Baseball

Pete Rose is NOT the best player missing from baseball's Hall of Fame ... so says The Hit King himself, who tells TMZ Sports a Chicago White Sox legend is!!

"Joe Jackson," Rose says.

Pete made the revelation to us out in NYC on Tuesday morning -- surprisingly not saying his own name. So, we had to ask ... why?

"Well," Rose responded ... "Do you know who he is?!"

For those unfamiliar, Shoeless was a stud outfielder back in the early 1900s ... batting a career .356 while helping the Sox win the 1917 World Series.

Of course, Jackson famously was involved in the Black Sox Scandal -- where Chicago players allegedly accepted money to throw the 1919 World Series -- and he's been banned from the Hall ever since.

Tony La Russa says the Red Sox had a good visit to Donald Trump's White House last month ... telling TMZ Sports they made the trip to show support for their country.

"The flag, anthem, White House," La Russa says ... "Anything that represents our government, we support."

Of course, some of Boston's biggest names decided not to go to 1600 Penn Ave. for political reasons ... guys like Mookie Betts and David Price, as well as manager Alex Cora, skipped it.

But, La Russa -- who's now the Sox's vice president -- says the guys that did go enjoyed it, saying, "Anything that represents the United States is a good experience."

Kyler Murray congratulated the guys who had their names called in the MLB Draft by posting a pic of himself in an Oakland Athletics uniform .... and killed all the fun by clarifying he's not playing baseball.

The A's drafted Murray with the 9th overall pick in the 2018 draft ... but after winning the Heisman and going to the Arizona Cardinals with the top pick in the NFL Draft, he decided to put baseball on hold.

Murray posted the pic Monday night in his A's threads ... but made it clear he's not having second thoughts on choosing the NFL.

It's probably a smart decision financially, considering he inked a $35 million deal with the Cards ... but there were people like Joe Theismann who said he shoulda stayed on the diamond.

"Congrats to everyone who got drafted today! #JustAPic #History #NoNeedForTheSpeculation #AllLuv," Murray said.

Dodgers pitcher Julio Urias just caught a major break in his domestic violence case -- 'cause he won't be prosecuted if he takes care of some business.

The L.A. City Attorney's Office tells TMZ Sports ... Urias will NOT be charged with domestic violence, but only if he completes certain requirements first. We're told he needs to participate in an informal hearing before the City Attorney, which brings in both parties to talk things out.

Urias also must not commit any acts of violence against anyone, while also being required to complete a 52-week DV counseling program in person. If Urias doesn't keep his nose clean for a year, the City Attorney's Office reserves the right to prosecute him on this case.

As we reported ... Urias was arrested last month in L.A. after witnesses saw him getting into an argument with a woman, allegedly shoving her around. When cops arrived, the woman denied anything physical had taken place.

Some boycotted, others didn't -- so, how did the Boston Red Sox players get along AFTER that controversial May 9 trip to Trump's White House?

... according to star outfielder J.D. Martinez, everyone handled it VERY well and haven't let politics destroy their clubhouse.

Remember, Martinez DID go to 1600 Penn a few weeks ago -- despite stars like David Price, Mookie Betts, Jackie Bradley Jr. and manager Alex Cora opting to stay away to protest POTUS.

Martinez says the trip was "amazing" -- and claimed Donald gave the squad an "awesome" private tour of the Lincoln Bedroom, just as he promised.

The Sox won 3 out of their next 4 games after the White House visit -- and Trump took some credit for the hot streak.

But, things have cooled off ... Boston's 10-8 since the D.C. trip.

Red Sox stud Michael Chavis is worried for the Cubs star who hit a child with a foul ball earlier this week ... telling TMZ Sports his ex-teammate was messed up for WEEKS after doing the same thing.

As we previously reported ... Chicago utility man Albert Almora Jr. hit a screaming line drive into foul territory in a game earlier this week -- and the ball connected squarely with a 4-year-old girl.

Almora Jr. was visibly upset -- even crying into his baseball mitt ... and when we got Chavis out in NYC on Friday before the Red Sox took on the Yanks -- he said he's concerned for Albert's immediate future.

And, why? Chavis says he had a minor league teammate who ripped a foul ball into a fan a few years ago in similar fashion ... and the guy took a while to recover from it.

"Honestly, for the next couple weeks, he was kind of like flustered," Chavis tells us ... "Scared to pull the ball and stuff like that."

Almora Jr. hasn't played in a game since the incident Wednesday night ... but there's hope he won't be bothered by the accident -- after all, the little girl he hit is reportedly doing fine.

As for Chavis ... he also spoke with us about how pumped he is for his first-ever trip to new Yankees Stadium.

Dennis Eckersley -- one of the greatest MLB closers EVER -- says baseball HAS to extend the netting around its stadiums ... or else more fans are going to get seriously hurt.

Of course, one young fan at a Houston Astros game Wednesday night nearly suffered that fate after getting struck by a line drive ... but it appears the child is going to be OKAY.

Eckersley clearly feels that's way too close for comfort either way ... and now he's calling for ALL major league squads to extend the netting in their stadiums from foul pole to foul pole.

"It looks ugly," Eckersley told us out in NYC on Thursday afternoon ... "but ya gotta do it."

For their part, the MLB says it's considering all options ... telling TMZ Sports in a statement Thursday morning, "Clubs have significantly expanded netting and their inventory of protected seats in recent years."

Reggie Jackson says Bill Buckner was not only a great guy, but a great baseball player -- and it sucks he had to spend years dealing with the blowback from that infamous World Series error.

Reggie and Bill played during the same era in the '70s and '80s and you can tell by the clip, Reggie really liked the guy.

Of course, Bill passed away Monday after a battle with dementia. He was 69.

But, Reggie says he feels terrible that Bill had to deal with such a ridiculous amount of harassment after letting that ground ball go through his legs in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series.

The error haunted the former Red Sox star for the rest of his career -- and the rest of his life -- and things got so bad, he eventually moved out of Massachusetts to get away from the constant torment.

Reggie tells us ... he wishes people would celebrate the rest of Buckner's career -- because he ultimately finished with close to 3,000 hits (the official number is 2,715).

"Just a great human being, super guy," Jackson tells us ... "Sorry really what happened with him in his career. It's a shame that he's marked for that."

Major League Baseball says the injury to the little girl struck by a foul ball at the Houston Astros game is "extremely upsetting" ... and insists the league is focused on finding more ways to protect the fans.

The little girl was in the stands at Minute Maid Park in Houston when Cubs star Albert Almora Jr. ripped a line drive foul ball down the 3rd baseline that struck the child directly.

The girl was rushed to a nearby hospital where she was treated for injuries -- but she's reportedly doing okay.

Almora Jr. was visibly shaken after the incident and appeared to be crying. He was consoled by his teammates and later vowed to get in touch with the girl's family to offer his prayers and any other assistance he could provide.

Now, the MLB is also weighing in ... telling TMZ Sports, "The events at last night’s game were extremely upsetting. We send our best wishes to the child and family involved."

A spokesperson added, "Clubs have significantly expanded netting and their inventory of protected seats in recent years. With last night’s event in mind, we will continue our efforts on this important issue."

Move over Robert Kraft, here's another crazy story about a celebrity massage gone wrong.

Houston Astros' star shortstop, Carlos Correa, says he'll be out for the next 4 to 6 weeks ... BECAUSE HIS MASSEUSE BROKE HIS RIB DURING A MASSAGE!!

Yes. He's serious!!

Correa -- who's making $5 MILLION this season -- announced the injury moment ago and he's pointing the finger squarely at the person in charge of his rubdown.

"I sustained the rib fracture during a massage at my home on Tuesday," the 24-year-old said in a statement.

"To sustain an injury in such an unusual way makes it even more frustrating. However, I will work hard to get back on the field as quickly as possible to help our team achieve our goal of winning another championship."

"I'm extremely disappointed about not being on the field with my teammates."

FYI ... Correa has made over $12 MILLION from the Astros since they drafted him with the No. 1 overall pick back in 2012 -- so, not exactly a great look for the guy.

What's even worse? 24-year-old Carlos was killin' it for Houston when he was healthy this season ... batting .295 with 11 home runs and 35 RBIs.

A 110-year-old Honus Wagner baseball card -- the Holy Grail for card collectors -- just sold for $1.2 MILLION!!!

Craziest part? The card ain't in great shape ... the physical quality was only rated a 2 out of 10 (10's perfect mint condition)

So, why'd it sell for a freakin' fortune?

Wagner -- an 8x NL batting champion who's considered one of the greatest baseball players of all-time -- reportedly hated the card because it was made by a cigarette company ... American Tobacco Company.

'Cause of that, ATC only made a handful of the cards between 1909 and 1911 ... making it arguably the most desirable baseball card of all-time.

The private sale was brokered by SCP Auctions in SoCal.

Wagner -- who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1936 -- made $138k over his 21-year professional baseball career, according to Baseball Reference.

His picture on a piece of paper just sold for $1,200,000.

The Detroit Tigers should sign Dallas Keuchel and Craig Kimbrel ... so says their own manager, Ron Gardenhire, who tells TMZ Sports, "We could use them."

The two free agents have yet to sign with new teams despite being stars in the league ... and when we got Gardenhire out in NYC over the weekend, he says he wouldn't mind seeing them in Detroit jerseys.

Ron's right ... the Tigers COULD use those guys. Detroit is currently 19-32 and sitting in 4th place in the AL Central.

The problem for Ron? The two stud pitchers are expected to command a TON of money when they do eventually sign -- and that ain't exactly what Detroit's front office wants to do at this point.

As for if either of the free agents WILL have a team at some point this season ... Ron's confident even if it ain't his Tigers -- some MLB squad will "will step up."

Magic Johnson doesn't have a reputation as a "bully" in the Dodgers organization -- at least according to Justin Turner who tells TMZ Sports, "He's been great to me."

Johnson has been under fire over an ESPN report which dove into the dysfunction within the L.A. Lakers organization -- it painted Magic as a jerk who would often berate his staff.

One staffer told ESPN, "He used intimidation and bullying as a way of showing authority."

Since Magic is co-owner of the L.A. Dodgers -- we asked Turner if he's had any similar experiences with his boss.

"I love Magic," the Dodgers 3rd baseman said at Philippe's restaurant in L.A. ... "Been great to me."

Turner was doing a promotional event at Philippe's -- which is an L.A. institution because it was opened back in 1908 by Philippe Mathieu, the guy who claims he invented the French Dipped Sandwich!!!

10:35 AM PT -- TMZ Sports has obtained the mug shot from Herrera's arrest.

We've also obtained court docs from the incident ... which say Herrera's girlfriend was found with "hand print markings to her neck area and small scratches to her arms."

Odubel is due in court to face the charge in June on the same day the Phils are scheduled to play the Nationals in D.C.

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Odubel Herrera was arrested Monday night after cops say he roughed up his 20-year-old girlfriend during an altercation in an Atlantic City casino.

According to the Atlantic City Police Department, Herrera and his GF got into a dispute at the Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino during the Phillies' off day Monday.

Cops were called to the scene ... and when they saw the woman, they said she had visible injuries on her arm and neck.

Cops say they found 27-year-old Herrera in his hotel room after the incident ... and arrested him on the charge of simple assault.

Herrera -- who's batting just .222 with 1 home run for the Phils this season -- was released from custody shortly after and will be required to return for a court date in the future.

For their part ... Major League Baseball says it's placed Herrera on administrative leave in wake of the arrest.

"This morning we were made aware of an alleged incident involving Odúbel Herrera," the Phillies said in a statement ... "Upon receiving this information, we immediately reported the incident to Major League Baseball, which has informed us that Herrera has been placed on Administrative Leave."

"The Phillies take any domestic violence accusation seriously, and strongly support the Joint Domestic Violence Policy agreed upon by MLB and the MLBPA."

Bill Buckner -- who drew the ire of Red Sox fans for decades due to a major World Series error -- has died after battling dementia ... according to his family.

Buckner passed away early Monday morning surrounded by family and friends following a tough battle with Lewy Body Dementia, per a statement his family released. They went on to write, "Bill fought with courage and grit as he did all things in life."

They ended their remarks by saying, "Our hearts are broken but we are at peace knowing he is in the arms of his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

He's perhaps most famous for a game-deciding blunder during the 1986 World Series, when he was playing first base for Boston and failed to field a slow chopper down the line.

With the game tied at the bottom of the 10th and a runner on second, Mets player Mookie Wilson tapped a ball on the ground toward first, which seemed like an easy enough play to make -- only Buckner didn't. It hopped between his legs and rolled into right field.

The Mets scored and won the game, and then went on to win Game 7 ... dashing the hopes of the Red Sox who were hunting for their first World Series win at the time since 1918. The mistake went down in baseball history, and made him hated among Sox fans for years to come.

Buckner was eventually honored at Fenway Park in 2008, after the Sox had won the WS four years prior. He threw out the ceremonial first pitch, and it was clear the old wounds between himself and the city had healed.

He played with the Dodgers, Cubs and Sox over the course of his 22 season baseball career.

Bill was 69.

Megan Thee Stallion has exploded to become one of the hottest rappers in hip-hop right now ... and the genius who signed her to her record deal is the ex-MLB superstar, Carl Crawford.

If you're not familiar with Megan (shame on you) she and her hottie army are taking over the rap game with her debut album, "Fever," which just dropped ... and everyone from Drake to Juicy J is showing love.

Turns out Megan had a big-time ally helping her get to the top ... she's signed to Crawford's label, 1501 Certified Ent, and when we talked to Carl he told us it's not a one-off, he's in the game to stay.

"We got Megan and we think she's gonna be a huge star. And, not only her ... we're hoping we have other people come up through the system as well."

Crawford played 15 years in the MLB making over $179 million in his career -- and he tells us he's spent a big part of his fortune to launch his record label.

"It was at least 7 figures, I'll tell you that. And, that's because I built a studio and all that other stuff."

Megan's album's just dropped last week and all the experts are projecting it to land in the Billboard Top 10 ... so it seems Carl's investment is paying off big.

Plus, now that Megan is blowing up ... it should be easier for him to land top talent moving forward.

BTW, here's one of Megan's videos ... you're welcome.