MLB

John Rocker's still pissed he's not fighting Patrick Mahomes Sr. this month, and he's taking his anger out on those who he believes scuttled the bout -- Patrick Mahomes II ... and the Kansas City quarterback's "loser wife."

Rocker, of course, was supposed to step in the ring with the elder Mahomes later Friday as part of Dave Portnoy's "Rough N Rowdy" promotion ... but back in late February, the Barstool Sports honcho announced the scrap was off.

Portnoy stated on an episode of "The Unnamed Show" that he believed Mahomes II and his longtime partner, Brittany, torpedoed things ... and on his X page Friday, Rocker made it clear he thought the same.

Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Matt Strahm's new glove is quite the "National Treasure" ... 'cause the reliever leaned all the way into his Nicolas Cage comparisons by getting a custom Declaration of Independence mitt!!

Folks online have considered Strahmy to be Cage's doppelgänger over the years ... and the 33-year-old certainly doesn't seem to mind it one bit with his latest personalized accessory.

Of course, Cage's Ben Gates famously steals the important piece of paper in an elaborate heist in the classic Disney movie ... and his line, "I'm gonna steal the Declaration of Independence" has become quite the meme with internet users.

Mookie Betts had Dodger fans clenching their butt cheeks on Wednesday ... when his foul ball almost took out Shohei Ohtani in the dugout -- but thankfully, the $700 MILLION man took cover just in time!!

The frightening moment went down against the Rockies on Wednesday ... right after Ohtani launched a 448-foot homer in the first inning.

As Ohtani celebrated with catcher Austin Barnes on the bench, Betts was up to bat -- and after making contact on a pitch, the ball shot right toward the Japanese superstar.

Scary scene during Wednesday's matinee matchup between the Twins and the Mets ... first base umpire Hunter Wendelstedt was drilled in the head by a line drive -- and was forced to leave the game.

It went down in the top of the seventh inning as Tyrone Taylor was up to bat. The New York centerfielder roped a 0-0 pitch foul -- right at Wendelstedt's head.

The collision was so disturbing, the Mets' first base coach immediately waved for trainers to come over. Wendelstedt appeared to be in a significant amount of pain.

There were over 100 fastballs thrown in the Rays vs. Red Sox game Tuesday night, but it was an entirely different kind of pitch that perhaps had the most significant impact on the contest.

Check out what went down early on in the Boston vs. Tampa tilt at George M. Steinbrenner Field ... a high-pitched noise put a pause on the diamond's action for about a minute.

The buzz -- which sounded like a mix between a whistle and nails on a chalkboard -- appeared to stem from the venue's PA system ... and everyone from players to fans seemed affected by it.

Los Angeles Dodgers legend Manny Mota suffered a stroke on Monday night, the team announced Tuesday.

Fortunately, the Dodgers said in a statement the longtime coach is currently "in recovery," and "is responsive to commands."

The 87-year-old is now "resting comfortably," the team added.

We're less than 15 games into the Major League Baseball season, and we might already have witnessed the catch of the year ... and it wasn't a Big Leaguer who flashed the leather!

In fact, there wasn't even a glove involved -- but instead some sort of ... dough?

The highlight reel moment went down during Bo Bichette's at-bat at Fenway Park during his Blue Jays team's tilt with the Red Sox ... when the star shortstop fouled a ball off into the stands.

The baseball careened towards a Sox fan, who was holding a plate of food in his hands ... but that wasn't gonna stop him from making the catch.

Former MLB pitcher Octavio Dotel will be laid to rest on Thursday ... after he tragically died in the Dominican Republic on Tuesday.

The former World Series champion was of the 100-plus people who perished when a roof collapsed during a Santo Domingo nightclub concert ... and his family said they will now honor his memory throughout this week.

On Wednesday, Dotel's loved ones said they'll hold an event at a DR funeral home ... before the ex-Astros closer gets a Christian burial on Thursday.

3:24 PM PT -- MLB commissioner Robert Manfred released a statement on the passing of Dotel, Nelson Cruz's sister, Nelsy, and former pro Tony Blanco ... saying, "We send our heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of all those who have been affected and to our colleague Nelson and his entire family."

"The connection between baseball and the Dominican Republic runs deep, and we are thinking of all the Dominican players and fans across the game today."

The New York Mets paid tribute to former player Octavio Dotel on Tuesday ... hours after a nightclub roof collapsed and killed the World Series champion in the Dominican Republic.

Prior to the team's game against the Miami Marlins, the Metropolitans held a moment of silence for Dotel, who made his Major League debut with the squad in June 1999.

Beyond the moment of silence, team manager Carlos Mendoza addressed the tragic event in his pre-game press conference.

Tragedy hit hard in the Dominican Republic when a nightclub roof came crashing down on partygoers -- leaving 18 dead and more than 120 injured in the chaos.

The terrifying moment was caught on camera -- one minute, fans were vibing to merengue star Rubby Pérez onstage at the popular Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo ... the next, the roof dramatically collapsed, plunging the place into darkness and panic.

Pérez was pulled from the rubble, and his manager, Enrique Paulino -- who reportedly had blood on his chest -- said it all happened so fast, he thought it was an earthquake ... but he managed to throw himself into a corner just in time.

Tigers Assistant General Manager Sam Menzin quit his job with the ball club last Thursday ... just as the Tigers were about to fire the front office executive amid an investigation into claims he sent lewd photos to female staffers.

According to The Athletic ... they spoke with three women who claimed they received unsolicited photos of the now 34-year-old's genitals dating back to as early as 2017. Two of them worked for the MLB team, while the other worked in baseball, but not for the Motor City squad.

The pictures were allegedly sent via Snapchat -- which automatically deletes images after they're seen.

The Dodgers visited the White House on Monday, but it was Donald Trump who appeared to be the most awestruck person in the building ... as he fanboyed out over Shohei Ohtani.

The L.A. slugger and the rest of the Boys in Blue cruised out to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue just a few hours before their game with the Nationals to celebrate their 2024 World Series title ... and Trump was clearly enamored with the team's Japanese two-way player.

Trump called Shohei out by name during his speech about the Dodgers' big year ... praising him for his one-of-a-kind 50-50 season.

Boston Red Sox star outfielder Jarren Duran is opening up on the serious mental struggles he faced early in his career ... revealing it got so dark for him, he attempted suicide during the 2022 season.

Duran's battle with depression is documented on the new Netflix show, "The Clubhouse: A Year With the Red Sox" ... and in the fourth episode, the 28-year-old explained while he was facing criticism from spectators over his play on the field, he was even harder on himself.

"I was already hearing it from fans," Duran said on the show. "And what they said to me, [it was like], 'I've told myself 10 times worse in the mirror.' That was a really tough time for me. I didn't even want to be here anymore ...."

The NY Yankees were in action Thursday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks ... but some fans got some practice for when their former superstar rolls into the Bronx with his new Mets team -- with a loud "F*** Juan Soto" chant breaking out in the middle of the game!

During Jazz Chisholm's at-bat in the eighth inning, fans were heard voicing their disdain for the Bronx Bombers' former right fielder, three months after he signed the biggest deal in professional sports history.

Yankee fans haven't been shy about expressing their dislike for rival players in years past ... "F*** [Jose] Altuve" is a common refrain at the stadium.

Los Angeles fans ain't just getting a glimpse at the best player in baseball in Shohei Ohtani, they're looking at the best athlete on the planet ... at least, that's according to former World Series champion Jerry Hairston Jr.

The longtime Big Leaguer sat down with TMZ Sports a day after the Dodgers' designated hitter beat the Braves with a walk-off home run ... and he proclaimed the superstar is now officially the top sportsman on the globe.

"No disrespect to [Lionel] Messi," he said. "No disrespect to Patrick Mahomes, [Nikola] Jokic -- who's having an incredible season again with the Nuggets. But I think right now, the best athlete on the planet is Shohei Ohtani."

The Shohei Ohtani MVP bobblehead night turned into a money-making opportunity for some Dodger fans ... with folks who got lucky enough to get rare versions of the giveaway going to online sellers for a quick payday!!

Tons of bobbleheads were handed out at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday ... and out of the tens of thousands of mini Shoheis, some special edition copies that featured a silver bat and MVP plaque were randomly scattered throughout the batch.

A few of those highly coveted bobbles have now made it to eBay ... and they ain't going for cheap.