Baseball

Addison Russell was booed by his OWN fans in his return from a domestic violence suspension Wednesday ... with Wrigley Field lighting up the guy with jeers during his first at-bat.

As we previously reported ... the star infielder was banned from the Cubs for 40 games after his ex-wife accused him of physically and verbally abusing her.

Melisa Reidy -- who has a child with the 25-year-old -- accused Russell of name calling, intimidating with personal force and putting his hands on her during their 2-year marriage.

Addison began serving the suspension late last season ... but the Cubs brought him back for their game against the Marlins on Wednesday -- and fans weren't exactly pleased to see him.

For the team's part ... President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein said before the game Russell didn't deserve cheers from the home crowd, telling reporters, "I think he will receive an appropriate response and that's something he needs to take responsibility for."

4:05 PM PT -- Cubs President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein announced late Wednesday the team has identified the fan and banned him from Wrigley Field for life.

"We've made clear how egregious and unacceptable that behavior is, and there's no place for it in our society, in baseball and certainly no place in Wrigley Field," Epstein said.

The Chicago Cubs are trying to find -- and possibly BAN -- a fan who flashed a hand sign sometimes associated with white power, the team announced Wednesday.

During Tuesday night's broadcast of the Cubs-Marlins game ... a fan flashed a hand sign that looks like an upside-down "OK" gesture.

In recent years, the hand sign has been used by white supremacist groups. But, the symbol obviously has another -- non-hateful meaning -- and the Anti-Defamation League warns that people have been falsely branded as racist for using it without racist intent.

This particular incident went down in the bottom of the 3rd inning ... when the telecast cut to commentator Doug Glanville -- and a fan made sure to make the sign viewable for the camera.

The Cubs now say they're investigating the incident ... and are considering removing the guy from Wrigley Field forever.

"An individual seated behind Mr. Glanville used what appears to be an offensive hand gesture that is associated with racism," Cubs President of Business Operations Crane Kenney said.

“Such ignorant and repulsive behavior is not tolerated at Wrigley Field. We are reviewing the incident thoroughly because no one should be subjected to this type of offensive behavior."

"Any derogatory conduct should be reported immediately to our ballpark staff. Any individual behaving in this manner will not only be removed from the ballpark, but will be permanently banned from Wrigley Field."

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora is getting high praise from Elizabeth Warren -- who says she "admires" Cora for his decision to boycott Trump's White House over his treatment of Puerto Rico.

"He's right," Warren said about Cora ... "It's bad over there."

Cora -- who's from Puerto Rico -- announced he would NOT join the Red Sox at the White House on Thursday to be honored by the President for winning the 2018 World Series.

In his statement, Cora said he doesn't feel "comfortable" visiting Trump after the way POTUS handled recovery efforts in his native Puerto Rico after the 2017 hurricane.

And, when we saw Senator Warren [D-Mass] in D.C. Tuesday morning, she told us why she's throwing ALL of her support behind the MLB manager.

"He did this in a clear and respectful manner but he said, 'I can't go and show up for a photo op with someone who's been withholding funds from Puerto Rico.'"

"There's a lot of suffering going on over there," Warren added ... "I admire what [Cora is] doing."

Cleveland Indians superstar Trevor Bauer says he received death threats after getting rocked in his start Monday night ... claiming one fan told him, "I will kill you."

Bauer -- one of the frontrunners for the AL Cy Young this season -- gave up 10 hits and 8 runs to the White Sox ... and when he returned to the locker room to check his phone, he says it was filled with hate.

"I really hope you and your family die in a car crash," Bauer says one fan wrote.

"I am Chinese. I will kill you," he says another sent him.

Bauer claims one even said, "How do u let white sox smack the sh*t out of u. F**king f**."

Bauer took to Twitter to blast Instagram for allowing the comments to hit his phone afterward, saying, "Stop online harassment, bullying, and hate speech."

"@instagram your platform doesn’t seem to give me a way to report this crap. Do you condone this type of behavior on your platform?"

Bauer's been one of the top pitchers in the MLB this year ... he was 4-1 heading into Monday's start.

Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati turned into a nightmare scene straight out of "My Girl" on Monday ... when a swarm of bees invaded the stadium -- forcing officials to delay the start of the game.

The Reds were gearing up to take on the San Francisco Giants when the bees came ... you can see in photos and video there are THOUSANDS (maybe millions?) of the flying insects on the field.

In one shot captured by NBC Sports Bay Area, you can see just how close the bees came to the Giants dugout. Scary stuff.

At one point, Reds outfielder Derek Dietrich grabbed some beekeeping stuff and charged out on the field -- jokingly trying to help officials get rid of the bees.

No word if it actually helped ... or not. Also, unclear if anyone was stung.

The good news ... officials say the swarm eventually moved on and the game is now underway.

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora says he will NOT join the team to visit Donald Trump on Thursday ... and several Red Sox players are boycotting with him.

The team was invited to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. to be honored for winning the 2018 World Series -- and it's all set to go down on Thursday -- but Cora says he ain't going.

The 43-year-old issued a statement in Spanish saying he doesn't feel "comfortable" visiting Trump after the way POTUS handled recovery efforts in his native Puerto Rico after the 2017 hurricane.

"Puerto Rico is very important to me," Cora said ... "Unfortunately, we are still struggling, still fighting. Some people still lack basic necessities, others remain without electricity and many homes and schools are in pretty bad shape almost a year and a half after Hurricane María struck."

"Even though the United States Government has helped, there’s still a long road ahead and that is OUR reality."

"I’ve used my voice on many occasions so that Puerto Ricans are not forgotten and my absence [from the White House] is no different."

"As such, at this moment, I don’t feel comfortable celebrating in the White House."

Cora said he told Red Sox officials about his decision before informing the media.

Other Red Sox stars who will NOT go to the White House include shortstop Xander Bogaerts, David Price and Mookie Betts.

Trump has hosted a bunch of athletes recently -- including NASCAR champ Joey Logano.

CC Sabathia is hands down a slam dunk Hall of Famer, so says a guy who tried to beat him for YEARS ... 'cause Jake Odorizzi tells TMZ Sports the Yankee belongs in Cooperstown.

"He's a surefire Hall of Famer," the Minnesota Twins pitcher says ... "I really enjoyed watching him pitch."

It's a pretty big compliment from Jake ... considering the guy threw against CC PLENTY from 2013 to 2017 when Odorizzi was a Tampa Bay Ray and Sabathia was in NY.

But, game recognizes game ... and Odorizzi says CC is one of the best to ever do it.

And, why? Jake tells us the way Sabathia changed his approach from a flame-throwing lefty to a crafty pitcher is really impressive.

"He's the third lefty that's ever got 3,000 strikeouts," Jake says ... "So, I think that's pretty special."

38-year-old Sabathia has a pretty strong resume -- 6-time All-Star, 2009 World Series champion and he won the Cy Young in 2007.

Plus, he won the MLB in wins in 2009 and 2010.

Houston Astros star George Springer has been disciplined by the MLB ... and it's over a homophobic slur he mouthed at an umpire after a strikeout.

The incident went down back on April 23 during the Astros-Twins game -- when Springer was called out on strikes by umpire Angel Hernandez on a pitch GP clearly thought was WAY too low.

As Springer was venting about the call in the dugout ... cameras caught the outfielder mouthing the words to Angel, "f**king c*** sucker!"

Now, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has issued a statement to Outsports ... saying the MLB has internally punished the 'Stros star for the vulgar language.

"This inappropriate behavior was addressed with Mr. Springer and the Houston Astros,” Manfred said ... “and he has been disciplined.”

Unclear what the punishment was for Springer ... but he has NOT been suspended for the altercation.

Neither Springer nor the Astros have yet to comment on the situation.

RIP to Yasiel Puig's bat ... the Cincinnati Reds slugger snapped his lumber over his knee like the Hulk on Wednesday ... and it looked incredibly easy.

Puig Your Friend is no friend to the wood -- the dude is known for destroying his bat after frustrating plate appearances... and he put his special talent on display during the 4th inning of the Reds vs. Mets game after striking out swinging.

If you're not impressed by this ... pick up a wooden bat and try to do it yourself and NOT be in a world of pain after. Actually, don't do that ... just trust us.

Puig's been known to break bats during his career ... so he was able to regroup and walk back to the dugout without so much of a limp.

More proof LeBron James is a lifetime member of the #GetBetterGang (shout-out Stephen Jackson) 'cause here's video of the King getting a little shooting practice in at his son's hoops game.

Bronny had a run this weekend at the Elite Youth Basketball League in Atlanta, and during a little down time in the action, his pops took the opportunity to get some shots up.

The L.A. Lakers star drained two shots (not exactly NBA range), all while the players were off the court. BTW, we also got video of LeBron rebounding while the kids shot around ... dude's a team player.

As for Bronny, a hoops superstar himself ... he had a very special guest in attendance to watch him hoop ... Duke's Mike Krzyzewski was in the building.

The Los Angeles Angels are dead last in the AL West right now ... and here's Halos superfan ScHoolboy Q to passionately explain what needs to happen to turn things around!!

"Get some pitching," the "Numb Numb Juice" rapper told TMZ Sports out in NYC on Thursday.

"You can't win if you can't strike nobody out and stop walking people and then people hit the sh*t over the f*cking gate."

Q is a MASSIVE Angels fan -- he's even thrown out the ceremonial first pitch!!

Q's got a point -- the Angels' team ERA is one of the worst in the league with nearly 5 runs allowed per game.

L.A.'s 2-8 in their last 10 games -- they'll have to make it all season without their superstar pitcher Shohei Ohtani ... and the players ain't the only guys missing him.

Josh Rosen, listen up ... if the Cardinals DO draft Kyler Murray tonight, Kurt Warner is handing out some sage advice -- JUST PROVE YOU'RE BETTER!!!

"Bottom line is it's just part of it," Warner tells TMZ Sports out in Nashville ... "You gotta go and just prove you're the best guy for the job."

Of course, Arizona drafted Rosen last season thinking he'd be the guy for the franchise's future ... but now, with Kliff Kingsbury at the helm, they're expected to take Murray tonight.

Many have wondered if JR should be upset if the draft pick does go down ... but Warner says Rosen should actually see it as a chance to prove he's the right guy for the job!!!

"I don't think you can ever be offended by a team trying to figure out the best thing for their organization to get better. And your job is to compete."

Josh should take the advice ... Warner bounced around the league for several years -- even after MVP seasons with the Rams -- proving he was a Hall of Fame caliber guy at nearly every stop.

Wanna get outta the country and live like an MLB slugger at the same time??? Jason Giambi's awesome Cabo villa is hitting the auction block -- hope ya got a few MILLION laying around!!!

The crib (nicknamed Casa Cielo) is sick -- featuring 9 bedrooms, 12 bathrooms, an infinity pool with a hot tub, insane ocean views, home gym, game room, bar ... and a cool tiki hut thing.

Oh, he also has parking for 13 cars ... just in case.

Look at the pics ... it's the ultimate vacation pad. It makes you want to pound a Corona RIGHT NOW!!!

The 48-year-old previously listed his 12,079-square-foot Mexican villa for $10.7 million ... but now he's decided to expedite the process by listing the place with Concierge Auctions.

The auction starts on May 21 and runs to the 24 -- and there's no reserve ... meaning highest bid wins!!!

Hope you saved up ...

So, why is Giambi selling the place? Simple ... he wants to free up some cash.

"The auction of Casa Cielo marks an exciting new chapter for me as I move on to other ventures," Giambi said.

Giambi made a TON of cash during his nearly 20 years in the Bigs ... raking in a reported $133 MILLION!!!

He was a 5-time All-Star and won the American League MVP in 2000.

Aaron Nola -- one of the MLB's best pitchers -- says baseball should NOT move on from umpires in favor of automatic strike zones, telling TMZ Sports, "I don't think it should happen."

Of course, balls, strikes and umps have been a huge topic in the sport recently ... especially after Nola's famous teammate, Bryce Harper, got ejected for arguing a strike earlier this week.

It's led to all kinds of baseball players and pundits wondering if the game should ditch the guys behind the plate in favor of some sort of laser-like strike zone.

But, when we got Nola out in NYC before the Phils took on the Mets on Wednesday ... he told us, "No, I don't think it should happen."

It's interesting, 'cause Nola would be one of the biggest beneficiaries of an automatic strike zone -- dude is one of the league's most precise pitchers ... he had 224 strikeouts last season!!!

A Ty Cobb baseball card more than ONE HUNDRED years old just sold for -- are you sitting down??? -- a whopping $504k!!! ... TMZ Sports has learned.

The card is Ty Cobb's 1915 Cracker Jack card ... and it's one of only three of its kind to ever receive a Mint 9 rating from PSA ... which is just one step below the perfect Gem Mint 10.

If you think coughing up half a milli for a baseball card is insane, just remember the Honus Wagner card holds the record for the most expensive baseball card at $3.12 million!!!

The Cobb card -- sold via Heritage Auctions -- fetched $504k, which is around $70k more than when another was sold back in 2017.

Wasn't a Good Friday for Esteban Loaiza ...

The ex-MLB star surrendered to authorities in San Diego on Friday to begin his 3-year prison sentence in his cocaine case -- and after his sentence, he's expected to be deported to Mexico.

As we previously reported, Loaiza -- who made more than $40 MILLION during his 14-year MLB career -- was arrested last year after cops say he was trying to move 44 pounds of cocaine from a house located near a school.

Cops say the coke stash is worth more than $500,000!!!

The 47-year-old was quiet and stone-faced as he walked into the federal courthouse on Friday -- not saying a word to the waiting media.

The whole story is insane ... Loaiza was busted by the San Diego County Sheriff's Dept. back in Feb. 2018 during a routine traffic stop.

Cops say a search of the baseball player's car led to the discovery of a "sophisticated aftermarket compartment used to conceal contraband."

Cops then got a warrant to search a home that Loaiza had been renting since early February -- located "steps away from an area preschool" -- and found roughly 20 kilograms of suspected cocaine.

Loaiza was initially booked into San Diego County Jail for 3 felonies -- Possession of cocaine over 20 kilograms, possession of cocaine for sale, and transportation of cocaine.

He later pled guilty to felony cocaine possession with intent to distribute.

Loaiza, the second-winningest pitcher from Mexico in MLB history, played for 8 different teams in his career -- earning over $43 million.