MLB

Turns out, the ugly scene involving Mookie Betts and some overeager Yankees fans in Game 4 of the World Series could've been even worse ... 'cause the Dodgers superstar just revealed he considered retaliating against the NY backers with violence.

The L.A. outfielder opened on the matter with Kevin Hart and Kenan Thompson as part of the comedians' "Back That Year Up 2024" special ... and Betts told the guys he straight up considered hurling a baseball at the two men who tried to rip his glove away on a foul ball pop fly at Yankee Stadium back on Oct. 29.

"I was in the moment," Betts said. "I thought about throwing the ball at them."

Dave Stewart -- Rickey Henderson's former teammate and good friend -- is encouraging baseball fans everywhere to remember the outfielder in the wake of his death as a kind man who was "one of the five best players to ever play Major League Baseball."

Stewart sat down with TMZ Sports on Sunday -- just two days after Henderson passed away at 65 following a battle with pneumonia -- and he gushed over the Hall of Famer ... calling him "a tremendous human being."

Stewart says he first met Rickey when they were teenagers ... but formed a real bond with him when they turned pro.

Baseball's "Man of Steal," Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson is dead after a bout with pneumonia ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us ... Henderson passed away Friday in the Oakland area, and had been getting treatment at a hospital for a brief period.

The MLB legend holds the record for stolen bases, and played left field for 9 teams from 1979 to 2003. Most of those years were spent with the Oakland A’s, where he debuted in the majors, but he also starred with the Yankees, Blue Jays, Mets, Padres and others ... before retiring with the Dodgers.

Hundreds of thousands of fans packed the streets for the Dodgers' championship parade to celebrate their World Series win over the Yankees ... an event so big, it cost Los Angeles over $2 million to have emergency personnel on hand to make sure folks were safe.

But, don't fret ... the team's going to make the city whole.

TMZ Sports has learned the World Series parade cost the Los Angeles Police Department $1,738,621.19 ... almost entirely for a gang of extra officers to man the event.

Freddie Freeman's walk-off Grand Slam home run in game one was the swing that set the tone for the eventual World Series champions ... and now the ball just sold at auction for $1.56 million!

The whopping price tag makes the Freeman ball the third most valuable in the history of baseball -- coming in behind Shohei Ohtani's 50th HR ball and Mark McGwire's 70th HR ball from 1998.

The Ruderman family -- who caught the mega-valuable ball, blasted by the eventual W.S. MVP in the 10th inning of the then-tied ballgame -- consigned the item to SCP Auctions.

The L.A. Dodgers fan who had a horrific firework accident during the World Series has undergone several procedures to mend his hand ... but despite the unfortunate event, he tells TMZ Sports he's staying positive through it all.

We spoke with Kevin King fresh off his fourth surgery after the DTLA incident that cost him his pointer and middle finger on his left hand ... and he is thankful it wasn't worse.

"If you're only losing a couple of fingers, don't worry about it," he said. "Thankful it wasn't my face, eye or ears."

Juan Soto got an amazing dinner to go along with a $756 million contract on Thursday ... TMZ Sports has learned the Mets bought their new star and his family a steak feast to celebrate his formal signing with the team.

We're told just a few hours after Soto put pen to orange-and-blue paper at Citi Field, Steve Cohen hosted the 26-year-old and his loved ones at the world-renowned Benjamin Prime in NYC.

Soto grubbed on mozzarella and tomato salad ... and for a main course, he had a ribeye (if you were wondering, he's a medium-plus temperature kind of guy).

The Yankees will head into next season without Juan Soto, but fear not, New York fans ... Johnny Damon tells TMZ Sports they might just be better without the star slugger!!

We caught up with the 51-year-old former Pinstripes outfielder on Thursday -- just hours after the Mets introduced Soto to their fanbase -- and he said straight up, his former team might come out of this situation just fine.

His reasoning? Damon says the Yankees can now take the $750 million they had earmarked for Soto -- and spend it on a bunch of key pieces that'll make them perhaps even more formidable in 2025.

Chicago Cubs great Ryne Sandberg just revealed his prostate cancer is back and has spread to other organs in his body ... requiring more intensive treatment.

The Hall of Famer provided the health update on Tuesday ... saying despite the news, he will continue to have an optimistic mindset and remain tough as he fights the disease.

"Thank you for your thoughts and prayers for me and my family," Sandberg said.

Juan Soto joining the Mets marked a major shift in the New York baseball landscape ... at least that's what Dwight Gooden thinks, 'cause he tells TMZ Sports his former team can no longer be considered the Yankees' "little brother!!"

We caught up with the Gooden -- who spent time with both clubs during his career -- after Soto inked a 15-year $765 million deal with the Metropolitans ... and he says the narrative about the team in Queens is about to be a thing of the past.

"The first time I heard it, Reggie Jackson said it," Gooden said. "I have nothing against the Yankees, but I was somewhat offended by it. I understood what he meant by that, saying that the Mets are little brother, but now things are starting to change."

Kate Upton had her fans concerned last month after posting a worrisome scenario to her Instagram ... but the SI Swimsuit legend is now clarifying the details of the note, saying it had nothing to do with her husband, MLB star Justin Verlander.

As we previously reported, Upton asked her followers about a situation involving a 10-year-old girl traveling with her intoxicated dad ... the father threatens a taxi driver with a gun "if he does not drop them off on the highway at midnight to walk home."

Upton then speculated whether the described scene was an emergency or crime and how "lawyers/judges/advocates/law enforcement/parents" would feel about the matter... but did not explain what exactly was going on until Monday.

Juan Soto is a Met ... and actor/diehard New York fan Nick Turturro is summarizing how Yankee supporters are handling the news -- going absolutely nuts on the MLB superstar in a passionate video reaction.

Turturro posted the nearly minute-long clip to his X account Sunday night ... saying he had two words for Soto after his record-breaking $765 million deal was reported -- "F*** you!!!"

"I'm taking it personal," he said. "We gave you our love. We f***ing gave you our heart and soul. It wasn't enough! You turned your cap around after the World Series, I saw that f***ing move."

How does one celebrate becoming the richest player in baseball?? For Juan Soto, he soaked in the milestone by getting a beer shower!!

Soto's younger brother and member of the Nationals organization, Elian, showed off the $765 million party on his Instagram story ... with the new New York Met chilling in a hot tub as booze was poured all over his head.

While the star hitter is excited about his new $50 million annual salary, Mets fans are just as pumped for him to switch boroughs -- shortly after the news broke, Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell posted himself on a FaceTime call with Soto -- with both giving wide grins.

Shohei Ohtani didn't seem fazed about losing his title of highest-paid player in baseball on Sunday ... 'cause he was busy enjoying the Los Angeles Lakers game with his stunning wife!!

The Dodgers superstar and Mamiko Tanaka left their adorable pup, Decoy, at home for a date night at Crypto.com Arena ... and with LeBron James out for the contest against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Shohei provided plenty of star power.

The 30-year-old and his former hooper bae had great seats for the Purple and Gold's 107-98 victory ... and at one point in the night, they were shown on the scoreboard to a massive ovation.

Baseball fans can now get their hands on some John Elway Yankees cards -- Topps has just put the NFL legend in a new set ... and it announced the move with a hilarious Larry David commercial!

Elway, of course, was drafted by New York way back in 1981 -- but despite initially playing for the org.'s minor league affiliate ... he bailed on the team for a Hall of Fame NFL career.

He never quite got a baseball card to commemorate the brief time in the MLB -- but Topps is changing that now ... throwing cards of him donning Pinstripes in its new 2024 Bowman Draft set.