MLB

This is a beautiful, beautiful sight.

The Chicago Cubs welcomed a FULL-CAPACITY crowd to Wrigley Field Friday for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic started ... and none other than Bill Murray was present to give a majestic rendition of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game!!!"

Of course, it's tradition for the Cubbies to welcome their biggest supporters to help serenade the crowd during the 7th-inning stretch ... so the team brought out its most diehard fan for the first game back with a full stadium.

"This is what it feels like to be 100%," Murray yelled to the crowd before the big moment. "And, we're gonna be louder from right now until the last out in the top of the 9th inning, understood?"

Remember -- the Cubs haven't hosted a full stadium since 2019 ... so the place was ROCKING during their game against hated rival St. Louis.

"Let's scare the hell outta these Cardinals, let's scare them!!" Murray added.

The whole crowd singing along with the Chicago native was a powerful moment ... and Murray made sure to make the last note hold out as long as possible.

The video is pretty damn emotional considering what sports fans have been through in the past year ... and hopefully, there's more content like this moving forward.

"Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me?! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?"

That's how one MLB broadcaster reacted to an INSANE throw by Mookie Betts on Thursday ... and yeah, the play was seriously that good!!!

It all went down in the bottom of the 2nd inning of the Dodgers' tilt with the Pirates in Pittsburgh, when Ka'ai Tom hit a line drive to Betts deep in right field.

Mookie made a hell of a play to secure the out ... but he wasn't done there -- 'cause he then did a 360-degree spin to throw out the tagging runner at home plate!!

Watch the clip, the long toss was amazing ... Betts took several steps, twirled and fired -- and ended up throwing an absolute dart that gunned Erik Gonzalez down at home plate!

In typical Mookie fashion, the dude didn't even celebrate the absurd double play ... he calmly let his teammates know there were two outs, and then went right back to his right field position!

By the way, Mookie also homered in the game, stole a base and scored an additional run -- leading L.A. to a 6-3 win.

An L.A. Angels fan was comically beaten to a pulp trying to chase down a foul ball ... and the whole wacky incident was caught on broadcast cameras!!

It all went down during the Halos' game against the Royals in Anaheim, Calif. on Wednesday night ... when a dude's valiant effort to hunt down a baseball turned disastrous.

You can see in footage, the ball dropped down from the sky ... and, despite the guy being in the perfect position to make the play, it took a nasty hop and drilled him in the throat!

But, things got worse seconds later ... 'cause when he went to run down the ball as it ricocheted under a table -- he smacked his face right on the corner of the ballpark furniture!

The worst part? He didn't even come away with the baseball ... 'cause he was so embarrassed, he let another fan rip it from his hands!

Just another reminder, not everyone can be like SuperMom from Wednesday's Padres game.

Orioles star Ryan Mountcastle drilled a fan in the face with a home run ball last week ... but he more than made up for it Wednesday night -- gifting the dude a signed bat!!!

The story behind it all is pretty damn funny ... during a June 4 game against the Indians, Mountcastle hit a blast into left field that clanked off of Jake Jones' dome as it crash-landed in the seats.

Jones' failed catch attempt did major damage ... he claimed on Twitter the ball hit his forehead so hard, he had a concussion and needed stitches to repair the damage.

But, Jones was still jacked over Mountcastle's knock regardless ... and decided to reach out to the 24-year-old slugger to congratulate him on the blast.

Turns out, Ryan felt bad about hitting the guy ... and promised him an autograph when he returned to Camden Yards.

Fast forward to Wednesday night ... and Mountcastle delivered!!

The Baltimore designated hitter signed a bat for Jones ... and the dude loved it, writing on Twitter, "LEGENDARY."

Funny guy Jeff Garlin ain't laughin' when it comes to his beloved Cubs, Jake Arrieta and the COVID vaccine ... saying his favorite team will NEVER win the World Series if it keeps dodging inoculation.

The "Curb Your Enthusiasm" star -- who's a Chicago native and a huge baseball fan -- didn't hold back on the "Waddle and Silvy" show on ESPN Chicago this week ... saying a W.S. trophy won't touch Chicago unless the team gets vaxxed.

"If you don't get to 85% [fully vaccinated], I will wager everything I've got 'No' on the World Series," Garlin said. "If you're playing somebody who doesn't have to worry about that, it's a whole different world."

"If we're playing the Braves in the National League Championship, we're losing."

If you missed it ... the Cubs are one of several teams in the MLB struggling to get all of their players to receive their COVID shots -- with Arrieta being VERY vocal about his skepticism of it all.

In fact, Arrieta and the team are lagging so much on their shots, president Jed Hoyer just said last month he's "disappointed" that it appears the Cubs will not get to an 85% vaccination rate this season.

Of course, that's the MLB's magic number that it's requiring for teams to relax some of the league's strict COVID rules and regulations.

Garlin says the fact that this is an issue inside the clubhouse at Wrigley Field is straight-up "disgusting."

"I don’t get it," Garlin said. "I find it disgusting because I don’t think it's political and I think it’s your responsibility as a human being, part of the human race, to get that shot."

Forget Fernando Tatis ... the best play of the Padres game Wednesday was made by a fan in the stands -- with a woman making a ridiculous catch on a foul ball all while holding her baby!!!

The wild moment went down in the sixth inning of the Padres' game against the Cubs in San Diego ... when Chicago pinch hitter Jake Marisnick lifted a foul ball into the seats.

As the cowhide clanked around the stadium ... it took a wicked hop into the lower deck -- where SuperMom made an absurd play on the baseball!!

Check out the footage from Petco Park ... she reached back with her right hand to make the stab -- not even once putting her baby in danger!!

Everyone at the park went crazy ... and even the game's announcers had to show some love, with one saying on-air, "That's a nice grab."

David Ortiz is still dealing with medical issues stemming from the 2019 attempt on his life -- reportedly undergoing surgery Wednesday to remove two stomach hernias related to his gunshot wound.

Exactly 2 years ago TODAY -- the 45-year-old Hall of Famer was shot in the back while sitting in an outside patio area of a popular nightclub in the Dominican Republic.

The bullet struck Ortiz's liver and his small and large intestines -- he required emergency surgery to save his life, which included the removal of his gall bladder. He spent several days in the ICU.

Ortiz has been rehabbing ever since ... and made a pretty incredible recovery. He was healthy enough to join FOX's MLB postseason coverage later that year.

While the Red Sox slugger's surgery Wednesday is related to the shooting, the procedure is considered to be "low risk" and has been scheduled since February, according to ESPN.

As we previously reported, 13 people were arrested in relation to the incident ... and officials believe Ortiz was NOT the intended target.

Rolfi Ferreira Cruz -- the alleged shooter -- has said on the record that Ortiz was not his target.

The preliminary trial is set for July.

One of the best young hitters in the MLB looked more like a Little Leaguer on Tuesday ... 'cause Ke'Bryan Hayes forgot to touch 1st base on a home run -- and the gaffe REALLY cost his team.

The Bad News Bears moment all went down in the bottom of the 1st inning of the Pirates' game against the Dodgers ... when Hayes cracked a shot to the opposite field.

The ball was a bullet that hit the foul pole, giving Hayes a home run ... but there was just one problem -- he never tapped 1st on his way around the diamond!

The Dodgers noticed Hayes' critical error, challenged the play ... and sure enough, Hayes was ruled OUT for the mistake.

Of course, the play was HUGE ... the first 4 innings ended up being played to a 0-0 tie, with the Dodgers only ultimately winning 5-3.

After the game, Hayes' manager said his 24-year-old third baseman needed to be better.

"Obviously, Ke' got caught watching the ball,'' Pittsburgh manager Derek Shelton said, before adding, "If he even thinks he misses [the bag], he has to go back and touch it."

Don't worry, Pittsburgh should find it easy to forgive Hayes ... he's batting .333 so far this year, and he's got future star written all over him.

Cincinnati Reds star Joey Votto had some really kind words for the St. Louis Cardinals fan base on Tuesday ... and by "kind," we mean the exact opposite.

The 37-year-old first baseman kept it a buck when speaking about the Reds' 4-game road sweep of the Cards earlier this week ... saying it felt REALLY good to get revenge after STL swept Cincy earlier this season.

"We had some s***-talking mother f***ers in St. Louis after their first series sweep," Votto said Tuesday. "It’s kinda nice to go on the road at their road ballpark and let ’em have it."

"We had some people sweeping brooms and s*** like that while we were leaving. So, how’d you like that? How’d you like that?"

DAYUM, JOEY!!! Tell us how you REALLY feel!!!

Now, Votto said all this with a smile on his face ... but the hatred between the NL Central rivals is real -- remember, benches cleared when Yadier Molina shoved Nick Castellanos for getting all up in pitcher Jake Woodford's face back in April.

The Reds will host the Cards again next month ... and it's safe to say there will be even more drama.

A Tampa Bay Rays prospect was hit so hard in the head by a line drive Thursday, he began convulsing on the mound ... and the scene was absolutely horrifying.

Tyler Zombro was pitching for the Rays' Triple-A affiliate, the Durham Bulls, when the tragedy struck ... and the Bulls say the 26-year-old has since been hospitalized.

The team added he's currently in "stable" condition.

The play was as scary as any as you'll see on a baseball diamond ... in the 8th inning of the Bulls' tilt with the Norfolk Tides, Zombro was hit flush in the head by a comebacker.

You can see in video of the incident, Zombro appeared to lose consciousness as soon as the ball hit him ... and just seconds later, his body began twitching.

Trainers rushed in to help him, and he was eventually stretchered off the field and taken to a local hospital.

The game, meanwhile, was called after the play.

"[Zombro] is currently undergoing further treatment and observation," the Bulls said in a statement after the game.

"Additional updates will be provided as they become available. Our thoughts and prayers are with Tyler, his family and his teammates."

Get well soon, Tyler.

Mets star Marcus Stroman is NOT happy that a quip was made about his du-rag during a TV broadcast Tuesday ... with the pitcher saying the comment had "racist undertones" to it.

The remark went down during the 4th inning of the Diamondbacks' broadcast of the Mets-DBacks game ... when color commentator (and former World Series-winning manager) Bob Brenly threw a jab over Stroman's visible head covering.

"Pretty sure that's the same du-rag that Tom Seaver used to wear when he pitched for the Mets," Brenly said.

The comment was met by immediate backlash on social media ... with many finding it to be very offensive and racist.

And, when Stroman took to Twitter after the game ... he clearly agreed.

The 30-year-old starting pitcher retweeted outrage from several people ... and added in a tweet of his own, "Onward and upward...through all adversity and racist undertones. The climb continues through all!"

Stroman later added in a tweet that if he had openly criticized Brenly over the comment, "media will turn this against me somehow."

Brenly has yet to comment on the issue. Stroman, meanwhile, has since promised to launch a line of du-rags following the incident.

Stroman took the no-decision in the Mets' 6-5 loss Tuesday to the DBacks ... throwing 6 innings while allowing just 3 earned runs and 7 hits.

He was also involved in an altercation with Arizona 2nd baseman Josh Rojas in the 5th inning that led to benches clearing ... though, thankfully, cooler heads ultimately prevailed.

The SF Giants' classic black and orange will be getting a touch of rainbow this weekend ... the team says it will recognize Pride Month by wearing Pride colors on its uniforms.

Giants officials say they'll add a "Pride Patch" on the sleeve of their jersey Saturday against the Chicago Cubs ... and they'll debut a custom cap for the game as well.

"We are extremely proud to stand with the LGBTQ+ community," team prez and CEO Larry Baer said, "as we kick off one of the best annual celebrations in San Francisco by paying honor to the countless achievements and contributions of all those who identify as LGBTQ+ and are allies of the LGBTQ+ community."

Pride Month began Tuesday as the calendar officially rolled over into June ... and the Giants are going all in to make sure they honor the moment.

In addition to the uniform changes ... SF officials also say they'll adorn their scoreboard with Pride colors and wrap Willie Mays Plaza palm trees with the hues as well.

"Very proud that the San Francisco Giants are taking this step," Giants manager Gabe Kapler said Tuesday. "Very proud to be part of it."

New police video shows cops had a conversation about Tony La Russa's MLB resume during his 2020 DUI arrest ... with one officer even saying on camera, "This guy's like the Michael Jordan of baseball."

The footage of the Feb. 24, 2020 incident was released Tuesday to WGN News ... and it's pretty wild.

In the clip, you can see officers in the Phoenix, AZ area had approached La Russa on the side of the road after his car had apparently suffered some major tire damage.

La Russa can be heard on the video having a talk with one cop about his ride ... which eventually led to questions about whether the 76-year-old had been drinking before getting behind the wheel.

La Russa initially said he hadn't had anything to drink ... but after cops told him he blew a .09 (the legal limit is .08), Tony then admitted he DID have a glass of wine before driving.

Tony was eventually placed in cuffs and thrown in the back of a squad car ... and that's when you can see in the footage, he became unhappy.

He griped about his cuffs, and then said, "I'm legitimate. I'm with the Angels. I'm a Hall of Famer."

In video, though, you can see at least one cop had no idea who La Russa was ... because an officer had to explain to the other La Russa's resume.

"He's a f***ing Hall of Famer," one officer said ... before adding, "This guy's like the Michael Jordan of baseball ... like World Series manager, like Manager of the Year."

La Russa -- who was hired as the Chicago White Sox manager just months after the arrest -- was ultimately hit with two misdemeanor DUI charges, though he struck a deal with prosecutors back in Dec. 2020 to close out the case.

Court records show La Russa agreed to plead guilty to a reduced charge of reckless driving ... and, in exchange, officials agreed to drop the other DUI charge.

La Russa was ordered to spend one day in jail -- though his attorney said the MLB manager was allowed to serve it via home confinement.

Kazan also said La Russa was ordered to pay a $1,300 fine and complete 20 hours of community service as part of his sentencing.

La Russa eventually opened up about the arrest in Feb. 2021, explaining, "It was an inexcusable mistake."

New details in the Marcell Ozuna domestic violence arrest -- cops say his wife claimed the MLB star threatened to kill her during a heated dispute "over an infidelity."

It's all in the booking report obtained by TMZ Sports ... in which Sandy Springs Police Officers describe what happened when they arrived to the Atlanta Braves star's Georgia home on May 29.

Two officers say they responded to a report of a domestic dispute -- and the alleged victim told them 30-year-old Ozuna had "took both her cell phones from the bathroom while she showered without her consent."

When she demanded Ozuna return the phones, Marcell allegedly refused -- and then "He threatened to kill her and she threatened to call 911," according to the report.

The woman told cops she took HIS cell phone and called 911 -- and that's when Ozuna tried to leave the property.

But, the woman claims she followed him outside and chased him around a vehicle.

Ultimately, the woman went back inside and locked the door -- and then grabbed a "large kitchen knife" to defend herself.

The woman claims Ozuna got back inside the house and "continued to yell and verbally abuse her."

The woman says she brandished the knife by her hip and "warned [Ozuna] that if he got closer, she was going to hurt him."

"She added that she was afraid for her life due to his aggressive behavior."

The woman says she eventually put the knife down -- but Ozuna continued to act aggressively ... at one point he "pushed his left hand and forearm, (which was in a hard cast) against her face, pushing her back and mushing her in the face with it several times."

The woman says she tussled with Ozuna and he pushed her onto the ground. He then grabbed her by the throat and held her up against the wall ... and that's when one of the officers entered the home and witnessed the strangulation.

Ozuna stopped the attack when he saw the cops, the report says.

Atlanta Braves star Marcell Ozuna was arrested for domestic violence on Saturday ... and is currently sitting in county jail in Georgia.

The 30-year-old outfielder was arrested by Sandy Springs PD (GA) and booked into Fulton County Jail (GA) earlier today for "Aggravated Assault Strangulation" and Battery on a family member, according to jail records.

The records indicate the alleged incident occurred on Saturday. The alleged victim is not identified.

The 2x All-Star -- who was placed on the IL after mangling his fingers at a play at 3rd base earlier this week -- is listed at 6'2", 237 lbs., per jail records.

The Braves -- who signed Ozuna to a 4-year, $65 million deal in 2020 -- issued a statement addressing the arrest.

"We learned of Marcell Ozuna's arrest earlier this evening and immediately informed the commissioner's office. The Braves fully support Major League Baseball's policy on domestic violence which stresses to the fullest that our society cannot and will not tolerate domestic violence in any form," the Braves said.

"Until the investigation is completed, we will have no further comment and all inquiries into the matter should be referred to the office of the commissioner."

FYI, Genesis Ozuna, Marcell's wife, was arrested in June 2020 for allegedly hitting the MLB star in the face with a soap dish.

Welp, they don't call him "El Mago" for nothing ...

Here's Javier Baez going OFF during the Cubs' game against the Pirates on Thursday ... completing what might very well be the most insane play in MLB history!!!

The crazy sequence all kicked off in the top of the 3rd inning at PNC Park ... when Baez hit a ground ball to 3rd base.

As Pittsburgh first baseman Will Craig received the throw from 3rd, though, he went to lazily tag Baez, who for some reason decided to run backward.

Instead of just stepping on 1st or even sprinting to get Baez out, Craig inexplicably jogged toward Javy -- and then all hell broke loose.

Chicago catcher Willson Contreras came home -- and because of Craig's indecisiveness, he actually scored!!!

But, it gets better ... 'cause after that, Javy ran to 1st, and Pittsburgh botched that play too -- underthrowing the toss, allowing Baez to reach 2nd on the play!!

Oh, and did we mention -- ALL OF THIS WAS WITH TWO OUTS IN THE INNING?!!?!

The official scoring goes down like this: "Javier Baez reached on fielder's choice, 3rd to 1st, Willson Contreras scored. Javier Baez to 2nd on Michael Perez's throwing error."