia Phillies star was the recipient of the honor.

Harper -- who was wiping tears off his cheeks throughout his interview with the network -- said this one meant a significant amount to him, considering he had started the year in April by being drilled in the face with a 97 MPH fastball.

"This year was tough," Harper said. "Starting off getting hit in the face, it was definitely a tough couple days for me. Tough couple weeks for me trying to get back."

Harper thanked his family, his wife, his teammates -- and even his chef for helping him get through the year, joking, "I never went to bed hungry!"

Harper -- who previously won the NL MVP back in 2015 with the Washington Nationals -- beat out Juan Soto and Fernando Tatis for the honor this year ... and it was well deserved.

Mookie Betts showed off his big heart at a Thanksgiving charity event on Wednesday -- and then he showed off his dance moves ... and it was all awesome!!!

The MLB superstar was out at Algin Sutton Recreation Center in South L.A. -- just a few miles from Dodger Stadium -- giving away turkey dinners with a side of moves.

The 29-year-old passed out birds and all the fixin's to those in need ... and then he hit the Wobble with a bunch of people in attendance.

Check out the footage, it's clear the dude can play baseball well AND dance at a high level too!!!

As for the event, it was a Brotherhood Crusade affair that officials say Mookie had a hand in inspiring.

The giveaway included whole turkeys, vegetables and corn bread dressing -- and it ain't hard to see everyone there was stoked for the free dinners.

There will be two Guardians in Cleveland after all ... the MLB team formerly known as the Indians just announced it's settled its lawsuit with a local roller derby squad -- and both will use the "Guardians" nickname going forward.

The baseball-playing Guardians made the announcement Tuesday ... revealing both sides reached "an amicable resolution" this week after the roller derby team had filed a lawsuit in late October.

In the suit, the roller derby team accused the MLB org. of trying to bully its way into jacking the roller-skating squad's longstanding nickname -- and wanted to put a stop to it all.

The derby team claimed the baseball team ripped off parts of their logo -- and then, according to derby team owner Gary Sweatt, offered "likely no more than fifteen minutes of annual team revenue" when settlement talks initially began.

But, the MLB team said in a statement things have changed in the last few weeks ... and both parties are now happy with each other.

"Both organizations will continue to use the Guardians name," the MLB org. said in its statement.

Terms of the settlement, however, were not revealed.

Former MLB shortstop Julio Lugo -- who played in the Big Leagues for 12 years -- reportedly died on Monday.

He was just 45 years old.

ESPN's Enrique Rosas said Lugo's family confirmed the death, explaining they believe the ex-baseball player suffered a heart attack.

No further details surrounding the death have been given.

Lugo -- who was set to celebrate his 46th birthday on Tuesday -- was drafted by the Houston Astros in 1994 and eventually played in the MLB from 2000-2011.

The infielder played for seven teams -- the Astros, Rays, Dodgers, Red Sox, Cardinals, Orioles and Braves -- but he was most known for his time in Boston.

After signing a four-year, $36 million contract with the Sox in 2006 -- he went on to help the team win the 2007 World Series.

Lugo logged 1,279 hits in his career ... and finished with 198 steals and a batting average of .269.

The death is the second tragic one in the MLB in less than two weeks ... former Mets reliever Pedro Feliciano also passed away at age 45 just 8 days ago.

Ex-MLB player Pedro Feliciano -- who pitched for the New York Mets for 9 seasons -- died on Sunday night, baseball analyst Eduardo Perez reported.

He was just 45 years old.

Perez did not reveal a cause of death for Feliciano ... but the ESPN broadcaster did say the former reliever passed away in his sleep.

"He was a really good [baseball player] but a better person off the field," Perez said. "He will be missed."

Perez added Feliciano had been out jet skiing with his family earlier Sunday.

Feliciano was drafted by the Dodgers in 1995 and ultimately made his MLB debut for the Mets at 25 years old in 2002.

He went on to throw for the Mets until 2010 -- and then signed a two-year deal with the Yankees, though he didn't play for the Pinstripes in either 2011 or 2012 while battling injuries.

He eventually re-signed with the Mets in 2013, but didn't log any more time in the Big Leagues following that season.

Feliciano revealed in '13 he had been diagnosed with a rare medical condition -- one in which he said doctors found he had a "little hole" in his heart. It's unclear if that played any role in his death Sunday.

RIP