Baseball

Cleveland Guardians manager Terry Francona's beloved scooter, which he regularly rides to and from games, was apparently stolen over the weekend ... and now, cops are on the hunt for the alleged thief.

According to the Cleveland Police Department, a member of the Guardians staff said Francona's ride was taken outside of his apartment building sometime between 9:30 PM on Jan. 20 and 8 AM on Jan. 21.

Cops say the Cleveland staffer told them Francona had parked his 2018 Genuine MC Buddy 170i black scooter on Friday night and took the ignition key -- but noticed it was gone the following day ... leading authorities to believe the suspected thief had pushed or tampered with the motorbike to take it.

According to the police report, Francona claims he did not give anyone permission to use it -- and cops have now launched an investigation into the matter.

So far, no suspects have been named and no arrests have been made ... though cops noted in the police report there were several surveillance cameras on the street where his scooter was taken.

Babyface will be belting out "America the Beautiful" at Super Bowl LVII next month … and the R&B legend tells us he never expected in a million years he'd be tapped for the honor.

TMZ Hip Hop chopped it up with Babyface shortly after the NFL and Roc Nation's Tuesday morning announcement, and he was already predicting he'll be a frazzled mess leading up to game day -- but he still plans on giving the millions of viewers an honest performance that showcases his talents!!!

Face knows he's got big shoes to fill ... the late Ray Charles’ rendition of 'ATB' -- performed at the World Series in 2001 -- is immortalized in the Grammy Hall of Fame, and is a radio staple every 4th of July.

He says the song speaks to his soul melodically, so he plans on putting together one of his classic Babyface arrangements -- and adds he'll even have some divine inspiration.

What's making the once in a lifetime performance even more special, is the fact he's teaming up with the clothing company Shine the Light On -- a special collaboration to pay tribute to his mother, who passed away in 2012.

Fair to say Babyface will have some angels on his shoulder on Super Bowl Sunday because he's also thinking about late brother ... After 7 singer, Melvin Edmonds, who died in 2019, and was an avid football fan.

He isn't the only performer who's admitted to pregame jitters -- when we spoke to Rihanna last year, she copped to being a little nervous for her halftime show performance. Yes, even superstars get butterflies!!!

But, Babyface has zero doubts RiRi will kill it, and he floated his wishes to record with her down the line.

BTW, Roc Nation also tapped Sheryl Lee Ralph to sing "Lift Every Voice" and Chris Stapleton for the national anthem.

A woman claiming to be the mother of Mike Clevinger's 10-month-old daughter says the White Sox pitcher abused her -- strangling her on one occasion -- and now, the MLB is reportedly investigating the allegations.

The woman, Olivia Finestead, made the claims in a series of social media posts on Tuesday  ... alleging Clevinger terrorized her during their relationship.

In one of her posts, Finestead said the 32-year-old "threw an iPad at me pregnant." She also said "he strangled me." The woman also alleged Clevinger "threw chew spit on our baby."

According to The Athletic, Finestead has been in contact with the MLB over the allegations. The outlet also reported that the MLB has launched an investigation into the claims.

Clevinger spent much of his career with Cleveland, but for the last 2.5 seasons he's been with the San Diego Padres. The Chicago White Sox signed him in free agency this off-season.

The Athletic reports the Sox were made aware of Finestead's allegations only after the signing.

Clevinger, who owns a career 3.39 ERA in his six MLB seasons, has yet to publicly comment on the claims. His agent, Seth Levinson, told The Athletic on Tuesday, "We need to fairly and thoroughly protect our client and at the same time be respectful of the White Sox and MLB. We need time before responding."

The Yankees gave Aaron Judge 360 million reasons to return to New York, but it wasn't just about the money ... #99's adorable puppy is best friends with teammate and friend Anthony Rizzo's little pup, and the MVP couldn't split them up!

Judge -- who signed a 9-year, $360 million deal with the Yanks this offseason -- joined Jimmy Fallon on 'The Tonight Show' where he revealed Rizzo's dog Kevin was one of the reasons he ultimately came back.

Judge, whose pending free agency hung over the team as he met with different organizations who pitched him on leaving NYC -- told Fallon that Rizzo texted and called him daily, letting the slugger know he needs to resign!

But, that wasn't all Rizzo did ... the 4x-time Gold Glove first baseman pulled on Judge's heartstrings, constantly reminding him of the bond that his dog shares with Aaron's dog, Penny -- and it worked!!

AJ said Penny and Kevin are best friends, adding that Rizzo leaned into their relationship to convince him to return to the Yankees.

Following his MVP season, Judge was the hottest free agent in baseball, and former Yankees like Derek Jeter and Nick Swisher publicly said the team should do whatever it takes to bring him back.

Rizzo understood the assignment.

"Justtttttt a bit outside."

Charlie Sheen, Corbin Bernsen, and Tom Berenger reunited, almost 34 years after the first 'Major League' movie hit theaters, with the three actors hitting up a sports collectors convention in Houston (feels like it should've been Cleveland) ... where they signed autographs and took pics with a gang of fans.

It's one of the first times the three stars of the movie have been together since the movies were released decades ago. "Major League" came out in 1989 ... and "Major League II" in 1994. There was a third movie, without Sheen and Berenger (Bernsen appeared in the film), but we won't talk about that.

Sheen portrayed the movie's most notable character, Ricky "Wild Thing" Vaughn ... a flame-throwing pitcher with bad eyesight and questionable control.

Berenger played Jake Taylor ... a former All-Star catcher whose body -- particularly his knees -- broke down from all the innings behind the plate.

Bernsen played Roger Dorn ... the team's prima donna star third baseman.

If you haven't seen the movie, shame on you ... it's hilarious.

Chicago White Sox star Liam Hendriks -- arguably the best closer in the MLB -- has been diagnosed with cancer ... and is slated to begin treatment for the disease ASAP.

The right-handed pitcher revealed the news on his social media page Sunday -- saying docs recently discovered he had non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. He went on to say he'll begin medical care to try to eradicate it all on Monday.

The 33-year-old, though, vowed to beat it ... saying he's going to use "the same determination I have used when facing other obstacles in my life."

"I am confident that I will make a full recovery and be back on the mound as soon as possible," Hendriks said.

"I know with the support of my wife, my family, my teammates and the Chicago White Sox organization, along with the treatment and care from my doctors, I will get through this."

Several MLB stars commented on three-time All-Star's post ... including future Hall of Famer Miguel Cabrera, who left praying hands emojis.

Hendriks has been in the major leagues since 2011, but has blossomed into one of the game's best just recently. He had a breakout year with the Oakland A's in 2019 -- and has gone on to become one of the most reliable ninth-inning guys in baseball since.

The White Sox -- who signed Hendriks to a 3-year, $54 million contract in 2021 -- said Sunday night they plan to help the pitcher on his journey to recovery ... adding they're "optimistic he will pitch again for the White Sox as soon as viable."

Trevor Bauer will in all likelihood pitch during the 2023 MLB season, but it won't be for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The team just announced they've decided to designate the All-Star pitcher for assignment ... meaning his time in Los Angeles is done, and other organizations will have a chance to claim the 31-year-old pitcher.

But, that's unlikely to happen, as any org. that claims Bauer would be on the hook for his immense $22.5 million salary this season.

Bauer wasn't expected to be available for the start of this year ... that is until an independent arbitrator struck down his 324-game suspension, making him immediately eligible to play. All said, Trevor was suspended 194 games.

The decision meant the Dodgers had 14 days to add Bauer to their roster or move on from him.

The team nearly took every available minute available to them, but ultimately went with the expected path.

Bauer hasn't pitched in the MLB since June 2021 ... when a 27-year-old woman accused the MLB star of assault on two occasions in April and May of 2021.

Bauer, who always maintained his innocence, was never charged with a crime. A restraining order sought by his accuser was also denied by a court. Despite some of the wins in court, TB received one of the most severe penalties in baseball history.

Heads up, baseball world ... another Sabathia is on the way -- and according to Momma Sabathia, the young infielder is itching to make a name for himself at Georgia Tech this year!!!

CC Sabathia's spawn, Carsten Sabathia, just arrived on GT's campus this year ... and he's expected to play right away as a freshman for the Yellow Jackets this season.

And, when we got his mom and dad out in New Jersey at a charity event earlier this month ... they both glowed about the kid -- with Amber Sabathia telling us Carsten is ready to inch out of CC's huge shadow while on the diamond in '23.

"Spring season hasn't started yet, so we've got some stuff to look forward to -- and he can really make a name for himself," Amber said. "I'm excited for that."

Carsten is a 6-foot-4, 240-pound giant who dominated so much at the dish in high school, he was named to play in the 2021 MLB All-American Game. As a senior this past year, he hit a staggering .363 and logged four home runs.

CC wouldn't give us a scouting report on his boy -- telling us Carsten actually hates hitting off of him -- but he did say he's "super proud" of his son nonetheless.

"It's more about him being happy in life than it is about the sport," CC said. "And he's in a good spot."

The adopted daughter of MLB Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley was arrested in New Hampshire for leaving her baby in freezing temps for over an hour after prematurely giving birth, TMZ has confirmed.

Alexandra Eckersley is facing serious charges ... endangering the welfare of a child, falsifying physical evidence, assault and reckless conduct. Eckersley was arraigned Tuesday and held on $3,000 bail.

Eckersley delivered her baby boy about 3 months early inside a tent in a wooded area of Manchester, NH ... according to NBC Boston. She reportedly was 4 to 5 months pregnant.

Eckersley called police to report she had just given birth, but she initially lied to officers as to the baby's whereabouts -- sending them on a wild goose chase. She was apparently embarrassed she was homeless and living in an encampment with her boyfriend.

As a result, the baby was left inside the tent for 73 minutes in 15-degree weather. Eckersley finally gave the right coordinates and cops found the infant alive, but struggling to breathe. EMS workers performed life-saving measures on the child and rushed him to a hospital, where he was intubated to assist his breathing.

Officials believe Eckersley was high on drugs at the time, although she denies it. When asked why she lied, Eckersley reportedly told cops, "What do they tell when a plane goes down? Save yourself first." Her boyfriend, who was with Eckersley when police first arrived, may also face charges.

The man accused of putting a bullet in David Ortiz's back during a 2019 assassination attempt was sentenced to 30 years in prison this week ... authorities announced Tuesday.

27-year-old Rolfi Ferreras Cruz, who allegedly shot the former Boston Red Sox star at a bar in the D.R. back in June '19, learned his fate at a hearing on Monday.

Nine others were also ordered to spend time behind bars due to their alleged roles in the shooting -- including 28-year-old Alberto Miguel Rodríguez Mota ... who prosecutors said "paid those who carried out the act."

Mota was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

But, the alleged mastermind behind the attack, Víctor Hugo Gómez Vásquez, was acquitted ... due to insufficient evidence.

As we reported, Ortiz was struck by gunfire while he was sitting with friends at the D.R. hotspot ... and was rushed to a nearby hospital.

Officials said his liver and his small and large intestines were damaged by the bullet -- and the former baseball player required multiple surgeries in the ensuing days to fix the issues.

The 47-year-old has since made a full recovery ... returning to his role as an MLB analyst for Fox -- while also making regular appearances at Red Sox games.

Authorities ultimately said they did not believe Big Papi was the intended target of the attack ... instead, revealing they believed a man named Sixto David Fernandez was the man the shooter wanted, allegedly because he'd once ratted out a drug runner to cops.

Trevor Bauer -- who was suspended 324 games after he was accused of sexual assault -- had his punishment reduced to 194 games on Thursday, the league announced.

Independent arbitrator Martin Scheinman ruled the Dodgers pitcher, who served 144 games of his suspension, will be reinstated immediately. Bauer will not have to miss any additional time, as his placement on the league's restricted list in the 2021 season will count toward the overall punishment.

"While we believe a longer suspension was warranted, MLB will abide by the neutral arbitrator's decision, which upholds baseball's longest-ever active player suspension for sexual assault or domestic violence," the league wrote in a statement Thursday.

"We understand this process was difficult for the witnesses involved and we thank them for their participation. Due to the collectively bargained confidentiality provisions of the joint program, we are unable to provide further details at this time."

The Dodgers -- who signed the 31-year-old pitcher in February 2021 -- will have 14 days to decide if they wish to reinstate the ace to their 40-man roster.

As we previously reported, Bauer was suspended for 2 years without pay after Major League Baseball concluded that the Dodgers' star pitcher violated the league's joint domestic violence policy.

Bauer was accused of punching and choking a woman unconscious ... with the accuser claiming she sustained bumps, bruises, scratches and other injuries. He also faced allegations made by other women.

The Cy Young winner, however, has maintained his innocence throughout the ordeal ... denying any wrongdoing.

Trevor is still under contract with the Dodgers for at least one more season.

Story developing ...

Lou Gehrig. Babe Ruth. Thurman Munson. Don Mattingly. Derek Jeter.

Aaron Judge just joined baseball royalty ... becoming the 16th captain in New York Yankees history.

#99 received the honor in his first press conference after signing a massive 9-year, $360 million deal to remain in pinstripes ... with Hal Steinbrenner announcing the decision just minutes ago.

"It is my great pleasure, thankfully, despite a brief absence, technically speaking, to welcome Aaron not only back to the Bronx, but to welcome Aaron back to the Bronx as the 16th captain of this great organization, the New York Yankees," Steinbrenner said Wednesday.

"An honor and position he greatly deserves."

Jeter -- the most recent captain in franchise history -- was present for the ceremony ... and he appeared thrilled to pass down the title to the slugger.

Of course, many expected the move after Judge agreed to come back to the Yanks ... after several teams tried to sign him in a blockbuster free agency.

Ex-NYY player Nick Swisher even predicted it would happen ... previously telling TMZ Sports, "I think he signs a monster deal; 7, 8-year deal, and guess what we do? We put that C on his chest and the Yankees fans -- it makes everybody happy."

Tom Browning -- who played 12 seasons in the MLB -- died unexpectedly on Monday. He was 62 years old.

The Boone County Sheriff's Office in Kentucky says it received a call regarding a person not breathing in their home around 1 PM ... and upon arrival, officers found Browning unresponsive on the couch.

EMTs and responders attempted lifesaving measures for roughly 10 minutes before Browning was pronounced dead. Foul play is not suspected.

The lefty played most of his career with the Cincinnati Reds from 1984-94 ... before joining the Kansas City Royals in 1995.

He won a World Series with the Reds in 1990 ... securing a Game 3 win over the Oakland Athletics.

Browning -- whose career record is 123-90 with a 3.94 ERA -- also threw a perfect game in September 1988.

Hall of Famer, Barry Larkin shared his condolences just minutes ago ... saying, "RIP my friend Mr. Perfect Tom Browning."

"We shared some great times as well as the same birthdate 4/28. You will be missed."

'Cincy' also released a statement ... saying, "The entire Reds family is stunned and deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Tom Browning."

"Affectionately referred to as 'Mr. Perfect,' Tom was a true Red who after his playing days made the Cincinnati area his home and remained heavily involved with the organization."

The fan who caught Aaron Judge's historic 62nd home run ball has no regrets about rejecting a $3 million offer, despite it only raking in half that number at auction.

Cory Youmans, the Texas Rangers fan who caught the ball in Arlington, saw the ball sell for $1.5 million over the weekend at auction ... but Cory says he's at peace with how things played out.

"Congratulations to Joe! Given the historical significance of #62, it was important to me that the selling process was fair, accessible, and transparent," Youmans said Sunday in a statement.

"As this chapter comes to an end and I reflect on catching home run ball #62, I'll always remember the kindness of the fans around me on that exciting night in Arlington," Youmans said. "It was the epitome of how sports brings humans together, and I'll cherish that memory forever.”

Remember ... Youmans caught the ball on Oct. 4, and the Yankees initially tried to bargain with him to give it up, but Cory refused.

As expected, CY began receiving offers for the ball, culminating in a $3 million offer from a private buyer, which Youmans turned down, thinking he could make more if the ball went to auction.

Unfortunately for Youmans, that wasn't the case. As for the new owner, the auction says it was sold to a "prominent Midwestern businessman and collector," though the person wasn't identified.

St. Louis Cardinals broadcaster Dan McLaughlin will not return to the booth next season ... after he was arrested for driving while intoxicated last week, he announced Thursday.

According to the St. Louis Dispatch, Dan, who was arrested for DWI for the third time on Dec. 4, agreed with the Cardinals org. and Bally Sports Midwest that it was time to step away.

"I have spent the last several days reflecting on my steps towards addressing my health and the well-being of my family and me," Dan said in a statement. "My sole focus needs to be on my recovery, which I have started, and that of my wife and children."

"I thank all of the people of Bally for their support throughout the years and wish them the best," he added. "As I move forward, I, please ask for your patience and your privacy. Thank you. God Bless."

As we previously reported, Dan, who called games for the Cards since 2000, was pulled over by Creve Coeur Police after they noticed his white sedan failing to stay in one lane ... and he was subsequently arrested for DWI.

McLaughlin, 48, was ultimately charged with Persistent Offender of Driving While Intoxicated -- a Class E felony offense with a maximum potential penalty of four years behind bars.

"Dan McLaughlin will not return as the Cardinals television play-by-play announcer on Bally Sports Midwest," the team and BSM said in a joint statement.

"Dan has been the voice of memorable Cardinals moments for 24 years. We thank him for his contributions to Cardinals baseball, to Cardinals fans, and for his many charitable efforts."

The price tag to keep Aaron Judge in pinstripes was expensive ... but according to CC Sabathia, the outfielder was worth every penny of the $360 MILLION deal!

Judge finally decided to re-sign with the Yankees last week -- opting to stay with his original team instead of going to either San Francisco or San Diego -- and the move certainly didn't come cheap for NY.

The Yanks agreed to pay him $40 million per season for the next NINE years -- a massive contract for a 30-year-old.

But, when we got Sabathia with his wife, Amber, out at their PitCCh In Foundation charity event in New Jersey on Monday, the ex-Yankees star made it clear -- his old team didn't get fleeced in the pact.

"I think he got paid the perfect amount," CC said of Judge.

Of course, CC might be biased -- he was a teammate of Judge's for four years in the Bronx -- but a lot of people would agree nonetheless. Judge is coming off one of the greatest MLB seasons ever ... where he hit an AL record 62 home runs, batted .311, and won his first-ever MVP award.

As for what the Yankees have to do next this offseason ... Sabathia says they don't need to get Carlos Rodón to consider things a success -- given the way the Judge situation all unfolded.

"The biggest signing was to get Aaron Judge," he said. "And they got that accomplished. So, everything after that is just icing on the cake."

By the way, Sabathia's event Monday was super cool -- he and Amber helped 300-plus kids have an awesome holiday party at Space Events in Englewood ... that featured video games, bowling, dancing and more.