MLB

How much does CC Sabathia HATE Tony La Russa for the Yermin Mercedes drama in Chicago?

"This s*** is terrible. He shouldn't be f***ing managing that team ... s*** is stupid as f***."

Yeah, that much.

The former New York Yankees superstar went absolutely IN on the White Sox manager Thursday ... blasting the 76-year-old on his 'R2C2' podcast for starting unnecessary beef with his players.

If you missed it ... the whole ordeal boils down to this -- Mercedes hit a home run off a position player on a 3-0 count in a blowout win over the Twins earlier this week.

And, while nobody seemed to have an issue with it ('cause, ya know, it was a 15-4 game and a position player was pitching) -- La Russa decided to railroad Yermin anyway.

The manager publicly called out his rookie and said he'd punish the young, budding star for the swing. Which, of course, ultimately led to the Twins throwing at Yermin in their ensuing matchup.

Fast forward to Thursday ... and Sabathia could not have been more upset at La Russa for igniting the entire situation.

"Tony La Russa's out of touch with the game, cuz," Sabathia said. "He should not be managing one of the best teams in the American League. Period."

CC continued, "You got a rookie that's basically been carrying your f***ing team these first six weeks of the season, this guy's been carrying you and now you don't have a problem with the f***ing weird-ass Minnesota Twins throwing behind one of your biggest hitters?! That's just f***ing stupid."

CC then went in on the Twins for the situation too ... saying, "I was so mad, cuz. Then I was re-pissed off yesterday when [Tyler Duffey's] weird ass threw behind him!"

"You guys look f***ing stupid," CC said of the Twins. "You guys were losing 15-4, cuz! ... Play better! You guys f***ing suck!"

Nationals manager Dave Martinez LOST HIS DAMN MIND after an awful call in a game Wednesday ... screaming, yelling, and even throwing and kicking a base!!!

The epic outburst all went down in the 7th inning of the Nats' game against the Cubs at Wrigley Field ... when after Trea Turner was inexplicably called out due to his route to first base, Martinez exploded.

Dave CLEARLY felt his star shortstop had taken a perfectly acceptable path ... and then began a tirade for the ages.

He screamed at the home plate ump ... demonstrated Turner's run himself -- and then pulled the base straight out of the ground and spiked it!!!

He wasn't done there, though ... 'cause then he kicked the hell out of the base so far that it nearly landed in the dugout!!

Martinez was then obviously ejected and he's now subject to both a fine AND a suspension ... but afterward, he really didn't seem to care about any of it.

Martinez ripped the call -- and implied he'd continue throwing temper tantrums if umps made similar rulings down the road.

"Honestly, I am beside myself now with this whole out-of-the-baseline thing, I really am," Martinez said, adding ... "I'm over it. I really am over it."

"I'm tired of it. I'm going to argue a thousand times when that happens. I really am. I'm sick of it. I mean, you guys saw it. It's a brutal call. And I'm done hiding it."

If this all sounds familiar ... it's because it is -- Turner and Martinez were involved in a nearly identical situation back in the 2019 World Series!

In that game, Trea was also called out for running inside the baseline ... and Martinez was also promptly ejected for arguing.

Seems all of the bitchin' and moanin' is working for Dave, though ... his team went on to win the World Series that year -- and the Nats won Wednesday night too!

Fernando Tatis Jr. can clearly do EVERYTHING on the baseball diamond -- including hitting a full split to steal a bag in a game!!

The MLB superstar showed he's got that in his bag of tricks during the Padres' tilt with the Rockies on Wednesday ... twisting like a gymnast to make sure he was safe at second.

The play was seriously awesome ... the 22-year-old got on first base in the second inning via a single to center and took off for 2nd just moments later.

He slid into the bag underneath the catcher's throw ... but in order to ensure he didn't come off the base -- he dropped it real, real low!!

What makes it even more impressive? Tatis Jr. is 6'3", 217 pounds!!!

Oh, and by the way, El Niño wasn't done there ... he went to hit a home run just two innings later.

With Ben Affleck back in the picture, the Boston Red Sox clearly see an opportunity to land a huge (possible) free agent ... Jennifer Lopez!

Yeah, we know ... Jenny's from the Bronx, but since she split with A-Rod, it's hard to see her rooting for the Yankees any time soon.

Plus, the NY Mets rejected her offer to buy the team a few months ago -- guessing she ain't supporting them either.

So, leave it to Boston to make a move to win over one of the most famous celebs in the world ... and they might have a real shot!

The Red Sox posted a video to TikTok reflecting on the time J Lo took in a game at Fenway Park back in 2019 -- when the Sox played the visiting L.A. Dodgers.

A-Rod was working the booth for ESPN that night -- and while he was distracted, seems Jennifer really hit it off with the Red Sox mascot, Wally!

Now, with Lopez spending some quality time with Affleck -- one of the most diehard Boston fans on the planet -- the Red Sox are hoping she'll join him back at the Park the next time he catches a game in person.

"To the girl on the Monster from Sunday Night Baseball in 2019, We will never forget you," the Red Sox posted ... "Come back soon. We miss you."

Hilarious scene on the MLB Network on Tuesday night ... star analyst Dan Plesac didn't realize his mic was hot, and unloaded several f-bombs live on air!!!

The former Milwaukee Brewers pitcher -- and 3-time MLB All-Star -- was just beginning his shift on "MLB Tonight" when he thought he had some time before cameras began rolling.

Plesac was talking about Reggie Jackson, when the host of the show, Greg Amsinger, told him, "We're not on the air."

So, Dan then began to speak freely ... "He was still the only guy that when he walked into the box I'm like, 'God damnit, I made it.' Swear to God. I was like, 'I made it.' Like f***ing Reggie!"

The talk continued for at least another minute or two ... with Plesac unloading another VERY audible f-bomb!!

Finally, the guys realized they were on the air ... and they all let out a huge chuckle over their not-so-G-rated conversations being broadcast to the world!!

Plesac ended up having fun with it all night, he joked about the gaffe throughout the show ... and even made reference to it in a tweet later while Tigers pitcher Spencer Turnbull was in the middle of his no-hit bid.

"The Tigers Spencer Turnbull has a 'NO NO' thru 8IP," Plesac wrote. "@tigers lead 4-0 going B9th in Seattle .... I’m not 'F’ing' kidding."

Hilarious.

Horrifying moment in the Mets vs. Braves game Monday night ... NY outfielder Kevin Pillar was drilled in the face by a 94-MPH pitch, and he was immediately raced to the hospital.

The Mets star was at the plate for an at-bat in the 7th inning ... when Atlanta pitcher Jacob Webb unleashed a fastball that made a beeline straight for his eye socket.

Kevin, a 32-year-old who's known as one of the toughest dudes in the MLB, couldn't duck out of the way ... and was hit flush right in the middle of his face.

Pillar crumpled to the ground ... and you can see in video and pictures, blood was pouring out of what appeared to be multiple areas of his face.

But, after several moments on the ground, Pillar was able to get up and walk off the field under his own power ... though Mets manager Luis Rojas said his player required an immediate trip to the hospital for testing.

Fortunately, while the specific damage done to Pillar's face is currently unknown, it seems Pillar believes he'll eventually be all right.

The guy tweeted after the game, "Thanks to everyone that has reached out! Scary moment but I’m doing fine! #RBI #gamewinner."

Everyone on the field -- from Webb to Pillar's teammates -- were all shaken up over the pitch ... and even though the Mets went on to win, 3-1, the guys were visibly upset afterward.

"He gets hit by a pitch, and the last thing I'm thinking about is touching home plate," said Mets player James McCann, who scored as a result of Pillar's hit by pitch.

"Our thoughts and prayers are definitely with him."

Get well soon, Kevin.

A Florida doctor's insane card collection -- featuring ultra-rare Babe Ruth items -- is hitting the auction block following the doc's tragic COVID death ... and experts say it could all sell for around $20 MILLION!!!

Dr. Thomas Newman -- who had been collecting cards since the 1980s -- had amassed the WILD assembly of pieces before he passed away in January at 73 years old due to complications from coronavirus.

The collection is stunning ... there's famous Ruth and Mickey Mantle rookies -- and it also features cards from Honus Wagner, Ted Williams, Cy Young and more.

Newman's family says it's enlisted Memory Lane Auctions in Tustin, CA to help facilitate the sale of the pieces after the doctor's passing ... and experts there anticipate record-breaking prices for the cards.

In fact, one of the Ruth items -- a 1933 Goudey #53 -- could sell for over $5 MILLION, so says auction house president JP Cohen.

"[It] is the finest known of its kind," Cohen said, "and we expect it to break the record of $5.2 million for any sports card."

The Mantle rookie, a 1952 piece with a near-perfect PSA 8 grade, meanwhile, is expected to fetch over $1 million on its own as well.

Auction officials say bidding on the cards is set to begin on June 21 ... and close on July 10.

Scary scene on the Chicago White Sox's diamond Friday ... reigning AL MVP Jose Abreu and Royals star Hunter Dozier were injured after colliding at full speed on the field.

The play happened in the second inning of the first leg of the Sox's doubleheader with Kansas City ... when Dozier hit a pop-up just feet from home plate.

As the Royals 3rd baseman, though, put his head down to run to first ... Abreu came sprinting in with his eyes toward the baseball in the sky.

The two then crashed into each other ... knocking heads and shoulders -- before crumpling to the ground.

You can see in the slow-mo footage from the dugout ... the collision was VIOLENT -- and the two laid on the infield in pain for several minutes.

Both players were eventually helped off the field and forced from the game. It's unclear if they've suffered any significant injuries from the collision.

A Padres fan looked more like Canelo Alvarez in the stands at Coors Field on Wednesday night ... dropping a Rockies supporter with a VICIOUS haymaker -- and the whole incident was caught on video.

The violent act all went down in the 6th inning of Colorado's second game of a doubleheader against San Diego ... when for some reason, a man in a Padres jersey attacked another fan.

You can see in the footage -- captured during what appears to be the Rockies' broadcast of the game -- the guy walked up to the other man and launched a huge, right hand.

The clip shows the punch landed flush ... and the guy appeared to be out cold on his feet -- flopping over and falling to the ground.

Other fans in the area rushed to the puncher to restrain him ... and cops eventually arrived on the scene.

A spokesperson for the Denver Police Dept., though, tells TMZ Sports no arrests were made ... explaining, "The person who threw the first punch, was contacted by police. However, the person struck did not want to press charges."

The game went on despite the action in the stands ... with the Rockies winning in walk-off fashion, 3-2, in extra innings.

Forget baseball, IT'S TEBOW TIME IN THE NFL AGAIN ... almost!!!

The Jacksonville Jaguars are planning to sign Tim Tebow to a 1-year contract, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

But, Tebow won't be joining the squad as a QB -- he's a tight end now!

Rap says the deal is expected to be completed in "the next week or so" ... giving the 33-year-old a chance to compete for a roster spot.

Tebow was drafted as a QB by the Denver Broncos in the 1st-round of the 2010 NFL Draft ... and ultimately led the team to a playoff win during the 2011 season!

But, he never really panned out at QB -- bouncing around a few teams including the NY Jets, New England Patriots and finally had a short stint with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2015 ... the last time he was in the league.

After that, Tebow went all-in on a baseball career and spent years with the NY Mets organization playing for their minor league teams.

He retired from baseball back in February after it became clear he wasn't gonna make the big leagues and decided to focus on learning the tight end position.

Tebow had a workout with the Jaguars sometime over the past month ... and it seems he did enough to impress the Jags coaches, who will see if he can be an asset.

Don't scoff ... NFL tight end Marcedes Lewis told us he thinks Tebow has a real shot at success at the position because he's smart, athletic and knows the game as well as anyone.

Washington Nationals broadcaster F.P. Santangelo has been pulled from calling MLB games in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations ... but he insists the claims are "untrue."

The 53-year-old, who's turned into one of TV's best baseball analysts following a 7-year MLB career, was removed from his role as Nats color commentator several times last week.

And, The Athletic reports sexual misconduct allegations are the reasons why.

According to the report, a 31-year-old woman says Santangelo "made an unwanted advance several years ago, ignored her when she repeatedly told him to stop, and sexually assaulted her."

The woman, speaking to the outlet on the condition of anonymity, also claims Santangelo "sent her angry text messages and blocked her on social media after their one and only in-person interaction."

The woman says she has not filed a complaint with police and does not plan on filing a civil lawsuit ... explaining, "I don’t have any motives behind this other than I wanted to avoid this happening to other women.”

Santangelo, though, has denied the allegations ... issuing a statement to The Athletic saying, "What I have read in your recently published article from an anonymous individual about me is untrue and did not happen."

"This is not representative of who I am as a man or a professional. I am confident that my name and reputation will be fully cleared."

Santangelo, who's been calling Nats games for MASN since 2011, was initially pulled from broadcasts last weekend but was allowed to return ... before he was pulled again a short time later.

Nationals officials explained the situation to The Athletic, saying in a statement, "Late last week, we were made aware of allegations of conduct by F.P. Santangelo that are inconsistent with our values as an organization."

"We alerted MASN and revoked our approval of him as a member of our broadcast team. MASN assured us that they would investigate these allegations thoroughly. After MASN notified us that their investigation was complete and that F.P. should be reinstated, additional posts appeared."

The team continued, "Once again, we notified MASN and revoked our approval of F.P. as a member of our broadcast team indefinitely. Moving forward, we will refer all questions regarding this investigation to F.P.’s employer, MASN."

Hall of Famer David Ortiz thinks Albert Pujols was done dirty by the Angels ... saying the legendary slugger should have been able to walk away from baseball on his own terms -- and calling his release "devastating."

The 3-time MVP was given his walking papers after 9 seasons with the L.A. Angels on Thursday ... with baseball fans wondering if they've seen the last of 41-year-old Pujols on a baseball diamond.

If that's the case, Ortiz -- who grew up with Pujols in the Dominican Republic -- is PISSED ... saying the future first-ballot Hall of Famer earned the right to decide when he's done.

"Brother @albertpujols, all the way with you incredible career one of the most beloved player of all time on and off the field l do not agree on the move that just happen," Ortiz said in an Instagram post on Friday.

"That was devastating for fans and player l know this is a business but l was expecting someone like you to walk away like you deserve."

Of course, there were rumblings Pujols was considering retirement after the 2021 season anyway, but Ortiz says a man who has done so much for the sport deserves more respect.

One of the best baseball players of this century is now team-less -- the L.A. Angels have cut Albert Pujols ... and it now begs the question, is this the end of the MLB legend's career??

The Angels announced the parting of ways with the slugger on Thursday morning ... saying they've designated the future Hall of Famer for assignment.

"The Angels organization proudly signed Albert Pujols in 2011 and are honored that he has worn an Angels jersey for nearly half of his Hall-of-Fame career," owner Arte Moreno said.

"Albert Pujols' historical accomplishments, both on and off the field, serve as an inspiration to athletes everywhere, and his actions define what it means to be a true superstar."

Pujols inked a massive, 10-year, $210 million with the Angels in '11 after a brilliant career with the STL Cardinals ... but his legendary bat has slowed tremendously over the years.

In fact, the start to this season was one of his worst EVER ... he was hitting just .198 in 24 games before his release Thursday.

Pujols will have the opportunity to catch on with another team ... but at 41 years old, this might be it for the MLB star -- who reportedly had been mulling retirement after this season anyway.

Barack Obama had nothing but beautiful things to say about Willie Mays on the MLB legend's birthday ... even saying the ex-SF Giant helped pave the way for his presidency.

Obama posted the cool happy birthday note to the former slugger on his Twitter page Thursday ... saying, "Happy 90th birthday to Willie Mays!"

"If it wasn't for folks like Willie and Jackie Robinson, I might never have made it to the White House."

Obama continued, "The spirit he played with and the way he carried himself changed the game and people’s attitudes. I’m glad he’s still going strong."

Obama and Mays have had a friendship that dates back years ... Mays famously rode on Air Force 1 with Obama in 2009 when the two were on the way to the '09 MLB All-Star Game in St. Louis.

Obama later went on to joke about that trip ... saying, "Very rarely when I'm on Air Force 1 am I the second-most important guy on there. Everybody was just passing me by, 'Can I get you something, Mr. Mays?"

In 2015, Obama awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Mays as well.

Mays is to this day still one of the best baseball players that's ever lived ... he was a 2-time MVP, 24-time All-Star and a 12-time Gold Glove winner.

A diehard Orioles fan who's in the hospital battling COVID cried tears of joy watching John Means' no-hitter Wednesday ... and video from the ICU room will hit ya right in the feels.

Sports-talk host Josh Graham shared the emotional footage from his father on Wednesday evening ... saying, "There’s no sports team my dad loves more than the Orioles."

"While he fights COVID in a Raleigh ICU, he just watched John Means toss the O’s first no-hitter since 1969. He just sent me this and now I’m an emotional wreck."

The video is awesome, Josh's dad filmed himself in tears while watching Means celebrate his incredible game.

In the clip, Josh's dad continuously praised Means for the effort ... saying several times out loud, "He did it!" and "Thank God!"

Means was RIDICULOUS against the Mariners on Wednesday ... he struck out 12 batters in the complete-game shutout -- logging the first no-no for the Orioles in 52 years.

And, the game clearly inspired Josh's father ... 'cause Josh said it brightened up the guy's day and recovery process for sure.

"After Means’ no-no, he’s been talking trash with his doctor, a Yankee fan, and showing off his Orioles mask this morning," Josh said Thursday.

"He’s been overwhelmed by the amount of reaction and support he’s seen on social media. Thank you to everyone who’s reached out to check in."

Blake Snell lost his mind after seeing his video game rating in this year's version of "MLB The Show" -- straight-up calling his ranking "crap" ... and the hilarious rant was all caught on video!!

The San Diego Padres star pitcher was breaking into the baseball game on a live Twitch stream ... when he found his rating was nothing more than an 82 gold.

You can see in the footage ... the former Cy Young winner was NOT happy about it -- immediately asking his followers, "How the heck am I 82 gold?!"

"What kind of crap is that?!" Snell continued. "82 gold?! Bro, the disrespect!"

The 28-year-old kind of has a point ... he went 4-2 last year for the Rays with a 3.24 ERA -- and he's been good in his first season with the Padres so far this year.

But, Snell still asked his followers if he deserved better ... and when one troll said no, that's when Blake's rant got even better!

"I appreciate your opinion," Snell said. "But, that's a weak-ass opinion!"

We're sure Snell's card will get an upgrade soon ... but in the meantime, maybe best to just stick with Yu Darvish on the Padres' virtual mound.