MLB

There will be two Guardians in Cleveland after all ... the MLB team formerly known as the Indians just announced it's settled its lawsuit with a local roller derby squad -- and both will use the "Guardians" nickname going forward.

The baseball-playing Guardians made the announcement Tuesday ... revealing both sides reached "an amicable resolution" this week after the roller derby team had filed a lawsuit in late October.

In the suit, the roller derby team accused the MLB org. of trying to bully its way into jacking the roller-skating squad's longstanding nickname -- and wanted to put a stop to it all.

The derby team claimed the baseball team ripped off parts of their logo -- and then, according to derby team owner Gary Sweatt, offered "likely no more than fifteen minutes of annual team revenue" when settlement talks initially began.

But, the MLB team said in a statement things have changed in the last few weeks ... and both parties are now happy with each other.

"Both organizations will continue to use the Guardians name," the MLB org. said in its statement.

Terms of the settlement, however, were not revealed.

Former MLB shortstop Julio Lugo -- who played in the Big Leagues for 12 years -- reportedly died on Monday.

He was just 45 years old.

ESPN's Enrique Rosas said Lugo's family confirmed the death, explaining they believe the ex-baseball player suffered a heart attack.

No further details surrounding the death have been given.

Lugo -- who was set to celebrate his 46th birthday on Tuesday -- was drafted by the Houston Astros in 1994 and eventually played in the MLB from 2000-2011.

The infielder played for seven teams -- the Astros, Rays, Dodgers, Red Sox, Cardinals, Orioles and Braves -- but he was most known for his time in Boston.

After signing a four-year, $36 million contract with the Sox in 2006 -- he went on to help the team win the 2007 World Series.

Lugo logged 1,279 hits in his career ... and finished with 198 steals and a batting average of .269.

The death is the second tragic one in the MLB in less than two weeks ... former Mets reliever Pedro Feliciano also passed away at age 45 just 8 days ago.

Ex-MLB player Pedro Feliciano -- who pitched for the New York Mets for 9 seasons -- died on Sunday night, baseball analyst Eduardo Perez reported.

He was just 45 years old.

Perez did not reveal a cause of death for Feliciano ... but the ESPN broadcaster did say the former reliever passed away in his sleep.

"He was a really good [baseball player] but a better person off the field," Perez said. "He will be missed."

Perez added Feliciano had been out jet skiing with his family earlier Sunday.

Feliciano was drafted by the Dodgers in 1995 and ultimately made his MLB debut for the Mets at 25 years old in 2002.

He went on to throw for the Mets until 2010 -- and then signed a two-year deal with the Yankees, though he didn't play for the Pinstripes in either 2011 or 2012 while battling injuries.

He eventually re-signed with the Mets in 2013, but didn't log any more time in the Big Leagues following that season.

Feliciano revealed in '13 he had been diagnosed with a rare medical condition -- one in which he said doctors found he had a "little hole" in his heart. It's unclear if that played any role in his death Sunday.

RIP

The Atlanta Braves partied like its '95 on Friday ... with players getting bombarded with beers getting thrown at 'em by fans at the World Series parade -- and it's hilarious!!

TONS of fans were out and about in the streets of Atlanta to watch the champs soak in the rewards of their hard work.

The Braves -- who haven't won the Fall Classic since 1995 -- capped off a Cinderella postseason run by defeating the Brewers, Dodgers, and the pesky Astros.

As the parade made its way through ATL, the players made sure to show their appreciation for the fans in attendance ... and well, the fans returned their favor.

In the video, you can see a fan in the crowd tossing a beer to Austin Riley -- a third baseman for the squad -- and he's able to snag the brew from the air!!

Dansby Swanson was also able to snag a beer Stone Cold Steve Austin-style ... and we gotta admit, the throw was just as impressive as the Gold Glove-worthy catch.

Welp, he was trying to do something nice ... but former President Donald Trump knocked a kid upside the head with a baseball at the World Series, and the video is pretty funny.

(The boy is okay!!)

#45 was in the house at Truist Park in Atlanta for game 4 of the World Series last Saturday night -- sitting in an open-air suite with Melania Trump -- a game the Braves won 3-2 over the Astros.

The video shows a young boy desperately attempting to get DT's attention. Finally, the ex-prez heard the kid, and asked him to throw a baseball for him to sign.

The boy complies ... and Trump -- who claimed he could've gone pro as a baseball player -- made a nice catch, snagging the ball, which was underthrown by the kid.

The 75-year-old politician grabbed a marker from a Secret Service agent ... and signed the baseball.

Then came time to toss the ball back ... and that's when Trump plunked a kid square in the dome, after an adult male who was with the kid failed to make the routine catch.

Thankfully, the boy appears to be okay ... and fans nearby were able to retrieve the baseball.

The silver lining ... we previously reported on Trump-signed balls that have sold for around a thousand bucks a pop.

As for Trump, he spoke about his baseball prowess back in 2004.

“I was supposed to be a pro baseball player. At the New York Military Academy, I was captain of the baseball team. I worked hard like everyone else, but I had good talent.”

The Atlanta Braves punished the Astros, and then they pummeled the Houston locker room with booze -- and video of their celebration is EPIC!!!

Just minutes after the Braves beat the 'Stros 7-0 in Game 6 to win the World Series ... they hit the showers and had a wild celly.

It all kicked off with a speech from manager Brian Snitker -- and as soon as he finished praising his team, the guys went crazy!!

Check out the footage, they sprayed the 66-year-old down from head-to-toe with champagne ... getting it all up in his eyes (we're sure it hurt so good!).

The dudes then broke out cigars and more booze -- soaking in every bit of the team's first championship since 1995.

As for on the field, Jorge Soler won the World Series MVP award ... piling up 3 home runs in the 6 games against Houston.

No word yet on what the slugger and the rest of the guys did to celebrate after they left the locker room and headed home ... but we're sure it included more alcohol and more stogies.

The Cleveland Guardians are continuing to take steps toward moving on from their past ... beginning the process of removing a huge "Indians" sign from Progressive Field on Tuesday.

The giant, 80-foot aluminum logo has been at the venue since 1994 ... but as the team transitions away from its old name, crews have now begun the teardown of the script imagery.

Workers started with the top of the I, carefully removing it with the help of cranes and cables. The rest of the sign is expected to come down later this week.

The team is trying to replace it with a new "Guardians" sign for the 2022 season.

As we previously reported, Cleveland's MLB team moved on from its former nickname after it had been seen as divisive and offensive to Indigenous people for years.

In July, the team announced it would be switching to the "Guardians" -- a nod to the "guardians of traffic" on the city's Hope Memorial Bridge.

Wanna own Barry Bonds' iconic 500th home run ball??

Welp, it’s too late ... ‘cause the piece of history just sold at an auction for a whopping $300k!!

Bonds' ball -- which was hit off Dodgers pitcher Terry Adams -- was among the top sellers in SCP Auctions' Fall catalog ... and sold for $50k more than expected.

It’s not hard to see why someone would want to get their hands on this particular item -- Bonds is one of, if not THE greatest, hitters in MLB history ... and he’s got a legitimate argument in the GOAT discussion.

Of course, this homer ball was recovered as a result of the valiant efforts of a fan who retrieved it from the waters of McCovey Cove on April 17, 2001.

On top of the Bonds ball, the Honus Wagner T206 card -- considered the Holy Grail of sports collectibles -- sold for an incredible $1.1 million.

Altogether, the auction -- which closed this past weekend -- set more than two dozen records, with sales totaling $5.6 million.

SCP President David Kohler said ... "The sports memorabilia market is on fire, as evidenced by the world records we set."

"From high-end graded cards to the best of sports memorabilia, the results of our Fall Premier Auction are astonishing."

Bill Belichick is just like everyone else in New England, mourning the death of Boston Red Sox legend, Jerry Remy ... who passed away after a year 13-year battle with cancer over the weekend.

The Patriots coach ended his weekly interview on WEEI ... memorializing the 68-year-old former player (infielder) and broadcaster of over 3 decades.

“Before we sign off, I just wanted to say to all of our fans out there, who are mostly Red Sox fans, how much we all are saddened by Jerry’s passing and how much he meant to all of us, the connection that he was to the Red Sox, his voice in the game and (how great) it was for the fans,” Belichick told the guys.

The 6x Super Bowl-winning head coach continues ... “He meant so much to Boston sports as a player and as an announcer, and his commentary of the game and insight into the game."

"We’ll all miss him. I know our fans are Jerry Remy and Red Sox fans, too, so our sympathy goes out to the Remy family. I just want to express my and all of our appreciation for all that he did to make Boston sports enjoyable and exciting for all of us. We’ll certainly miss him.”

The Red Sox also released a statement on Remy's death, with team owner John Henry saying ... "We are saddened by the loss of a beloved player, broadcaster, and 13-year cancer warrior."

Remy -- who played 7 seasons for the Sox as a 2nd baseman -- was inducted into the team's Hall of Fame in 2006.

Jerry -- who was born in Massachusetts -- was last seen at Fenway on October 5 for the Wild Card game against the New York Yankees. He threw out the first pitch to former teammate and broadcast partner, Dennis Eckersley.

Luis Robert's $1 million Lambo now officially matches his flashy game -- 'cause the MLB player just got the ride covered in a Naruto wrap ... and it's awesome!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... the Chicago White Sox star is a huge anime fan, so he sought out Alex Vega from The Auto Firm in South Florida to get the ride tricked out.

And, it didn't take long for Vega to deliver a masterpiece ... 'cause he wrapped the thing head-to-toe with images from the cartoon -- and it all actually glows in the dark!

You can see in photos of the whip, the hood has Naruto and Sasuke on it -- and near the headlight is where the ride's wrap lights up at night.

We're told the custom job cost around $10,000 to do ... but don't worry, Robert's wallet can take the hit.

The rising MLB superstar signed a staggering 6-year, $50 MILLION contract with the Sox back in 2020 -- before he had ever even taken an at bat in the Major Leagues.

The Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves are duking it out in the World Series ... so there's no time like the present to highlight the gorgeous wives and girlfriends on each team!!

Astros ace Justin Verlander might be injured this season, but his model wife, Kate Upton, definitely still counts for recognition -- even if she won't be in the crowd cheering on.

Same goes for the Braves' side -- Eva Luccia is dating Ronald Acuna Jr., who's also injured ... but if ATL wins it all, the dude gets a ring ... so it counts!!

Daniella Rodriguez is married to Houston shortstop Carlos Correa, who's NOT injured ... so there's no debate here.

There's more -- Liliana Armas, who's married to Atlanta Braves outfielder Guillermo Heredia, and Reagan Howard who is married to 'Stros infielder Alex Bregman also highlight the list.

Yasiel Puig has settled his sexual battery case after cutting a check to his accuser, TMZ Sports has learned.

We broke the story, a woman -- ID'd as Jane Roe in court docs -- alleged the former L.A. Dodgers star forced her into a bathroom while at a Lakers game at Staples Center in 2018 and was sexually inappropriate with her.

The woman claimed she did not know Puig before the incident ... and eventually sued him in 2020 over it all, asking for more than $50,000.

At the time, Puig denied any wrongdoing ... saying in a statement, "The fact is that I had consensual sex with a woman I met at a Lakers game after she propositioned me."

He continued, "Afterward, we talked about going out together, but she said she did not want her fiancé to find out. We messaged each other afterward and planned to get together again, but we never did. She's now suing me based on completely made-up allegations."

The two battled it out in court over the last year ... but sources tell us the sides settled this week after Puig paid the accuser an undisclosed amount.

Court documents confirmed the settlement.

We've reached out to Puig's attorneys for comment, but so far, no word back yet.

As for the accuser, her attorney, Vince Finaldi, tells us the case "has been resolved to the satisfaction of all parties."

Puig, meanwhile, has been out of the MLB since 2019 ... when he last played for the Cleveland Indians.

Miami Marlins pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre Jr. -- one of the best managers of arms in baseball -- had surgery this month to remove his prostate and lymph nodes after being diagnosed with cancer last February.

Thankfully, though, Stottlemyre says he's recovering well and is optimistic about his prognosis.

The 57-year-old revealed to the Miami Herald this week that after feeling rundown toward the end of 2020 ... doctors ran tests on him and discovered prostate cancer.

The pitching coach said he kept it all a secret during this past season ... explaining only team CEO Derek Jeter, general manager Kim Ng and coach Don Mattingly were the only ones who knew of his battle.

"I didn't want anyone to know," said Stottlemyre, who added even his team's aces weren't aware. "I didn’t want people feeling sorry for me."

Stottlemyre says doctors quickly identified that he needed surgery in order to remedy the situation ... and he had initially planned to have the operation done during the All-Star break in July.

But, Stottlemyre explained he ultimately waited 'til this month to go under the knife ... saying the cancer was slow-developing enough to hold off until after the season.

"We talked about the risk of waiting, and because it was a relatively slower-growing cancer, they inevitably decided it was OK to have it after the season," Stottlemyre said.

"I wanted to do it during the All-Star break, but I wanted to be there for my pitchers so I chose to do it after the season."

Stottlemyre says the operation was intense -- "my insides are obviously a mess" -- but he's exercising daily and is planning to return to Miami's coaching staff in 2022.

"I feel good," said Stottlemyre, who's been coaching for the Marlins since 2018. "I'm walking five miles a day and I'm going to stay in shape and I am going to return to Miami."

A St. Louis Cardinals prospect is fortunate to be alive today ... 'cause he was involved in a horrifying bear attack earlier this month, but thankfully, he escaped with only minor injuries.

The terrifying incident went down in Wisconsin ... when Dalton Roach -- a pitcher for the Cards' Double-A affiliate, the Springfield Cardinals -- was trying to hunt some deer.

Roach told the Leader-Telegram at one point during his outing while he was in a hunting perch, a bear got close to his tree -- and then shockingly began to climb up it.

"The next thing I know I can hear him right behind me and feel him breathing on my back," said Roach, who shot video of the bear while it was on the ground.

"Then I feel a paw on my lap. He just kind of left the paw sitting there."

A few seconds later, Roach said he felt the bear biting him -- so he made an attempt to get big and scare off the beast, and fortunately, it worked.

"Luckily, he kind of leaned back, seemed to say, 'What the heck?'" the 25-year-old pitcher said, "and eventually got out of the tree."

Roach said he went to the hospital to have the wound cleaned out and to get some precautionary shots -- but he added the injury shouldn't affect his baseball career going forward.

"I'm very fortunate that this whole scenario went the way it did," Roach said, "and now I have a heck of a story to tell."

Barry Bonds' historic 500th home run ball -- launched into McCovey Cove during the 2001 MLB season -- is on the auction block ... and is expected to bring in around a quarter-million bucks!

Of course, the 500 Home Run club is one of the most prestigious groups in all of Major League Baseball ... consisting of just 28 legendary sluggers like Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron and the home run king himself, Bonds.

The ball Barry crushed off Dodgers pitcher Terry Adams on April 17, 2001 is now available for bidding at SCP Auctions (the same people who sold Ruth's 500th home run bat for $1 million!)

FYI, Bonds '01 season is arguably the greatest in the history of the sport. Barry slugged 73 home runs, had 137 RBI (even though he was walked 177 times, many intentional), had a batting average of .328, an on-base percentage of .515, and an astronomically high OPS (On-base + Slugging %) of 1.379.

Ridiculous, absurd ... there are no words for Bonds' domination.

Barry ultimately hit 762 home runs ... making him the all-time leader.

Regardless of the fact BB launched hundreds of more long balls after that night in April ... his 500th shot is still monumental because the mark represents admittance into an ultra-exclusive club.

If you wanna own the ball -- which is being consigned by the actual fan who scooped the ball out of the water in the San Francisco Bay -- you only have a few days left to bid.

BTW, speaking of exclusive clubs ... SCP is also auctioning off Affirmed's Triple Crown trophy from 1978 -- when the thoroughbred won the Kentucky Derby, The Preakness, and the Belmont Stakes.

Not a horse racing fan -- but also very wealthy? The Holy Grail of baseball cards, the Honus Wagner T206 card is also on the block ... and is expected to bring in OVER $2 million.

All of the auctions close on Saturday.

Houston Astros closer Ryan Pressly is now warming up in the ... arm barn???

If PETA had its way, those words would be muttered at some point during this month's World Series ... 'cause the org. is urging the MLB to stop using the term "bullpen" to describe the place where pitchers warm up.

PETA explained its stance in a news release Thursday ... saying "bullpen" is insensitive to cows. The org. said baseball should instead use "arm barn" to avoid the issue.

"Words matter, and baseball 'bullpens' devalue talented players and mock the misery of sensitive animals," PETA exec Tracy Reiman said.

The org. added that it's all a problem because bullpens are places where cows go before they're slaughtered on farms ... and where the animals go before they're treated poorly at rodeos.

"Strike out the word 'bullpen,' which references the holding area where terrified bulls are kept before slaughter," PETA said, "in favor of a more modern, animal-friendly term."

Seems unlikely baseball makes it happen -- the term has been around the game for more than 100 years -- but ya gotta admit, "arm barn" is kinda catchy.