MLB

The Toronto Blue Jays will have to do a little outfield redecorating today ... and it's all 'cause Aaron Judge hit a baseball so hard, it damaged a sign at their stadium!!

The Yankees captain slugged the blast in the top of the eighth inning of NY's tilt with Toronto at the Rogers Centre on Tuesday night ... and the ball traveled so far and with so much velocity, that when it landed, it smashed through a maple leaf ad that had been hung in deep center field.

Check out the footage of the moonshot home run -- you can see when it came down, it took off a corner of the billboard ... leaving fans in the area in disbelief.

According to the MLB's Statcast, the exit velocity on Judge's swing was 113.1 MPH -- and the ball went a total of 448 feet -- making it one of the most powerful dingers that's been hit so far this year.

No word yet on who'll have to pay for the damage -- but if does come out of Judge's pocket ... it's certainly a check he won't mind writing.

The two-run bomb ultimately gave the Pinstripes a 5-3 win ... an extra sweet feeling for the outfielder, given that the Blue Jays had essentially accused him of cheating just a day earlier.

If you missed it, Judge was seen on camera looking off to NY's dugout a couple times during one of his at-bats on Monday ... before hitting a home run. The side-eye caused a ton of chirping from Toronto's locker room.

Judge insisted he was simply looking at his teammate to get them to calm down during his AB -- but the Blue Jays didn't seem to be buying it ... 'cause they were sure upset at the Yanks throughout Tuesday's game.

Sorry, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Juan Soto ... Steve-O was the star of the show at the Padres' game on Monday night -- throwing out an epic first pitch that featured a fireball!!!

San Diego's MLB team tapped the "Jackass" star for the pregame ceremonies at Petco Park just before the Friars took on the Royals ... and, in true Steve-O fashion, he wowed everyone in attendance.

The 48-year-old stuntman hit the field with a custom No. 62 "Steve-O" Padres jersey and a flaming glove ... before he spat a liquid that set ablaze above him.

Check out footage from the diamond -- the flames were nearly as tall as him!!

The entertainer then put the ball into the fire ... before he chucked it to San Diego's mascot at home plate for a perfect strike.

Steve-O was clearly fired up (sorry) over it all ... 'cause afterward, he gloated about the moment on his Instagram page.

"My first time throwing the first pitch at an @mlb game— I’m pretty sure it’s never been done like this, too!" he wrote. "Thanks so much, @padres!!!"

The Padres were stoked over the stunt too ... tweeting, "Yeah, dude Thanks for stopping by and throwing out an epic first pitch."

Steve-O's first pitch was a sign of good things to come for the home team ... the Padres shut out Kansas City, 4-0, and Michael Wacha brought the heat on the mound, striking out 11 batters in seven innings.

Josh Allen can drop dimes and apparently hit bombs too ... the Buffalo Bills star quarterback swung by Blue Jays batting practice on Monday -- and swatted several dingers!!!

The 26-year-old signal-caller was in Toronto to cheer on the Jays as they get set to begin a series with the Yankees ... and the MLB team allowed him to step in the batter's box for a few hacks -- and he put on a show.

According to reporters on the scene, Allen hit multiple balls over the fences at Rogers Centre ... with some even landing in the stadium's second deck!!

Check out his swing ... the dude can clearly rake.

Of course, we shouldn't be too surprised by this ... 'cause just a couple days ago, he blasted several balls to the moon during a charity softball game.

But, get this ... he said after stepping into the cage on Monday that he wasn't even the most impressive Bill with a bat.

Allen said that honor actually belonged to backup QB Matt Barkley, who he says hit five "deep shots" during the workout.

Several Cleveland Guardians fans got into a crazy brawl at a game over the weekend ... and things got so wild during the melee, a man actually appeared to hit a woman.

The fight happened at some point during the Guards vs. Angels tilt on Saturday at Progressive Field ... when some fans got into a tiff with a man who was sitting in a row in front of them.

In video from the scene, you can see that during their argument ... a woman in a Guardians jersey seemed to spit at the guy.

That apparently set the man off -- 'cause the footage shows he then took two swipes at the woman's face ... before the guy holding nachos tried to break things up with some punches.

The two were seen trading blows for several moments ... before they took things to the ground. More punches then ensued.

It's unclear how things were ultimately broken up and if any arrests were made -- we reached out to cops for comment, but so far, no word back yet.

As for the game, the Guardians ended up beating L.A., 8-6, despite their fans' wild actions in the stands.

No, the motorcycle accident advertisement that aired during Fernando Tatis Jr.'s at-bat earlier this week was not done intentionally ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Our sources tell us that even though it may have looked like purposeful shade thrown at the Padres star during the game ... it was nothing more than a mere coincidence.

If you missed it, the incident happened during the broadcast of Minnesota's tilt against San Diego on Wednesday ... when Tatis Jr. stepped into the batter's box in the top of the third inning.

As he dug in ... an ad flashed across the bottom of the screen, and it read, "Injured in a Motorcycle Accident?" It then provided a number for LawTigers.com, a law firm specializing in motorcycle accident cases.

At the moment, it seemed like some kind of diss on Tatis Jr. ... who had reportedly been injured in a motorcycle accident in his native Dominican Republic in 2021.

But, despite the optics, our broadcast sources are adamant it was all "absolutely unintentional."

Someone's about to live like a champion -- a very wealthy World Series champion -- 'cause Braves legend Chipper Jones just unloaded his gigantic mansion in Georgia for $11 MILLION!!

The estate was built in 2013 and sits on 37 wooded acres in Canton, only 13 miles northeast of Atlanta ... where the Braves star was one of the greatest players of his generation.

The gated estate has eight bedrooms, nine baths, a nine-car garage, and entertainment for days including a home theater, game room, dirt bike track, and a 4-stall horse barn.

BTW, the stable has a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment inside, as well.

But, perhaps the best perk is the heated Olympic-sized pool on the mansion grounds!

The interior features floor-to-ceiling windows, hardwood floors, natural stone, and high ceilings.

The Jones property was listed by Katie McGuirk of Ansley Real Estate for $15 million in 2022, but after months on the market, the crib finally sold this week for $11M. Jones bought the property in 2018 for $9.25M.

Now, why would Jones let this beautiful place go? We're told he's simply downsizing.

Of course, Jones has been a beloved Atlanta resident since the Braves selected the third baseman as the first overall pick in the 1990 MLB Draft ... and during his 19 seasons, he became an 8-time All-Star, a 2-time Silver Slugger winner, an MLB batting champ, NL MVP, and a World Series champ.

The Braves retired his No. 10 jersey and he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2018. He's currently the Braves' assistant hitting consultant.

Hiccups suck. Now, imagine having them for a year.

That's exactly what the legendary Bo Jackson says he's been dealing with since July, and no one knows why, or how to get rid of them.

Yes, this is serious. The 60-year-old made the revelation Wednesday while on a local radio show, "McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning," when Jackson was asked how it felt to see Auburn Tigers alumnus, Frank Thomas, receive a baseball statue outside the stadium last month.

"I wasn't there because I've been dealing with hiccups," the former Tigers superstar athlete said. "I've had the hiccups since last July."

Jackson -- who played with Thomas on the Chicago White Sox in the 90s -- says he's been trying everything to stop the hiccups ... including smelling a porcupine's behind.

"I have done everything," Jackson said. "Scare me, drink water upside down, smell an ass of a porcupine. It doesn't work!"

Funny ... but also, it sounds like an awful thing to deal with.

Jackson said doctors have been doing everything they can to figure out what the hell is causing the constant hiccupping ... and Bo says he's supposed to be getting a procedure done this week.

"I'm busy at the hospital, sitting up with doctors, poking me and shining lights down my throat and probing me every way they can to find out why I got these hiccups."

Dallas Braden, Oakland A's color commentator, is defending himself from critics who blasted the former pitcher for remaining silent after broadcasting partner Glen Kuiper used the n-word during a live broadcast last week, saying "My silence has been misrepresented."

"At the time of the incident, I was not aware that anything in the broadcast was amiss," Braden said in a lengthy statement on Twitter. "In that moment, I missed the live comment, and I was not aware of it until the sixth inning when Glen Kuiper made an apology."

He continued, "I would like you to know that this incident has, indeed, impacted me greatly."

Braden -- who pitched for Oakland from 2007-2011 -- noted commentators sometimes don't hear or see what the audience does due to the fast-paced, ever-changing nature of live broadcasts ... coupled with producers talking in their ears.

As we previously reported, Kuiper referred to the Negro League Museum as the "N***** League Museum", and Braden, sitting beside him, said nothing to Kuiper on air.

Kuiper apologized later in the game ... admitting he misspoke when he used the racial slur. Still, NBC Sports California suspended the 59-year-old, saying he wouldn't return until they investigated the incident.

Braden called Kuiper's remarks "an unfortunate mistake." He also said he supports him "as he furthers his work in understanding the impact and hurt" he's caused, adding he's doing his part to ensure this can be a teachable moment for everyone involved.

Royals pitcher Amir Garrett vomited all over the mound during a game on Monday night ... but thankfully, he said after losing his dinner on the field that he's now doing OK.

The 31-year-old was pitching in the seventh inning of Kansas City's blowout win over the Chicago White Sox at Kauffman Stadium ... when he suddenly fell ill.

Video from the game's broadcast shows KC trainers raced out to check on the left-hander ... before he ultimately unloaded the contents of his stomach all over the diamond.

Garrett was then taken out of the game ... and escorted off the field.

He said after the game, though, that nothing serious was going on ... tweeting that he was "All good."

Garrett's certainly no stranger to unique moments like this at the ballpark ... you'll recall, last August, he threw a drink at a fan after he said the dude disrespected him. He later said he was sorry and sent the man some jerseys as an apology.

Somebody get a pinstriped onesie -- Derek and Hannah Jeter just welcomed their fourth child together ... and it's a boy!!

The couple shared the news on Monday ... announcing Kaius Green Jeter was born on May 5.

"Welcome to the world lil man!!!" the Yankees legend said on Instagram.

The new arrival comes as a surprise to pretty much everyone -- the two kept the whole thing a secret throughout the pregnancy, which the Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover model has done in the past.

Derek and Hannah -- who got engaged in 2015 and tied the knot a year later -- also have three other children together ... Bella (5), Story (4) and River (1).

It's an amazing time for the happy couple ... and we're sure Derek can't wait 'til Kaius gets old enough to play catch in the backyard.

Of course, the kid can be a quantum physicist if he wants ... but new Yankees shortstop coming in a couple decades?!?!

Vida Blue -- one of the greatest pitchers in the Oakland Athletics' history -- has died.

The team announced his passing Sunday, writing ... "There are few players with a more decorated career than Vida Blue. He was a three-time champion, an MVP, a six-time All-Star, a Cy Young Award winner, and an Oakland A's Hall of Famer."

The A's add ... "Vida will always be a franchise legend and a friend. We send our deepest condolences to his family and friends during this arduous time." No other details about a cause of death were released -- the condolences, however, are pouring in from all over.

The man certainly left a mark on the game. As the A's noted, he'd won three World Series with the team in '72, '73 and '74 ... serving as an integral part of the starting rotations during their five years of dominance in baseball. And, as they note ... he was voted in as the best pitcher in the American League during his breakout year with the A's in 1971.

His stats, at times, were off the charts ... once achieving a 1.82 ERA in a season -- which means people weren't getting very many hits off him. He was a southpaw pitcher, and Vida had nasty stuff for that era. By and large, he was considered a massive threat on the mound.

VB was also known for his shrewd business savvy behind the scenes. He famously locked horns with the A's ownership for a big bump in salary -- and he ultimately got it.

Like we mentioned, just about every organization tied to MLB is sending a tribute to the guy ... which speaks to his impact. In addition to playing for the A's, Vida was also on the SF Giants and the Kansas City Royals before he retired in 1987. Vida was also a 6-time All-Star and the American League MVP in 1971 ... on top of all his other accolades.

The San Francisco Giants have a new cleanup hitter ... 'cause after Logan Webb admitted most players were dealing with "the s***s" following their Mexico City trip, the whole team got hooked up with a ton of Dude Wipes!!

Remember, the pitcher was brutally honest about how the team was doing after their two-game series against the Padres in Mexico City last week ... saying three-quarters of the squad was dealing with the runs.

TMZ Sports has learned ... the folks at the popular poo companion company got wind of the ball club's issues ... and decided to help out by sending over enough product to keep their asses clean for the rest of the season!!

We're told the team has 100 packs of Dude Wipes coming their way ... as well as four Dude Bomb "toilet stank eliminators" and 12 toilet sprays -- just in case the guys continue to "turn two" in the clubhouse.

It's not the first time the company had to step up to the plate for baseball stars -- as we previously reported, Dude Wipes helped Red Sox player Kiké Hernandez get back on track after he revealed he crapped his pants in the middle of a game.

An Oakland A's announcer copped to a mistake he says he made during a pregame segment ahead of Friday's game against the Kansas City Royals -- in which he used the n-word.

Glen Kuiper, a veteran, was on camera before the match kicked off, and he was describing what he and the A's broadcasting team had gotten into earlier in the day ... including visiting the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and hitting up a barbecue hot spot there in town.

The problem ... instead of saying "Negro" he said "n*****" -- which came across very clearly over the airwaves, without any bleeping or censoring whatsoever. It came and went, while Glen and his in-booth partner didn't seem to acknowledge it or even really notice it.

This wasn't addressed until much later on in the game, right around the 6th inning ... when Glen came back on the air and issued an apology as soon as they came back from a break. He said he said something earlier in the day that didn't come out the way he intended.

At first, nobody knew what exactly he was talking about ... 'cause he wasn't specific.

Eventually, though, somebody tracked down the video ... and now, the A's say they're looking into this and considering next steps. A rep for the team announced his use of the slur was "unacceptable," adding ... "The Oakland Athletics do not condone such language. We are working to address the situation." Kuiper's in his 20th season of calling A's games.

Don't count on Logan Webb going to Mexico again anytime soon -- the Giants' pitcher says three-quarters of the team has "the s**ts" after their trip to Mexico City .... and he can't wait to be back home in the Bay Area!

Webb said a majority of the Giants squad has a severe case of the runs ... and he's blaming it on their two-game series against the Padres in Mexico City last week.

"The whole trip was very grindy," Webb told reporters on Wednesday. "It's been a mental grind. It's been a physical grind. I think three-quarters of our clubhouse has the s**ts."

"It'll be good to get back home for sure. Hopefully, the s**ts go away, and we'll be better in a couple [of] days."

In August 2022, Major League Baseball announced that the Giants and Padres would play in the first-ever regular season series in Mexico City as a part of MLB's World Tour.

The series between the two NL West teams took place on April 29 and 30 at Estadio Alfredo Harp Helú stadium, the home of the Red Devils of Mexico in Mexico City.

The Padres swept both games against the Giants ... including a 16-11 win in what was a slugfest between the two teams.

Despite dropping both games in Mexico to their division rival, the Giants rebounded by winning two out of three against the World Series champion Astros in Houston.

A baseball signed by President John F. Kennedy during an historic trip to Venezuela in late-1961 is up for auction, one of the most coveted presidential John Hancocks, and the ball could sell for upwards of $200K!

The Spalding "Associacion Venezuela de Baseball Professional" ball that SCP Auctions is selling was signed on December 18, 1961, shy of two years before Kennedy's tragic death, when the first-term president traveled to meet Venezuelan president Rómulo Betancourt.

A newspaper reporter named Julio Messuti carried around the ball for days, hoping JFK would sign it ... and as the trip drew to a close, he got his chance, somehow getting by Secret Service and reaching Kennedy, who signed the ball.

The paper El Universal published a photo of POTUS signing the ball.

There's a massive market for baseballs signed by U.S. presidents -- the rarer, the better -- and there aren't that many JFK-signed balls that have been authenticated.

"As far as sports memorabilia goes, there is high interest in baseballs signed by our past Presidents, with the game being America's National pastime going back over 125+ years," David Kohler, SCP president, told us.

"JFK signed baseballs are some of the rarest in all the collecting community with only a handful ever authenticated by the foremost experts."

As we reported in 2020, Donald Trump signed baseballs were selling in the $2,000 to $3,000 price range -- a stark contrast from the $1,000 price point memorabilia shops were getting when he first assumed the White House in 2017 -- despite his polarizing persona.

There have already been 9 bids for the ball ... with the top number currently at $53,594.

The "f***ing c***" barb that ex-ESPN reporter Marly Rivera hurled at a female journalist earlier this month was captured on video ... and in the footage, obtained by TMZ Sports, you can see it all went down right in front of Aaron Judge.

The incident -- which resulted in ESPN firing Rivera from her role as a national baseball reporter earlier this week -- happened on April 18 at Yankee Stadium ... just before New York took on the Los Angeles Angels in the Bronx.

According to the New York Post, Rivera had set up an interview with Judge ... but grew frustrated when freelance reporter Ivón Gaete showed up at the same time looking to speak with the Yankees superstar as well.

The video shows Rivera got so livid with Gaete -- who the Post reported had been at the stadium to cover Angels star Shohei Ohtani for Tokyo Broadcasting -- she began to raise her voice at the woman in Spanish ... as Judge signed autographs and posed for pics with fans just feet away.

At one point, Rivera rolled her eyes and called Gaete a "f***ing c***."

Gaete was clearly taken aback by the remark -- and asked a nearby camera person if they had caught it on video.

The two reporters then lingered around Judge for several moments. When he finally left the area, it seemed Rivera wanted to apologize ... but it didn't appear Gaete was willing to accept it.

ESPN said on Wednesday it had parted ways with Rivera following the encounter. Rivera, meanwhile, told the Post she fully accepted responsibility for her actions.

"There were extenuating circumstances but that in no way is an excuse for my actions," Rivera said. "I am a professional with a sterling reputation across baseball and I do believe that I am being singled out by a group of individuals with whom I have a long history of professional disagreements."

Rivera has since deleted her social media pages.