TMZ Sports - Page 50

Frank Robinson -- a Baltimore Orioles superstar and MLB's first-ever black manager -- died at 83 on Wednesday ... Major League Baseball confirmed.

Robinson was one of the greatest hitters in the game's history ... playing 21 seasons and batting .294 with 2,943 hits and 586 home runs.

The Hall of Famer's resume is legendary -- he was a 2-time MVP, a 2-time World Series winner, the MLB's Rookie of the Year in 1956 ... AND a triple-crown winner in 1966.

Before his playing days ended ... he was named player-manager of the Indians in 1975 -- making him the MLB's first-ever black manager.

He went on to manage the Giants, Orioles, Expos and Nationals -- piling up over 1,000 career wins.

“We are deeply saddened by this loss of our friend, colleague and legend, who worked in our game for more than 60 years," MLB commish Rob Manfred said in a statement.

Suicide prevention is a huge issue for Ronda Rousey -- both her father and grandfather took their own lives -- which is why she's so passionate about helping to open a new suicide prevention center in L.A.

The WWE superstar -- along with Melissa Rivers -- held a big event Thursday outside the building where the new Didi Hirsch Suicide Prevention Center will open on Feb. 22.

Ronda and Melissa stressed the importance of having a massive sign on the street -- to inform people struggling with suicidal thoughts that there's a place where they can go to get help.

The big message Ronda was pushing on Thursday was eliminating the stigma surrounding mental health -- so that more people feel comfortable reaching out for help.

"My message that I would give is reach out don't tough it out," Ronda told TMZ Sports.

Ronda has worked with Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services for years -- and was the recipient of the org's Erasing the Stigma Leadership Award in 2014.

Cam Newton and Odell Beckham teamed up Wednesday night ... for fashion!!

The superstar quarterback and the All-Pro receiver hit Harlem's Fashion Row Special Event during New York Fashion Week on Wednesday ... and yeah, they looked as swaggy as ever.

Cam donned a tan trench coat, a black hat, sunglasses and a bandana ... while Odell killed it in what appears to be a fit inspired by Dwayne Johnson's infamous fanny pack pic (sans fanny pack).

We know what you're thinking ... but this ain't a preview of a possible NFL trade -- both guys are locked into long-term deals with the Panthers and Giants.

So, enjoy the two greats in the same room together while you can!!

Tom Brady's not giving up any clues as to whether he'll visit President Trump at the White House with his teammates ... not any verbal clues, anyway.

A reporter from NBC asked Brady point blank Thursday morning if he plans to go to DC. Tom paused, looked at the crowd gathered at a Gillette event and simply said, "Next question."

So, if Tommy Terrific isn't gonna say anything ... his body language might have. He definitely seemed frustrated by the reporter's question -- even though he had to know it was coming.

Remember, Tom passed on the White House visit back in 2017 after he and Trump -- who were previously famous buddies -- had a falling out.

Back then, Brady's wife, Gisele Bundchen, was very vocal about her dislike of Trump and his policies. Brady even admitted after the 2016 election that Gisele had put the kibosh on his politics talk.

Although Brady didn't answer today ... sources tell us Gisele's position, if anything, has hardened against Trump since 2017.

We think you just saw the end result of that position -- Tommy ain't talking.

4:00 PM PT -- Beers wasn't Gronk's only enemy at the parade ... TMZ Sports has video of the tight end trying to catch a football with his face ... and it didn't work out well.

Rob Gronkowski paid the price for partying at the Patriots' parade Tuesday ... WITH HIS BEAUTIFUL FACE!!!

The tight end says while he was celebrating New England's Super Bowl title ... some people tossed a bunch of booze at his duck boat -- and a full beer can caught him near his eye!!!

Gronk -- who was speaking with Jimmy Fallon on Wednesday's 'The Tonight Show' -- says the aftermath wasn't pretty ... "I was bleeding all over on the parade on the duck boat."

In fact, the beer shot rattled the dude so much ... Rob says his dad had to step in to block other flying objects while his son recovered!!!

Good news for Gronk and Pats fans ... he says he's fine now -- nothing but a scratch.

Flying beer cans at Boston parades have struck before ... remember when the Red Sox World Series trophy was damaged by a rogue Bud Light????

As for the hits Gronk took during the Super Bowl -- Rob seemed more concerned about those ... saying he actually had to cancel his initial appearance on Fallon 'cause he was so banged up.

"That's for you, bitch!"

Those are the words CC Sabathia yelled at the Rays dugout after he was ejected in a game last season ... and now they're the words CC's autographed on baseballs you can own!!!

ICYMI ... the Yanks were in the middle of a blowout game last September -- when Sabathia retaliated after one of his teammates was nearly beaned in the head by a Rays pitcher.

Sabathia plunked Josh Sucre with a 92-mph dart square in the hamstring as payback ... and was immediately ejected.

On his way out, Sabathia pointed toward the Tampa dugout and famously yelled, "That's for you, bitch."

The craziest part of the story ... Sabathia only needed six more outs in the game to reach a $500,000 incentive in his contract -- but blew that off in order to have his teammate's back.

The Yanks later paid out the bonus anyway ... and to commemorate the whole incident -- Sabathia signed baseballs with the curse-word inscription for Steiner Sports.

CC only signed 52 of 'em (that's his jersey number) ... and they're going for $305 a pop.

LaVar Ball just issued a stern warning to Magic Johnson and the Lakers' brass ... saying if they trade Lonzo -- they will NEVER win another championship.

And he clarified ... LeBron James NEEDS Lonzo if he wants another ring. Period.

It all went down on FS1's 'Undisputed' just moments ago ... when the Big Baller guaranteed L.A. will never have another title parade if Zo is shipped off.

"I told the Lakers a long time ago, 'If you trade my son, it'll be the worst thing you ever did.' And I guarantee, if they trade my son, they will NEVER get a championship."

Lonzo, Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram and Ivica Zubac are all reportedly part of a trade package the Lakers have offered the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for Anthony Davis.

LaVar says the trade package is a mistake -- saying, the Lakers are trying to become a "one hitter quitter" to try to get a ring and it's a total mistake.

Ball warned the Lakers and LeBron James ... if you ship out Lonzo, you lose your best chance at a title.

In fact, the BBB honcho was so pissed about hearing the latest reports -- he went on an Arizona radio show this week and RIPPED Luke Walton, calling him, "the worst coach ever for Lonzo."

Former boxing champ Rocky Lockridge -- who later had the most famous appearance on the show "Intervention" -- has passed away at age 60, his family confirms.

Family members tell us Rocky died Thursday morning from complications from a stroke he suffered a while back.

Lockridge was a stud fighter back in the '80s -- racking up multiple titles with victories over guys like Roger Mayweather.

But, he later became addicted to crack cocaine ... and his family brought him on the A&E show, "Intervention," in an effort to get him cleaned up.

During one famous scene, family members were pouring out their hearts to Rocky and he belted out a cry that went viral. It later became an Internet meme known as "best cry ever."

Rocky's son Ricky Lockridge confirmed his father's passing and said, "It is with great pain but a whole heart that I tell you family and friends that my father Ricky Lockridge aka Rocky Lockridge has passed away."

"All he wanted was to be in the comfort of his home with friends/ family. God has called him to walk through the gates of heaven."

Lockridge had reportedly been in hospital care for the past few weeks.

Matt Damon got dumped in Australia ... by the waves, not his gorgeous wife.

Matt hit up Byron Bay for a little surfing session and he got off to a pretty rough start. You can see the action star show off some beginner moves -- falling over and over and over, and ... ya get the point. Jason Bourne's stunt double was not on the beach.

Still, gotta give him credit for getting back up and giving it another go. Check out the clip ... there's no quit in Matt.

It's happening!!! Lamar Odom is finally getting his shot to join Ice Cube's BIG3 league.

The troubled ex-NBA star has been campaigning for about 2 years to make his U.S. hoops comeback with the rap legend's 3-on-3 league ... and now, LO is getting his shot by entering the 2019 draft pool.

"He’s worked hard and we're thrilled to see him return to US professional basketball at the #BIG3Season3 combine," the league said Thursday.

We spoke with Cube back in December about Odom's chances ... and he said he'd LOVE to see the NBA champ be a part of the BIG3, but was adamant he wouldn't get any special treatment.

Do you like UFC star Israel Adesanya!?!?!

IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU LIKE HIM ... because he busted out The Rock's legendary PEOPLE'S ELBOW during his open workout on Wednesday -- and it's fantastic!!

Adesanya was getting the crowd in Australia hyped up for his big fight with Anderson Silva at UFC 234 on Saturday ... and put on a little tribute to his favorite WWE superstars in the process.

First, he busted out Stone Cold Steve Austin's famous Stone Cold Stunner -- then after laying the smackdown on his training partner, gave the crowd a little People's Elbow.

CAN YOU SMELLLLLLLLALALALALALA ... WHAT ISRAEL ADESANYA IS COOKING?!!!

Smells like awesome.

Kevin Durant went scorched Earth on the NBA media after the Warriors game Wednesday night -- telling off reporters for trying to "tear me down with my words that I say."

Yeah, he was mad.

By the way, the Warriors DESTROYED the Spurs in a 141 to 102 ass-beating -- so it's not like he was mad about the game.

What set Durant off was when a reporter asked why he'd been unusually quiet with the media lately.

KD: "Why do you care?"

Reporter: "Because you usually talk."

KD: "Well, I ain’t feel like talking the last couple of days."

Durant pointed out one specific reporter, Ethan Strauss from The Athletic -- and said:

"You’ve got a dude, Ethan Strauss, who come in here and just give his whole opinion on stuff and just make it seem like it’s coming from me. He just walk around here, don’t talk to nobody. Just walk in here, survey and then write something like that."

Durant continued, "I’m trying to play basketball. Y’all come in here every day, ask me about free agency, ask my teammates, my coaches. You rile up the fans about it. Yo, let us play basketball. That’s all I’m saying."

"Grow up. Grow up. Yeah, you. Grow up. Come on, brah. I come in here and go to work every day, and I don’t cause no problems. I play the right way, or I try to play the right way. I try to be the best player I can be every possession. What’s the problem? What am I doing to y’all?"

Durant explained that he doesn't trust the media -- "Every time I say something, it gets twisted up and thrown out. So many different publications try to tear me down with my words that I say. So, if I don’t say nothing, it’s a problem. I just want to play ball. I want to go to the gym and go home. That’s all. Is that a problem? Alright, then."

Vince Young says he's taking "full responsibility" for his drunk driving arrest this week -- and it sounds like he's about to check into rehab to clean himself up.

TMZ Sports broke the story ... the former NFL star was arrested around 4 AM in Fort Bend County, Texas early Monday morning. It's the 2nd time the 35-year-old quarterback has been arrested for drunk driving.

Young broke his silence on the situation Wednesday night -- saying, "I deeply apologize for letting my family, my friends and my fans down.

"With the help of God and my loved ones, I am going to take aggressive actions to make sure this never happens again. I take full responsibility for my actions."

While he didn't specifically say "rehab" -- seems that (or some kind of alcohol treatment) is the plan here.

When Anderson Silva steps into the Octagon to fight Israel Adesanya this weekend ... it could be the end of his legendary career if he gets knocked out ... so says Dana White.

The two UFC stars are facing off at UFC 234 in Australia on Saturday -- and with Silva about to turn 44 years old, we asked White if a violent loss would essentially mark the end for the Spider.

"I don't know. I would probably imagine [it would be the end]," White said ... noting, "But, who knows with this guy."

White explained that Silva is such a fierce competitor and fitness-aholic, that it's possible he would take another fight ... but either way, he's a lock for the UFC Hall of Fame.

Silva has been suspended for testing positive for PEDs in his career, but White says despite his mistakes, the guy is one of the best fighters in MMA history ... and deserves to be enshrined.

The twist ... if Silva BEATS Adesanya, White says he'll likely get a shot at the middleweight title.

Of course, the man who holds that belt is Robert Whittaker -- who's fighting Kelvin Gastelum in the main event at UFC 234. So, winner gets winner.

Baron Davis says the Clippers franchise got BETTER by trading its best player Tuesday ... telling TMZ Sports shipping Tobias Harris to the Sixers sets L.A. up really well for the future.

"Everybody lives in the now. Nobody thinks about 2-3 years ahead where the salary cap is going to be."

Translation ... B-Diddy thinks moving on from Harris, and a couple other players, for essentially a boatload of draft picks will make the Clips better down the road.

"When you make the trade, you always looking for 3-4 years out and I think the Clippers got some incredible pieces."

The other important thing Davis notes? There's a bunch of stars set to be free agents this offseason -- including Kawhi Leonard -- and now the Clips have the cash to make a run at those guys.

Rap superstar 2 Chainz says he feels he's been getting "sh*tted on" by the NBA for years -- and it reached a boiling point this week when he was NOT selected for the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game.

And yes ... he's serious.

The NBA announced the celeb team on Wednesday -- and while it includes people like Dr. Oz and Bad Bunny ... 2 Chainz didn't make the cut. He vented on Wednesday:

"HEY @nba YOU HAVE NEVER REACHED OUT FOR ME TO PLAY AND TO CLEAR SOME THINGS UP BECAUSE IT FEELS LIKE IVE BEEN GETTIN SH*TTED ON BY THE LEAGUE SINCE 2013."

Chainz thinks he's been blacklisted by the league, stemming from a 2013 incident when someone in his camp allegedly hurled an insult at a female NBA staffer.

"He was wrong and I apologized on this behalf," 2 Chainz said. However, Chainz doesn't feel like the NBA accepted his apology because he's still treated like a 2nd class celebrity.

"IM ONE OF @nba BIGGEST SUPPORTERS and BARELY GET 'COURTSIDE' TIX."

By the way, Chainz is a LEGIT baller -- he played college ball on scholarship at Alabama State from 1995 to 1997.

He's not the only celeb upset at the All-Star snub -- Lil Rel is also pissed ... telling TMZ Sports that he's also got the resume to be in the game ... but his phone never rang either.

"I've starred in a basketball movie, got my own show, was in the biggest Netflix film and nothing. WTF. LMAO!"