MLB

The last Yankees jersey that Mickey Mantle ever wore during his playing career is up for auction again -- and this time around, TMZ Sports has learned it could sell for a whopping 7 figures!!!

Mantle donned the threads in 1968 -- the final year of his historic career -- and experts at Heritage Auctions, which is brokering the sale, tell us they're expecting it to fetch over $1 million.

The jersey has "Mantle" inscribed on the inside of the collar, and a Wilson tag on the left front tail with the size label "42" and "1968 Set 2" imprinted on it.

The ultra-rare piece also comes with an inscription from Mantle in blue ink that reads "To Tom, A Great Friend Always, 'The Mick'."

FYI, "Tom" is Tom Catal, the president of the "Mickey Mantle Museum".

Besides it being his last-ever game-worn gear, it's also the jersey he wore when he hit his 534th home run against the Minnesota Twins and his 535th against the Detroit Tigers.

Mickey also wore this same jersey during the 1968 All-Star Game, which was his last before retiring after the '68 season.

As for its sale history, Heritage Auctions says the jersey first sold for $486,000 in Feb. 2017, and then for $850,000 in Aug. 2020

Of course, the price tag is steep -- but it makes sense, considering the dude is a three-time MVP and seven-time World Series champion.

Former Angels staffer Eric Kay has just been found guilty of distributing the drugs that led to the death of ex-MLB pitcher Tyler Skaggs.

The jury just announced the verdict ... finding Kay guilty of one charge of conspiracy to possess fentanyl with the intent to distribute and one charge of distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death.

Kay is now facing life behind bars. Sentencing has been set for June 28.

According to The Athletic's Sam Blum, who was in the courtroom for the Kay trial this week, Skaggs' mother and wife broke down in tears and hugged following the verdict.

As we previously reported, Kay -- who had worked as the communications director for the Angels for several years -- had been accused of supplying Skaggs with the drugs that ultimately led to his overdose death before an Angels game in Texas in June 2019.

Skaggs was just 27 years old.

Story developing ...

MLB star Matt Harvey admitted on Tuesday that he used cocaine during his baseball career ... calling himself a "partier" and saying his former New York Mets team never "really asked" him about it.

The right-handed pitcher -- a current free agent who was one of the best in the game from 2012 through 2015 -- made the revelation during an explosive testimony during a trial related to the 2019 death of former MLB pitcher Tyler Skaggs.

On the stand, Harvey -- who was teammates with Skaggs on the Angels at the time of the pitcher's death -- told the courtroom that he used to party with cocaine.

When asked about his use of the drug and if he lied about taking it when he was with the Mets ... he said, according to ESPN reporter T.J. Quinn, "No one really asked."

Per Quinn, Harvey told the courtroom he was still using the drug after he signed with the Angels following the 2018 season.

Harvey -- who played for the Mets, Reds, Angels, Royals and, most recently, the Orioles, later said, "no one from teams ever asked if he was still using drugs," Quinn reported.

The news is a bombshell, but it was hardly the only one Harvey dropped during the testimony.

The 32-year-old, who testified under immunity, said he and Skaggs had talked about drug use when they were teammates, and added that the two had taken the substances in clubhouses.

Harvey said he'd take painkillers, and said that, according to Quinn, Skaggs told him "he crushed and snorted oxy on the toilet paper dispenser in the clubhouse bathroom."

Harvey also said, per Quinn, that he did give Skaggs Percocets. He also said he obtained pills from ex-Angels staffer Eric Kay, who's been accused of supplying Skaggs with the drugs that investigators say might have led to his death.

Former MLB player Jeremy Giambi died by a self-inflicted gunshot wound ... according to the medical examiner in Los Angeles.

He was only 47 years old.

As we previously reported, sources told us it was evident the former 7-year Major League Baseball vet took his own life earlier this week at his parents' home in the L.A. area.

We're told a family member found Jeremy around 11:40 AM on Wednesday ... and immediately dialed 911. Rescuers responded, but sadly, there was nothing they could do to help Giambi.

Jeremy played from 1998 to 2003 ... for the Royals, Athletics, Phillies, and Red Sox. He had a career batting average of .263, hit 52 home runs, and batted in 209 runs throughout his career.

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

The Athletics 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 younger brother of former AL MVP Jason Giambi.

If you or someone you know is struggling with depression or thoughts of suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.

Don't feel bad, Matt James ... CC Sabathia also hit a guy with an errant tee shot on the course in Arizona on Wednesday -- drilling a Yankees fan in the leg just hours before the 'Bachelor' star hit a photog in the thigh.

CC's unfortunate drive happened on the 18th hole of the Waste Management Phoenix Open Pro-Am ... when a witness tells us the former Yankees superstar pushed his shot so far to the right on the par-4, it struck a man in the leg.

Video, obtained by TMZ Sports, shows the collision was so powerful ... it actually caused the guy to bleed.

Thankfully, we're told the fan ended up being OK -- and, watch the clip, CC was super nice and apologetic about it all.

Sabathia can be heard chatting it up with the man, who actually said he was a big Yankees and CC fan.

Sabathia ended up signing a golf ball as an apology souvenir ... before he headed off to finish out his round.

In case you were wondering, Sabathia is normally a fairly decent golfer -- reportedly with a handicap in the teens.

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.