MLB

Pete Rose took the field in Philly for the first time in a long time -- which was quickly met with criticism after how he responded to questions about old allegations of statutory rape.

The controversial baseball legend --  who's been effectively banned from the game for life after it was discovered he gambled on matchups while playing -- was trotted out Sunday at Citizens Bank Park, where the org was honoring the 1980 WS team ... including himself.

He got a mixed bag response -- a standing O and lots of cheers, but some boos too.

Mind you, this was supposed to happen a few years ago -- but plans were scrapped after a woman claimed she'd had sex with PR while she was just 14 or 15 in the 1970s.

Rose admitted they had sex while on the Reds, but said he thought she was 16 -- the legal age of consent in Ohio -- and insisted they never left state lines ... so, presumably, it was all kosher, from his POV. That story torpedoed his would-be ceremony in 2017 ... but on Sunday, when it resumed, a reporter asked him about those allegations anew, and it didn't go well.

Inquirer reporter Alex Coffey tweeted, "I asked Pete Rose what he would say to people who say his presence here sends a negative message to women. His response: 'No, I’m not here to talk about that. Sorry about that. It was 55 years ago babe.'"

Of course, that got backlash almost immediately. Coffey further expanded, later saying Rose attempted to apologize to her for the earlier interaction ... but that, too, was seemingly botched. PR reportedly said to her, "Will you forgive me if I sign 1000 baseballs for you?"

Coffey goes on to say that when he was again asked about the old rape claims and questions about it, he reportedly said ... "I'm going to tell you one more time. I'm here for the Philly fans. I'm here for my teammates. I'm here for the Phillies organization. And who cares what happened 50 years ago."

One last gem from Rose ... "You weren't even born. So you shouldn't be talking about it, because you weren't born. If you don't know a damn thing about it, don't talk about it."

Yasiel Puig says he's heartbroken over Vin Scully's death -- telling TMZ Sports the legendary sportscaster was a father figure to him, and the former Dodgers star is crushed he's gone.

"I'm so sad because when I met him when I play in Los Angeles, he's a good person," the 31-year-old said.

"He's like a dad for me. I'm so sad that we lose a great person."

And, remember Puig's nickname, "The Wild Horse"? Scully is the one who gave it to the Cuban outfielder.

Yasiel told us three incredibly influential men from the Dodgers org. are now all gone ... and that's painful.

"Vin is like a father for me," Puig said, "Same to Tommy Lasorda and Mike Brito. We so sad to miss all these three amazing guys. Sad for myself and for all baseball, for Los Angeles."

Brito was a Cuban-American Dodgers scout who played a big part in bringing Puig to Los Angeles. Mike died in July at the age of 87.

We also talked to YP about a moment we captured back in 2017 ... when he ran into Vin on the streets in Beverly Hills in front of our cameras.

"I was so excited," Puig said about the moment.

"I get emotional, but that hit me in my heart like, 'Wow this amazing person is coming to say hit to me, talking to me.'"

And, Puig -- who currently plays for Kiwoom Heroes in the Korean Baseball Organization -- has been raking in honor of Vin.

"I had two homers yesterday and I hit a home run today, too."

"He's inside of me right now. I hit it and give God the thank you because he's next to God and next to his wife right now. I want to give it to him."

No hard feelings, Aaron Judge -- but Roger Maris' son is making it clear to TMZ Sports he'd prefer it if his father's historic home run record was still standing at the end of this year.

Of course, the Yankees superstar is on a torrid HR streak right now -- and appears to be poised to surpass the 61-dinger mark that Maris set way back in 1961.

But, Kevin Maris tells us if Judge were to somehow fall short of the number -- which still stands as the American League record -- he wouldn't exactly feel horrible about it.

"I don't know if anybody likes their record broken at the end of the day," Kevin said, candidly. "But it's nice to see him giving it a good run. Records are made to be broken at some point. If it happens to be this year, you've got to tip your hat to the guy."

As of Friday night, before NY took on the Cardinals, Judge had an astounding 43 home runs on his resume. And, with more than 50 games left, most think the 30-year-old will easily get more than 61.

If it does happen, Kevin says he'll be glad his father's number has been bested by a Yankee -- and added that he's wishing Judge "the best" in his HR hunt.

Royals pitcher Amir Garrett lost his cool during a game Tuesday night -- throwing his drink on a fan who he says had been heckling him.

The shocking incident happened at some point during K.C.'s 9-2 loss to the White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago ... when Garrett had clearly heard enough from a fan who he claims chirped him on his way into the dugout.

Video shows as Garrett was heading down the steps to take a seat on his team's bench -- he stopped to engage in an argument with a man in a gray T-shirt.

Suddenly, Garrett reared back and tossed what appeared to be water on the fan -- hitting a young kid with the liquid nearby as well.

Following the game, the 30-year-old reliever explained the interaction on his Twitter page ... saying the fan had "disrespected" him.

"Listen the disrespect is insane in these parks," Garrett said. "I really wish I could go to someone’s work and run my mouth. These are grown men talking slick. How miserable do you have to be with your own life?"

A person claiming to be the fan on Twitter said the altercation happened because he told Garrett that he "stunk" and that another player was better than him.

No word on if either Garrett or the fan will be punished ... the Royals and White Sox have yet to comment publicly on the incident.

The tributes for the late Vin Scully will continue on all day Wednesday -- TMZ Sports has learned the MLB is asking all of its teams to participate in league-wide moments of silence throughout its afternoon and evening slate of games.

Our MLB sources say the moments of remembrance for Vin -- who sadly died on Tuesday at 94 years old -- will take place prior to every contest played on Wednesday.

The first is expected to happen in just a few minutes, before the Blue Jays take on the Rays in Florida. The last, fittingly, is scheduled to go down just prior to when the Dodgers play the Giants at around 6:45 PM PT in San Francisco.

Of course, the tributes almost certainly won't stop there -- because people have been paying homage to the legendary sports broadcaster since news of his death broke on Tuesday evening.

Dodgers fans made a makeshift memorial for Scully at Dodger Stadium -- and athletes and celebs all over have remembered the iconic storyteller on their social media pages.

Scully began calling games in 1950 -- and didn't stop until he retired in 2016. He's regarded as perhaps the greatest baseball broadcaster ever.

Droves of baseball fans eschewed early bedtimes Tuesday night to head out to Dodger Stadium to pay homage to Vin Scully hours after the legend died -- building a makeshift memorial for the former broadcaster while mourning his passing.

Several people lit candles and dropped off trinkets at L.A.'s ballpark -- which, fittingly, sits on Vin Scully Ave. -- well into the early morning hours of Wednesday.

Fans wrote notes, hugged each other ... and even cried -- as they remembered Scully, who passed away at 94 years old at his Hidden Hills home earlier Tuesday.

Others around the globe took to social media to pay tribute to the longtime voice of the Dodgers -- LeBron James wrote a sweet note on his Twitter page, while Magic Johnson also tweeted out an emotional message about Scully as well.

"Vin was the nicest & sweetest man outside of the booth & was beloved by all of our Dodgers family," Johnson said.

"He was just as popular as any Dodger player. His legacy will live on throughout Major League Baseball & he will be remembered as the greatest announcer ever in MLB history. Cookie and I are praying for the entire Scully family and Dodgers fans all around the world."

Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw also called Vin "the best there ever was" following L.A.'s win over the Giants in San Francisco.

Scully, who began broadcasting Dodgers games in 1950, called nearly every one of the franchise's greatest moments up until his retirement in 2016. He's widely considered to be one of the greatest broadcasters of all time.

Vin Scully -- the longtime voice of the Dodgers and legendary MLB broadcaster -- has sadly died at 94 years old.

The team just confirmed the awful news in a statement on Tuesday night, saying he passed away at his home in Hidden Hills. No cause of death was revealed.

"We have lost an icon," Dodgers president and CEO Stan Kasten said. "The Dodgers' Vin Scully was one of the greatest voices in all of sports. He was a giant of a man, not only as a broadcaster, but as a humanitarian."

Kasten continued, "He loved people. He loved life. He was loved baseball and the Dodgers. And he loved his family."

"His voice will always be heard and etched in all of our minds forever."

Scully initially began calling games for the Dodgers back in 1950, when the team was still located in Brooklyn. He continued to provide play-by-play for the Dodgers following their move to L.A. in 1957, calling nearly every one of the biggest moments in the franchise's history up until his retirement in 2016.

Some of Scully's most famous calls included Hank Aaron's 715th home run in 1974, and Kirk Gibson's epic World Series HR in 1988.

Scully also broadcasted national baseball, golf and football events -- including the 1982 Dallas vs. San Francisco NFC Championship Game. In that contest, Scully had one of his most memorable moments in the football both, calling Dwight Clark’s "The Catch" touchdown.

Scully -- who was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame's broadcaster wing in 1982 -- ultimately broadcasted games for nearly seven decades, before he called his final contest in San Francisco on Oct. 2, 2016.

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family during this very difficult time," Kasten said. "Vin will be truly missed.”

LeBron James just commented on Vin's death, saying, "Rest in Power. A City of Angels icon. Another great one who made sports so damn special."

Vin -- whose wife, Sandi, sadly died in 2021 -- leaves behind five children, 21 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

The San Diego Padres just got a whole lot better -- they're trading for Nationals superstar Juan Soto.

MLB Network's Jon Morosi reported the deal just went down minutes ago on Tuesday morning -- with Washington agreeing to send the perennial All-Star along with slugger Josh Bell to San Diego for a bevy of players.

According to Morosi, in return for Soto and Bell, the Nats are getting three of the Padres' top minor league prospects (pitcher Jarlin Susana and outfielders Robert Hassell III and James Wood), along with shortstop C.J. Abrams.

MLB Network insider Joel Sherman added that Padres pitcher MacKenzie Gore and first baseman Eric Hosmer will also go to Washington in the deal.

The trade is being touted as one of the biggest in MLB history -- given just how good Soto is.

At only 23 years old, Soto is already a two-time All-Star, two-time Silver Slugger winner and a World Series champ. In his five MLB seasons, he has 119 home runs and a career batting average of .291.

The Padres -- who also acquired All-Star closer Josh Hader from the Brewers this week -- will now look to couple Soto with superstars Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado for the foreseeable future.

Yeah, good luck with pitching to that!

Horrifying moment in the Marlins vs. Reds game Thursday afternoon ... Miami pitcher Daniel Castano was drilled in the head by a 104 MPH line drive, but somehow, he appears to be OK.

The terrifying scene just happened in the bottom of the first inning at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati ... when Castano threw a slider to Donovan Solano.

The Reds third baseman smacked the ball violently ... and it made a beeline straight for Castano's face.

Thankfully, Castano was able to turn away enough to avoid getting hit near the eye area -- and the ball popped off his head and his teammate was able to record the out.

The 27-year-old lefty stayed down on the mound for several moments as trainers raced to his aid, but he was able to walk off under his own power.

In between innings, Marlins manager Don Mattingly appeared to tell an umpire that Castano had avoided serious injury, explaining the ball appeared to mostly hit the brim of the pitcher's cap.

Miami, though, has yet to officially release an update on his status.

A couple of Red Sox fans turned Fenway Park into their own Octagon during Monday night's game ... with two men getting into a violent altercation on the ground -- forcing security to get involved.

The incident went down as Boston hosted the Cleveland Guardians ... and it all seemingly got started over a beverage.

The person who posted the altercation claims the man in red spilled a drink on the fan in white ... which led to both guys duking it out on the stadium floor.

The fan in white throws several punches as the man in red holds him down on the concrete ... before two security guards intervene and diffuse the situation.

No word on whether the guys were arrested -- the video cuts off as the guards swoop in and hold them back.

One fan is heard yelling, "let's f***ing go, woo!!" as the altercation unfolds ... with others watching the action in the distance.

Blue Jays ace Alek Manoah just pitched in front of a sold-out stadium full of fans and celebs at the All-Star Game -- but there's one guy he really wishes would have come to watch him throw ... Drake!!!

Manoah made it clear to TMZ Sports just before he took the bump at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Tuesday that he really wants the "God's Plan" rapper to catch one of his games.

"Come watch me pitch!" Manoah said in a message to Drake.

The 24-year-old even offered some incentive to the entertainer if he does make the trek to one of his outings soon ... telling us, "We'll give him a uniform!"

Of course, Drake is a big Blue Jays fan -- he's worn the home team's jersey at his concerts in the past ... and even famously put a pic of Joe Carter on his "Back to Back" hit's cover art.

But, it's obvious he's far more into Toronto's basketball team than its baseball team ... and it seems Manoah is trying to work his magic to get that to change.

The Orioles ain't just on a hot streak -- they're real deal World Series contenders ... so says the team's star closer Jorge Lopez, who tells TMZ Sports they could "absolutely" win it all this year.

We got the flame-throwing righty out at LAX just a couple days after he dominated in the All-Star Game ... and he said straight-up, believe in the O's in the second half of the season.

"That's the mentality," said the 29-year-old, who's already notched 17 saves with a 1.62 ERA this year. "That's the mentality we want ... Just trust the process."

If Lopez is right, it could cost Las Vegas sportsbooks a fortune -- 'cause when the Orioles were stumbling at the beginning of the year, some bettors got them at 2,000-to-1 odds to win the World Series.

And, according to ESPN, that means if Lopez and the Orioles are champs by the end of the year -- it could mean a seven-figure loss for some books.

Seems Lopez doesn't care much, though -- telling us he really believes in Baltimore, which currently holds a record hovering around .500.

Billie Eilish had quite the day at the ballpark on Thursday ... she laughed, she snacked -- and then she turned the game into her own personal dance party!!!

The "Ocean Eyes" singer hit up the Dodgers vs. Giants game in L.A. with her family to celebrate the release of two new songs earlier in the afternoon ... and it ain't hard to see she had a blast at the stadium.

Wearing a Dodgers jersey (no name or number on the back), Eilish picked up a Cody Bellinger bobblehead, posed for pics with fans and enjoyed all the other sights, sounds and food at the venue.

But, at one point during the game, she got the stadium really jumpin' ... because when the PA system began blaring "Bad Guy" -- she danced her face off, and it was all captured on the jumbotron!!

Eilish -- alongside her brother, Finneas -- ended up staying for the whole game ... and caught quite the finish, as Mookie Betts hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth to give the Dodgers a 9-6 win over their hated rival.

'RHOC' star Meghan King is being slammed by ex-hubby Jim Edmonds for posting about their child's challenges ... Jim says she didn't even get the kid's medical condition right.

The retired MLB player and current baseball broadcaster is upset over one of Meghan's recent Instagram posts, where she asks for help getting her and Jim's son, Hart, potty-trained ... with Meghan telling folks the kid has a hard time learning new skills because he has cerebral palsy.

Problem is ... Jim says 4-year-old Hart does NOT have cerebral palsy, and was actually diagnosed with a different medical condition known as periventricular leukomalacia, or PVL, which is a softening of the white brain tissue near the ventricles.

Jim's rep, Steve Honig, tells TMZ ... Jim wishes Meghan would respect their children's privacy and stop putting their son and his challenges in the spotlight ... he says to get attention for herself.

Edmonds' rep also points out the discrepancy over their son's medical condition and adds this parting shot ... "If Meghan wants to improve her ability to co-parent with Jim, it might be a good idea for her to stop constantly disparaging him."

Best Tuesday ever?!?!

New York Yankees ace Nestor Cortes had a hell of an experience on the mound at his first All-Star Game -- and then he got engaged to his girlfriend!!

The left-handed pitcher just shared the news on his social media page ... saying following his dominant outing in Tuesday night's midsummer classic, he proposed to his GF -- and she said yes.

"All Star week made 2 of my dreams come true," the 27-year-old said. "Pitch in a all star game. And propose to my bestfriend. With my parents along my side. I had to make us official."

Alondra G. Esteras Russy confirmed on her own social media that she didn't turn the Yanks star down ... writing on pics of her new ring, "Of course i said YES !"

Cortes appeared to pop the question at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art -- a fitting place, considering the paint he had thrown at the All-Star Game just hours earlier.

In his one inning of work, he struck out two, allowed no hits and gave up no runs -- as he helped propel the American League to a 3-2 win over the National League.

Only thing that could make this year better would be a World Series ring -- and, given the way the Yankees look, that might just happen.

Nelly belted out several home runs ... on a stage in Los Angeles as the co-host and performer for his carnival-themed MLB All-Star after-party with Dodgers star Mookie Betts.

The Diamond-certified rapper brought Betts and his wife Brianna up on stage, dedicating his “Hot In Herre” performance to them … just like he did a few months prior at their wedding!!!

Mookie and Nelly have become fast friends since that big day back in December, and collaborated on Tuesday night's event to celebrate the All-Star Game ... which Mookie played in a couple hours earlier on his home turf at Dodger Stadium.

He also clowned Mookie's National League squad for disrupting sports bets by blowing their 2-0 lead to lose 3-2.

Drake's dad, Dennis Graham, was also in the building, as were YK Osiris and Kid Ink.