MLB

Wanna see a dude who throws 100 MPH toss a ball through the windows of a moving, autopiloted Tesla???

Good ... 'cause here's MLB super prospect Hunter Greene hitting the insane trick pitch -- and the video is wild!!!

Greene -- a Cincinnati Reds pitcher who's famous for hitting 103 MPH on an MLB radar gun -- hit up an L.A. parking lot Sunday for the trick, getting his fancy ride and his buddy to help with the shot.

It's unclear how exactly the dudes got the car to drive by itself without a passenger in it ... but if you know anything about Teslas, there's a "Summon" mode that can get the whip to drive by itself for short distances.

So, 20-year-old Greene let the car drive by ... and then fired a heater that passed straight through the windows and into the catcher's mitt!!

INSANE, RIGHT?!?!

Of course, Greene's hit similar shots recently ... famously throwing a football to his friend on the Tesla back in November.

Greatness comes at a price, but Michael Jordan greatness? That's more like the cost of a house down payment -- just ask the person who now owns MJ's cleats.

The folks over at Heritage Auctions sold a pair of size 13.5 baseball cleats worn and signed by His Airness when he played for the Chicago White Sox's minor-league affiliate, the Birmingham Barons. The total cost ... a whopping $93,000!!!

MJ signed the cleats in bold silver ink. Legend has it ... the shoes were a gift from Michael to a White Sox announcer. The shoes were then obtained at MLB pitcher Jeff Reardon's Leukemia Charity Golf Tournament in 1995. The shoes come with a handwritten note from Reardon acknowledging the cleats are authentic.

As for the shoes, MJ -- whose first love was actually baseball and not basketball -- wore them during his short-lived campaign to reach the Major Leagues in 1994. You can clearly see the Air Jordan Nike cleats have incredible wear, with dirt and scuffs throughout. The Nike logo inside the heel is nearly worn off.

As we've reported ... tons of MJ memorabilia has hit the auction block, from a game-worn Bulls jersey to a $15k check Jordan signed over to Donald Trump's Indiana casino.

Rob Manfred says owners could lose $4 BILLION if the MLB is forced to cancel its 2020 season due to coronavirus ... claiming the economic fallout would be "devastating."

"We’re a big business, but we’re a seasonal business and, unfortunately, this crisis began at the low point for us in terms of revenue," the league commish told CNN on Thursday.

"We hadn’t quite started our season yet and if we don’t play a season, the losses for the owners could approach $4 billion."

Manfred says he and his staff are working tirelessly to figure out a way to avoid that possibility ... revealing to Anderson Cooper that they've come up with an 80-page protocol to keep players safe in a return scenario.

Manfred says the league is eyeing "frequent testing," quarantine plans for those who contract the virus and safety measurements like fan-less games to ensure players' health is the top priority if a comeback happens.

The problem? There's a disagreement right now between MLB owners and players over whether or not players should take a pay cut in a return to the diamond.

Rays ace Blake Snell blasted the notion this week ("For me to take a pay cut is not happening, because the risk is through the roof") and several MLB stars have since backed the 27-year-old.

Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper said on his Twitch stream Thursday, "He's speaking the truth, bro. I ain't mad at him."

Rockies megastar Nolan Arenado added, per The Athletic, "He made a lot of good points. There are some points he made that were true, that are facts."

Did Mercury coming out of retrograde cost Aaron Judge the rookie home run record?!?!

That's what Pete Alonso's saying ... admitting once the smallest planet in our solar system got back in line last summer -- his bat suddenly woke up from a weeks-long slump!!!

And, yeah ... the Mets superstar is DEAD serious about it!!!

"I saw something on Twitter," Pete said on "The Cookie Club" show this week, "I was in a rabbit hole one night after the game and it's like, 'Mercury is out of retrograde, and if you're born in a certain month, then it really affects you in a negative way and your performance at your job.'"

"And I'm like, 'Oh, Mercury's in retrograde!'" Pete added. "'It comes out of retrograde on this day, and I can't wait for that!' And, that day was probably like five days away."

Sure enough, Pete says as soon as that day hit on the calendar -- he went BERSERK at the plate ... and his teammates laughed their faces off over it all!!

"He came in the locker room screaming it," Mets stud Dominic Smith said. "'Mercury's out of retrograde!' And we're looking around like, 'What does that even mean?!'"

Smith added, "And, I was just like, 'Whatever, Pete's back!' And, I'm telling you, he went off! Like I couldn't believe it!"

FYI, Alonso used that game and about three dozen more following it to ultimately break Judge's rookie home run record ... finishing with 53 jacks in one season.

As for Alonso repeating that feat in 2020 ... he seems confident he's got the skills to do it -- although Mercury is set to go in retrograde from June 18 to July 12.

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Blake Snell says there's no way in hell he's stepping on the mound for a penny less than his guaranteed salary ...  slamming the MLB's recent proposal in an emotional Twitch stream.

Of course, the league came up with a plan for a shortened season and a 50-50 revenue split between the owners and players earlier this week ... in hopes of salvaging the season amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Y'all gotta understand, man ... for me to take a pay cut is not happening, because the risk is through the roof," The Cy Young winner said Wednesday.

"It's a shorter season, less pay."

FYI -- 27-year-old Snell is in the middle of a 5-year, $50 million deal and was set to make $7 million in 2020.

He continued ... "I gotta get my money. I'm not playing unless I get mine, okay? And, that's just the way it is for me. Like, I'm sorry you guys think differently, but the risk is way the hell higher and the amount of money I'm making is way lower. Why would I think about doing that?"

When fans criticized Snell's stance in the Twitch comments ... he doubled down.

"Bro, I'm risking my life. What do you mean it should not be a thing? It should 100% be a thing. If I'm gonna play, I should be getting the money I signed to be getting paid."

The revenue split is likely to get rejected when it's officially presented to the MLB Players Association ... considering the league already agreed to $170 million in up-front money to keep players paid during the pandemic back in March.

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Trevor Bauer also weighed in on the proposal ... and he's siding with Snell.

Did you know Barry Zito had a hell of a curveball AND an amazing voice?!?!

It's true ... the former World Series champ sang his face off all season on "The Masked Singer" -- with his voice even making Nicole Sherzinger cry before he was eliminated from the show Wednesday!!

The 42-year-old sang a rendition of Tim McGraw's "Humble And Kind" under the guise of The Rhino ... and it was so good, the Pussycat Dolls star was moved to tears.

Check out the footage ... Zito's twangy sound really had Nicole wiping away the waterworks!!

But, as it turns out, even that wasn't enough to save the former Cy Young winner from elimination ... he was booted from the show just short of making next week's finale.

Of course, it was a valiant effort from the ex-San Francisco Giant ... he finished in fourth place, and the judges praised him for being super authentic throughout the competition!!

BTW, Zito's been doing the music thing for a while -- and told us back in 2017 why he hopes to add a Grammy to his trophy case one day.

Also, don't feel too bad for Barry about the exit -- it's pretty much the only L Zito is taking in 2020 ... he just had a new baby, and his family is cute as hell!!

The State of Arizona is removing its stay-at-home order on Friday May 15 -- clearing the way for pro sports teams to resume team activities.

As part of the reopening plan, Gov. Doug Ducey says gyms and swimming pools will reopen to the public.

But, the biggest news has to be the pro sports component -- which could clear the way for Major League Baseball, the NHL, the NFL and possibly the NBA to resume play down the road.

MLB has reportedly put together a plan to potentially play a shortened season in Arizona ... with all 30 MLB teams moving to AZ to conduct games in several ballparks in the Phoenix area.

There are already a bunch of stadiums in the area -- since many clubs use Arizona as their home base for Spring Training.

As for why Arizona is pulling back on COVID-19 restrictions, Gov. Ducey is pointing to data which he claims shows a decline in positive tests for COVID-19 in his state.

Plus, Ducey says he feels AZ hospitals are well-equipped to handle coronavirus cases.

Meanwhile, in Los Angeles ... officials are moving to keep stay-at-home orders in place for the next 3 months.

LeRoy Butler says no player in the NFL should EVER wear Bart Starr's #15 again -- telling TMZ Sports it should be retired league-wide just like Jackie Robinson's #42 in the MLB!!

"Bart Starr is the best quarterback all time!" the Green Bay legend says. "Packer history, the guy was phenomenal."

Of course, no number in the NFL has ever been retired league-wide ... but Butler tells us Roger Goodell should consider it, saying Starr was just that legendary.

"He should be just like the 42 in baseball," Butler says. "He just did so much for the franchise having the smallest market."

The argument for it? Starr played in Green Bay from 1956 to 1971, earning MVP honors in 1966 and winning the NFL's first-ever Super Bowls in '67 and '68.

He also made the Hall of Fame in 1977 ... and is one of only 6 players ever to have their jersey numbers officially retired by the Pack.

But, the argument against it? Well, he ain't exactly Jackie Robinson.

Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez are callin' it -- reportedly ending their pursuit to buy the NY Mets after it became clear they were way too far apart on price.

As we previously reported, the power couple was looking for investors to buy the team for somewhere around $1.5 billion.

The current owners, the Wilpon family, were looking for something closer to $2.5 bil.

J-Rod had reportedly teamed up with billionaire investor Wayne Rothbaum to make a run at the team -- but there were 2 major snags in negotiations, according to the NY Post.

First, the price ... Rothbaum was hoping to get the team for a cool $1 BILLION.

How, you ask? The $2.6 billion valuation accounts for the team's stake in the SNY cable network (the primary local broadcaster of Mets games). Rothbaum reportedly has no interest in the network and feels the team is worth significantly less without it.

Plus, due to the COVID-19 pandemic wreaking havoc on MLB, he thought he could get the team at a "fire sale" price.

The other issue ... Rothbaum reportedly wanted more control over the team than Alex and Jennifer were willing to give up.

Our sources told us Alex feels there's tremendous upside in buying the Mets -- and saw it as a huge business opportunity -- but for now, it just ain't working out.

Ketchup on tacos ... psycho move or delicious topping?!?!

Former MLB star Adam Jones is clearly all for it ... 'cause the dude loaded up his Cinco De Mayo tacos with the red stuff -- and had no shame about it!!!

Jones posted the pic Tuesday ... showing off some soft shell delight smothered in Heinz magic.

The problem??? Some people think that's a borderline criminal offense ... and the 34-year-old even got hate in the comments over it!!

"I know that’s not ketchup on your taco...." one fan wrote. "Your SD card’s gonna get pulled if so...."

But Jones, a San Diego native, was having none of the ketchup slanders ... firing back at the haters, saying, "you can’t ever pull my SD card. It’s my plate. I eat them how I want to. Ain’t a specific way. So gracias."

It all begs the question ... is ketchup on a taco fair or foul!?

The facts: There's ground beef, lettuce and cheese on a taco -- coincidentally, all the same ingredients on a burger that no one would have an issue putting ketchup on!!

Former Oakland A's pitcher and "Real Housewives of Orange County" star Matt Keough has died.

His former team made the announcement that Matt passed on Saturday. The team did not reveal the cause of death.

Matt pitched for Oakland for 7 seasons. He received some notable awards ... 1978 All-Star rookie, 1980 American League Comeback Player of the Year. In addition to Oakland, Matt pitched for the Cardinals, Cubs, Astros and Yankees.

Matt was on the cover of Sports Illustrated in '81 with the other "Five Aces" ... 4 other members of the A's.

After baseball, Matt ventured into reality TV with his then-wife, Jeana ... they were cast members on "Real Housewives of Orange County." They married in 1984 and separated 20 years later. Despite the separation, they continued living together during the early seasons of "RHOC."

Matt had his share of legal trouble. He racked up 2 DUI's ... the second of which earned him a 1-year jail sentence. Interesting ... Jeana testified on Matt's behalf, even though their marriage was over, asking the judge to give him probation.

It's especially tragic for the family ... a few weeks back their daughter, Kara, had a son who died during childbirth from complications ... shoulder dystocias and a compressed umbilical cord.

Kara posted a tearful message ... "Daddy, please take care of my son. Teach him the circle changeup and how to find forever friends. You're on grandpa duty in heaven now. Xoxo, Hammerhead."

Matt leaves behind 3 kids. He was 64.

Gov. Ron DeSantis is bragging about opening up sports in FL -- and believes fans might be able to attend events as early as June!!

While speaking to the media about the state's plan to reopen during the COVID-19 pandemic, DeSantis talked about how sports are a huge priority for him ... starting with pro wrestling.

"I helped recruit," DeSantis said ... "I wanted the wrestling to be filmed in Orlando. I’d like them to do WrestleMania. They were going to do WrestleMania in April. That was hundreds of millions of dollars. I want to keep that good relationship. I want them to invest in Florida."

DeSantis also mentioned UFC 249 taking place in Jacksonville on may 9 -- noting, "There's not going to be any fans but I think that's going to be a good event for people."

As for golf ... "I work with Phil Mickelson so they have what they need for that Tiger Woods match."

Event officials have not formally announced the venue for that match, but DeSantis is obviously lobbying hard for a course in FL.

As for baseball ... DeSantis says he's "hearing" it's coming back soon and obviously wants games in Florida.

"I think that's going to be exciting for a lot of people and I just think there are going to be a lot of possibilities. So, let's just be resourceful and creative."

And fans? DeSantis is optimistic fans will be able to watch live sports again in his state in a matter of months.

"I do think if the trends are good as you get into June-July. I think there is a window to have some fans. You’re not going to have everyone packed in."

"But man, in 90-degree weather in the state of Florida ... if you're out there and someone's 10 feet away from you and you want to watch a ball game or something? You may be able to do that."

The Baseball Hall of Fame has voted unanimously to postpone Derek Jeter's induction to 2021 ... not exactly the "unanimous vote" he was hoping for.

Of course, the New York Yankees legend -- along with big-hitters Larry Walker, Marvin Miller and Ted Simmons -- were all set to be honored in Cooperstown as the Class of 2020 on July 26.

But ... COVID-19 screwed it all up!

Given the global coronavirus pandemic, the Hall's Board of Directors took a vote -- and ultimately agreed it was best to push the festivities to 2021 to steer clear of any potential safety risks.

"Our Board of Directors has voted unanimously to cancel 2020 Induction Weekend, due to health and safety concerns associated with the COVID-19 pandemic," HOF officials said in a statement.

A spokesperson says the HOF is "disappointed" but the decision was made in the best interest of everyone involved.

"We care deeply about every single person who visits Cooperstown."

Instead, the 2020 class will be inducted alongside the 2021 class next year ... and Larry Walker has already come out in support of the move.

"I fully understand and agree with the Board’s decision," Walker says. "It is most important to do the right thing for everybody involved, and that means not putting any participants in jeopardy, whether Hall of Famers or visitors."

The Houston Astros have essentially SHUT DOWN an auction for a 2017 World Series ring ... claiming they have a contract in place to buy it back for $1.

ONE. AMERICAN. DOLLAR.

The ring -- which originally belonged to Astros scout David Brito -- was listed with Goldin Auctions as part of its May 2020 catalog and some expected it to sell for as high as $60,000!!

Of course, Astros players, coaches and staffers each got a ring for defeating the L.A. Dodgers in the 2017 World Series ... despite the fact, they're cheating-ass cheaters who cheat.

100% of the proceeds from the auction were going to be donated to the CAMCare Foundation for COVID-19 related causes at hospitals and health care centers.

But, Goldin tells TMZ Sports ... the Astros reached out to them and demanded they pull the item -- claiming they have a first-look deal with Brito to buy it back for $1, which he signed in order to receive the item in the first place.

If this sounds familiar, it's because it's the same policy as the Academy Awards -- which requires winners to give the Academy the first option to buy the award back for $1 if the winner (or a family member) wants to get rid of it.

Goldin tells us ... they were unaware of the $1 contract when they agreed to auction the item -- but they will comply with the Astros' demand and return to the ring back to the consigner.

We're told the consigner is NOT Brito -- but a ring dealer.

Unclear if the consigner will give the ring back to Brito so he can actually sell the ring back to Houston -- but at this point, it probably makes more sense for him to keep it.

After all, why give the Astros another ring they really don't deserve to have?!

As for the ring itself -- it contains 214 diamonds, 16 natural blue sapphires and 9 natural orange sapphires.

Wonder if the contract says anything about melting it down and selling the raw materials?

Chemotherapy sucks.

It sucks even more when you’re going through it during the COVID-19 pandemic.

But, MLB star Trey Mancini says he still feels "lucky" to have so many resources to battle his stage-3 colon cancer.

The 28-year-old Baltimore Orioles slugger opened up about his treatment in The Players' Tribune ... saying he's facing 6 months of chemotherapy, which will keep him out of baseball in 2020.

As we previously reported, Mancini underwent surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from his colon back in March ... after doctors discovered it during a colonoscopy.

Of course, the coronavirus pandemic is complicating things -- but Mancini is still maintaining a positive attitude.

"Chemo in the age of COVID-19 is crazy," Mancini says ... "Nobody is allowed to come in with me, and that’s completely fine by me."

"I don’t want anybody else being put at risk -- people that are close to me and that I love, and other people in the hospital. You just never know."

"COVID-19 has spread so quickly. I’m definitely trying to follow all the protocols, not only because it’s the right thing to do, but also because I don’t want to expose myself to anything, especially before going into chemotherapy."

As for the treatment itself, Mancini says doctors installed a mediport into his chest --explaining, "It’s where they’ll run the drugs into my body during chemotherapy."

Mancini is also praising his Orioles team doctors for flagging an abnormal blood test during a routine physical -- which led to his cancer diagnosis. He considers himself "so lucky" to have had a head start on proper treatment.

"Honestly, I love the Orioles," Mancini added ... "Our team trainers have been so on top of everything. I am so appreciative for them, and also for the Orioles’ front office and ownership. They have treated me like family."

Despite everything he's going through, Mancini says he's "OK," considers himself blessed and can't wait to play baseball again soon.