MLB

Ex-MLB player Jeremy Giambi -- who played in the MLB from 1998 to 2003 -- has passed away, TMZ Sports has learned. He was 47 years old.

Giambi played for the Royals, Athletics, Phillies, and Red Sox over the course of his career ... earning a .263 batting average and hitting 52 home runs and 209 runs batted in.

His best season came in 2002, when he played in 124 games and hit 20 homers.

The A's issued a statement on Jeremy's death, saying ... "We are heartbroken to learn of the passing of a member of our Green and Gold family, Jeremy Giambi. We offer our condolences to Jeanne, Jason, and his family and friends."

Jeremy is the brother of Jason -- the American League MVP in 2000, who played for the Athletics, Yankees, Rockies and Indians.

Giambi was portrayed in the 2011 Brad Pitt flick "Moneyball" ... and was played by actor Nick Porrazzo. His character was depicted as a partier and disruption during his time with the A's ... and a scene shows him eventually being traded to the Phillies.

Giambi was part of the most memorable baseball moments of the past few decades ... when Derek Jeter made a spectacular play to throw him out at home plate in the 2001 American League Divisional Series.

RIP.

Trevor Bauer will NOT face any criminal charges for allegedly punching and choking a woman unconscious during sex, TMZ Sports has learned.

We're also told the decision was made in part because of texts messages between the accuser and Bauer ... where she indicated she was looking for rough sex.

Remember, 30-year-old Bauer was accused of getting physical with the woman during two sexual encounters in April and May 2021 ... which the alleged victim claimed left her with bumps, bruises, scratches and other injuries.

As for Bauer, he's long been adamant he did absolutely nothing wrong ... saying the situation was nothing more than rough sex between two consenting adults.

Bauer -- expected to be one of the aces on the Dodgers staff -- only started 17 games last season ... after he was placed on administrative leave by MLB once the allegations became public.

Back in August, the alleged victim asked a court to grant her a permanent restraining order, protecting her from Bauer.

However, after several days in court, the judge ruled in Trevor's favor, and refused to order the restraining order.

Gerald Williams -- a longtime New York Yankees outfielder and one of Derek Jeter's best friends -- died on Tuesday at 55 years old.

Jeter just announced the sad news ... saying Williams passed away following a battle with cancer.

"To my teammate and one of my best friends in the world, rest in peace, my brother," Jeter said in a statement. "My thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Liliana, and their whole family."

Williams was drafted by the Yankees in 1987 and played his first game for the Pinstripes' Big League squad in 1992 -- the same year the team drafted Jeter.

Williams went on to play 14 years in the Majors -- seven of which were spent with Jeter and the Yankees -- before he ultimately left the game following the 2005 season.

Williams batted .255 in his career and hit 85 home runs. One of his most famous moments came in the 1996 season, when he made a great catch to help keep Dwight Gooden's no-hitter intact.

A Honus Wagner T206 card -- known as the "Holy Grail" of cards to collectors -- is on the auction block and is expected to bring in over $500K ... and did we mention THE CARD IS RIPPED IN HALF!!

Yes, undeniable proof the memorabilia market is on freakin' fire.

The 1909-1911 T206 card -- arguably the most coveted -- is on the block at SCP Auctions ... and this version of the card (only about 60 are estimated to be in existence) is torn, right through the Hall of Famers face.

The T206 card, produced by the American Tobacco Company, has an interesting backstory. It was only produced for a few years ... but was halted because legend has it Wagner -- an 8x NL batting champ -- did not want his face connected to cigarettes.

The auction -- which closes Saturday night -- already has 18 bids, with the top one coming in at just under 400K. But, auction president David Kohler believes the final price could go well above half a million bucks.

If half a card brings in half a million ... what's a full card go for??

Last summer a T206 sold for over $6.5 million at auction ... the most expensive card ever sold.

The Atlanta Braves won the World Series last season -- in big part thanks to a few massive home runs in Game 6 -- courtesy of Freddie Freeman, Jorge Soler and Dansby Swanson ... and now all three balls are on the auction block.

The Braves were up 3 games to 2 heading into a potential series-clinching Game 6 at Minute Maid Park in Houston, TX on November 2, 2021.

In the 3rd inning, with the score tied at zero, 29-year-old Soler -- the eventual World Series MVP -- stepped to the plate with a man on first and second, 2 outs. The count was full at 3-2 ... and that's when Jorge hit a 446-foot BOMB that literally went out of the stadium.

The ball landed on an awning outside Minute Maid ... near where the baseball fans Ramos brothers were having a World Series watch party at their home. They knew where the ball landed thanks to the TV broadcast ... so they decided to go retrieve it.

Now, that ball is on the auction block at SCP Auctions ... and already has 6 bids with a top price over $44k.

But, Jorge's home run wasn't the only long ball Atlanta launched. In the 5th, shortstop Dansby Swanson pulled a ball to right field, and padded the Braves lead, putting them ahead 5-0.

That ball ... up for auction.

Last but not least, Braves star 1st baseman Freddie Freeman delivered the final nail in the coffin ... hitting a king home run to almost dead center, putting Atlanta ahead 7-0.

You guessed it ... that ball's ALSO on the block.

The 'chip was the Braves first since 1995 ... when Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, and Chipper Jones led the team to a WS victory over the Cleveland Indians.

Add Dave East to the list of people upset with Barry Bonds being kept out of the Hall of Fame by baseball writers ... telling TMZ Sports it would be "f***ed up" if he doesn't make it to Cooperstown.

We caught up with the NYC rapper on Friday ... and asked how he felt about Bonds not making it into baseball's "sacred" Hall on his 10th and final try ... and his chances at ever getting in.

"I think that will be f***ed up if he not," East said. "He a legend. So, I think it'll be f***ed up if he not. He should be."

Dave was short and to the point ... but his responses echo the sentiments of many who believe Bonds' resume absolutely warrants a nod into baseball's historical museum.

Of course, Bonds failed to reach the required 75% of votes needed for enshrinement .... but still has a chance to get voted in if he lands on the Today's Game ballot in December.

Other notable names such as Roger Clemens and Sammy Sosa were also up on the ballot ... but, like Barry, failed to garner the percentages of votes needed to cement their spot in the Hall.

While Bonds, Clemens, and Sosa undoubtedly had Hall of Fame-worthy careers ... many believe they are being kept out because they're all inextricably linked to the use of performance-enhancing substances.

One of Bonds' contemporaries, David Ortiz, however, received the support he needed and managed to get in on just his first try.

Barry Bonds -- one of the greatest hitters and outfielders in MLB history -- had the Baseball Hall of Fame doors slammed shut in his face on Tuesday ... as he was not voted into Cooperstown in his final year on the ballot.

Bonds -- who was getting Hall consideration for the 10th and last time -- was ultimately denied by a group of baseball writers who believe his connection to performance-enhancing drugs overshadowed the brilliance he displayed on the diamond.

The argument for Bonds' enshrinement into the Hall of Fame is simple -- the former San Francisco Giants outfielder put up jaw-dropping numbers throughout his storied 22-year career in the big leagues.

BB is the all-time leader in home runs (762), owns the single-season home run record set by a player, is a 14-time All-Star and won seven NL MVPs -- by far the most in MLB history.

On another note, Sammy Sosa and Roger Clemens also fell short of the 75% of votes needed to be formally inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame. David Ortiz -- one of Bonds' contemporaries -- did receive the percentage of votes needed to make it in.

FYI, Ortiz -- aka "Big Papi" -- got in on his first try ... and although David had a legendary career with a ton of home runs (541) and multiple World Series titles, he wasn't the player or defender Bonds was.

Bonds still has a chance at making the Hall via the Today’s Game Era ballot in December ... but it will fall into the hands of a 16-person group that focuses on bringing contributors from 1988-2016 into Cooperstown.

It's safe to say Alex Rodriguez is fitting in as part-owner of the Minnesota Timberwolves ... 'cause rookie guard McKinley Wright IV tells TMZ Sports it's a huge advantage!!!

We spoke with Wright out in NYC this week ... and asked the 23-year-old how it is to have the Yankees legend on board.

"Big blessings," Wright said. "One of the G.O.A.T.'s on the baseball field. It's a blessing."

Wright -- who's in his first season with the team after 4 years at Colorado -- mentioned that he and Alex have spoken ... and the 2-time MVP gave him some sound advice.

"Just continue to be yourself," Wright says A-Rod told him, "And be who you are. Don't change for nobody. Do what you gotta do to win games."

Of course, A-Rod's tenure as an NBA owner got off to a pricey start -- back in November, Minnesota was slapped with a $250,000 fine after he hosted a team gathering at his Miami mansion during the offseason.

Unfortunately, for Alex and Co., the NBA had a rule in place that prohibited teams from organizing or paying for offseason practices -- in addition to restricting teams from conducting workout sessions outside of their market.

The MLB season is in jeopardy due to a lockout, but Aaron Boone clearly ain't ready to sweat about it all just yet ...

TMZ Sports got the New York Yankees manager out at LAX this week ... and he didn't seem to be too concerned about the contentious negotiations that are currently going down between team owners and the players association.

Boone was in great spirits ... and when we asked if he had any advice for the players going through the lockout, he said calmly, "Nah. They'll figure it out."

Of course, there are others around the league that are far more concerned than Boone ... given that baseball's been in a work stoppage for nearly two months.

Owners and players are trying to come to a common ground on a new collective bargaining agreement ... but significant strides toward a final deal have yet to be seen.

And, with spring training set for next month -- and the start of the season scheduled for March -- there's a lot of hand wringing going down.

The days of Angel Hernandez makin' you pull out your hair may soon be over ... 'cause Major League Baseball is instituting robot umpires for the 2022 Triple-A season -- moving one big step closer to an eventually automated strike zone in The Show.

MLB let the cat out of the bag on the plans this week ... posting a notice on its website seeking seasonal employees to operate the automated ball-strike system at the highest level of MILB.

According to the Associated Press, 14 teams will be looking to fill openings at their respective ballparks.

The development comes just two years after the Independent Atlantic League became the first American pro baseball league to let a computer call balls and strikes.

It's something that many players and fans have been calling for forever ... and it would eliminate the inconsistent strike zones.

After taking a year off because of the pandemic, robots were used in Low-A ball (Southeast League) at a majority of ballparks in 2021.

The Major League Baseball Umpires Association did agree in 2020 to assist and cooperate with MLB commissioner, Rob Manfred, if he decided to ultimately institute change at the major league level.

As for will we see them next season on opening day -- MLB did say the robot umps will be used at some spring training ballparks ... and didn't rule out the possibility of them being used at non-MLB venues.

Pete Rose has a shocking revelation ... and no, this time it's not what you think -- the all-time MLB hits leader claims he was much better at football than he was at baseball.

Rose made the comments on Rob Gough's brand new podcast, "Talking to Titans With Rob Gough" show (entire convo can be heard here) ... telling the host that his father -- who was a great football player himself -- was the reason he was a far superior football athlete than baseball star.

"Back in the '40s, '50s and '60s, that's all we had to do was sports," Rose said. "We didn't have the iPads, we didn't have the computers, we didn't have the iPhones. We didn't have none of that stuff."

"We had sports and I was a three-sport player but, to be honest with you, I was a much better football player than I was a baseball player because of my dad."

It's a pretty shocking statement ... especially considering Rose would be a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame had it not been for his gambling controversy.

Pete says growing up, he simply wasn't into school ... but that he did well enough so he could remain eligible to play.

However, looking back, Rose -- who almost attended the University of Tennessee -- said if he knew then what he knows now ... he'd have put more emphasis on his education.

"If I was growing up, I would have been a ding dong," Pete said, "Because I just didn't give a darn about school ... I just went to school and got your grades enough to stay eligible."

"But if I was playing today in high school, I'd probably try to get really good grades knowing what's ahead of ya as far as going to college. We didn't worry about going to college back in the '50s and early '60s."

Rose -- who spent 7 seasons as a manager for the Cincinnati Reds -- had a message for kids who might have the same feelings towards school as he did when he was younger.

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."