Baseball

Andre Johnson and Adrian Peterson, along with other current and retired NFL players tried to take each other's heads off in an intense game of volleyball ... and let's just say Eric Reid is probably sorry he didn't bring his football helmet!

But, it was all for charity ... and that's gotta ease (some of) the pain.

The Ultimate Most Dopest Dodgeball Charity Challenge went down last week in Texas ... pitting 4 teams, captained by Alex Bregman (the MLB star couldn't be there, but his wife Reagan held it down) DeAndre Hopkins, Chester Pitts, and reigning Super Bowl champ Justin Reid.

The captains all played for charities near and dear to their hearts. Cecil Shorts III, Tank Dell, DJ Reader and a bunch of other guys also participated.

Pitts and Reid's team were the last teams alive ... and Eric Reid was the last man standing on his squad. Despite fighting like hell against multiple players from Pitts' team, Eric was taken out by a line drive throw from Andre Johnson.

To add insult to injury, someone on Johnson's team fired another ball a split second later, and it smacked ER directly in the side of the face/head. Thankfully, Eric was okay (you don't play 7 NFL seasons if you aren't tough)!

FYI, headshots are usually illegal in dodgeball, but it technically wasn't the shot that eliminated Reid.

Domingo German received ALL of the love after throwing a perfect game Wednesday night ... getting a hero's welcome at the Yankees' team hotel -- and TMZ Sports has video of it!!

The star pitcher showed up to the swanky San Francisco spot just minutes after making history in an 11-0 win over the A's at the Oakland Coliseum -- and you can see in the footage, a TON of fans showed up to celebrate his moment with him.

As soon as he stepped off the bus, Pinstripes supporters cheered loudly ... and showered him with "Perfect game!" chants.

German was so grateful for the warm responses -- he spent a few moments signing autographs for those who lined up.

One of the fans who was there tells us ... German appeared super happy the entire time, thanking everyone there for their support.

Of course, the 30-year-old deserved all of the praise after his performance on the mound ... his nine flawless innings marked just the 24th time in MLB history that a pitcher has been perfect throughout a night at the ballpark.

No word yet on how the party was when Domingo got inside the hotel ... but the Yanks had a day game Thursday afternoon -- so it probably wasn't too rowdy.

Cody Bellinger ... MLB star, father, and now fiancé -- the Chicago Cubs first baseman just proposed to his Sports Illustrated model girlfriend, and she said yes!!!

Chase Carter -- who has also graced the cover of Maxim magazine -- shared the exciting news on social media, posting a photo of her massive new ring in front of the Chi-town skyline.

Fans of Carter and Bellinger -- who began dating in 2020 -- were stoked for the couple ... with one follower saying, "That’s a huge ring holy moly."

Another one commented, "I'm over the moon happy for you guys!!!"

The World Series champ and Carter welcomed their second child together in April ... after having their first daughter, Caiden, in November 2021.

There's a lot happening for Cody. In addition to the second baby and engagement, Bellinger also signed with the Chicago Cubs after a rocky end to his tenure in Los Angeles.

Of course, the 2-time All-Star and Gold Glove winner signed a 1-year deal with Chicago in December 2022 after the worst offensive season of his career ... where he's looking to return to his old form.

Paige Spiranac says the reaction a pair of shirtless baseball players got for a viral video over the weekend showed off a sexist double standard ... and she wasn't one bit pleased to see it.

The golf star -- who's gained fame for both her swing and her looks -- unloaded on the situation in a fiery tweet on Saturday morning.

She reposted footage of the Savannah Bananas players dancing on the diamond without their tops on ... and said female commenters who praised the men in the clip but bash her when she wears revealing clothing are nothing more than hypocrites.

"Interesting how different the reaction is online when men choose to show off their bodies," the 30-year-old said.

"Not one comment on this video calling them attention whores or sluts. Just a ton of women saying baseball is now their favorite sport but those same women harshly judge me."

"The hypocrisy," she added. "lol."

In her meteoric rise to becoming the most-followed golfer on Instagram -- Spiranac has had to deal with trolls in her comments regularly. They often go after her for the low-cut tops she wears -- and the photos that she posts in them.

But, she's made it a point to call them out frequently -- usually taking to Twitter to defend herself.

Victor Wembanyama's ceremonial first pitch at the Yankee game was a flop ... but things are looking up for the NBA phenom, 'cause he's getting a chance to redeem himself -- courtesy of San Antonio's minor league baseball team!!

Remember, the 19-year-old French superstar showed off his arm at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday ... and it definitely didn't go as planned, as his toss sailed wayyy wide of home.

But the 7'5" giant won't have to live in embarrassment forever -- TMZ Sports has learned the San Antonio Missions (the San Diego Padres Double-A minor league affiliate) are set to provide the new Spurs hooper with an opportunity to settle his score.

The Missions tell us Victor has an "open invitation" from the team's president to throw out the first pitch at one of their upcoming games ... so he can (hopefully) hurl a strike this time around.

The team added ... "The entire city of San Antonio, as you can imagine, is incredibly excited about Victor being a Spur."

FYI -- it would be a pretty convenient trip for Wemby, as the Missions play ball just 15 minutes away from AT&T Center.

Wembanyama seemed serious about wanting retribution for his first pitch earlier this week ... telling JJ Redick during ESPN's 2023 NBA draft broadcast, "I wish I could do it again, man ... I'm gonna do way better."

Mets star Edwin Diaz won't be on a mound this season, but that doesn't mean he won't still be looking fly -- TMZ Sports has learned he's just copped a sweet new necklace ... that's worth a quarter of a million dollars!!

The closer -- who's currently on New York's injured list after tearing up his knee during the World Baseball Classic back in March -- hit up Victor Rodriguez, aka Tajia Diamonds, for the piece recently ... and the jeweler just finished the product this week.

And, check out the images ... it came out awesome!!

The pendant features a trumpet -- a nod to Diaz's famous "Narco" walkout song -- as well as his jersey number 39 ... and it's completely iced out.

Rodriguez tells us it has 75 cts of VS diamonds and F color stones.

As for the chain it sits on ... Rodriguez says that's decked out too -- with 100 cts of VS diamonds.

The pitcher also got a custom bracelet to go along with the drip for his neck ... and it's got his No. 39 all over it.

In total, we're told the bill came out to $250K ... but don't worry, Diaz can certainly afford it -- he just inked a five-year, $102 million contract this past offseason.

4:04 PM PT -- It's a good thing Wemby is a great basketball player, 'cause the prospect's first pitch was quite the stinker ... flying waaaay outta the strike zone and past the catcher.

Wemby was a good sport over it all ... smiling as he made his way to home plate after the toss.

It was pretty expected, though -- after all, baseball ain't the biggest sport in France.

Keep your head up, buddy!!

Future NBA star Victor Wembanyama is throwing the first pitch at the New York Yankees game on Tuesday ... and the giant hooper showed off just how massive he is prior to the ceremonial toss by covering a baseball with his whole hand!!

The soon-to-be San Antonio Spur shared a snap of himself holding a baseball leading up to the big moment ... and the 7'5" athlete made the damn thing look more like a golf ball.

"Lmaooooo," Wemby said on Instagram ... fully aware that he is a freak of nature.

The French superstar was friendly as usual with fans before the game ... signing autographs as he rocked a Yankee jersey and a pair of unreleased Nike x Drake kicks.

As we previously reported, Wemby touched down in the States on Monday ... and was bombarded by supporters, which was a glimpse of what the rest of his life will look like.

The game starts at 4 PM PT ... and Wemby will take the mound prior to the Yankees' tilt against the Seattle Mariners.

Detroit Tigers star Spencer Torkelson absolutely lost it on an umpire after a strike call on Monday night ... going on an f-bomb-laced rant -- and the first baseman's whole temper tantrum was picked up on a hot mic!!!

The PG-13 scene played out in the bottom of the seventh inning of the Tigers' tilt with the Royals at Comerica Park ... when Torkelson was up to bat with two runners on.

Down by just a run, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft was looking to help his team take a late lead ... but, instead, the game's homeplate ump rang him up on a borderline pitch.

Torkelson clearly hated the call -- and he immediately laid into the guy.

"Oh my f***ing God!" the 23-year-old screamed. "The f*** are you looking at?!?"

Somehow, Torkelson was able to make it back to his dugout without being ejected from the game.

It all ended up well for Torkelson despite the blowup -- the Tigers' next batter, Kerry Carpenter, hit a three-run home run that ultimately gave Detroit the win.

True to their word, Catholic groups in the thousands rallied outside Dodger Stadium -- even blocking parking lot entrances -- due to the team's Pride Night plans to honor an LGBTQ group that satirizes nuns.

A sea of peaceful protesters seemed to nearly surround the entire venue Friday night, ahead of the Dodgers shining a spotlight on The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.

The Sisters are a charitable org, but one that features members in drag dressed as nuns and they've been known to perform "communion" with tequila. It's all done tongue-in-cheek, they would say, but that's what mobilized the protestors.

The level of turnout was insane -- one huge group chanted, "save our children" while marching near the stadium -- all indications of just how much of a national story this showdown over The Sisters had become.

The Dodgers had actually scrapped the plan to include the group in its Pride night after backlash from the Catholic League and Sen. Marco Rubio.

But, then LGBTQ groups threatened to boycott the team's Pride Night ... and The Sisters were re-invited to Dodger Stadium.

Even a few players, including Clayton Kershaw, were vocal about their opposition to the Dodgers honoring The Sisters. In a seeming bit of compromise, the team recently announced it would bring back Christian Faith and Family Day on July 30.

The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence were honored inside Dodger Stadium -- but it went down about an hour before the game against the rival San Francisco Giants, so very few fans witnessed it.

Oakland Athletics fans flocked to the Coliseum on Tuesday to hold a "reverse boycott" against the franchise's plans to move to Las Vegas  ... and the movement got support from one major supporter -- Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong!!

More than 27,000 supporters -- the biggest crowd of the season -- filled the stadium to prove to A's owner John Fisher they still support the ball club ... and many wore shirts calling on him to sell the team.

Of course, A's fans have been fed up for years ... with the A's front office seemingly giving up on any hopes of being legit contenders by shipping away young stars and having the lowest payroll in the league -- resulting in poor attendance records at home games.

Now that Fisher has kickstarted the relocation process, the larger-than-normal crowd of A's fans showed their disproval as their beloved team played the Tampa Bay Rays ... chanting "sell the team!" and, at other times, giving the silent treatment altogether.

Armstrong -- an Oakland native and longtime A's backer -- was among the fans in attendance ... and he was all-in on the cause, posting his support on Instagram.

"Oakland forever, Vegas never," the rocker said. "#selltheteam."

BJA was super friendly with his fellow A's fans ... posing for selfies and chatting amongst the crowd throughout the contest.

The A's continued their current winning streak by winning the game, 2-1, but things got ugly shortly after the final out ... with some spectators throwing trash onto the field.

Another woman has reportedly come forward and accused Trevor Bauer of sexual assault ... but the MLB star is denying the claims, alleging she's fabricated her story in an attempt to extort him.

USA Today reports the allegations against Bauer were all made as part of a woman's civil lawsuit against the former Dodgers pitcher that was filed in Arizona last year.

According to the outlet ... the woman claimed in court documents that Bauer held her at knifepoint during one incident in Dec. 2020 -- before he raped her during another encounter two days later.

In the initial incident, the woman -- according to USA Today -- said while she was on Bauer's lap having dinner with him, he "placed his jagged steak knife to my throat."

"I was stunned and did not dare to move," the woman said in court docs, according to the report. "The Defendant asked me, 'Have you ever been held at knife point?' to which I hesitantly respond, 'No.' The Defendant took a deep breath in and exhaled. The Defendant's steak knife scratched my throat as he released me and I got up from his lap."

Later that week, USA Today reports the woman says Bauer choked her unconscious with her hair during sex.

"When I was conscious yet delirious," she reportedly said in a court filing, "I recall being on my back while hearing the Defendant yell unusual sounds/moaning."

The woman allegedly got pregnant during the incident.

USA Today reports the two had one more disturbing encounter in March 2021 ... when the woman alleges Bauer got violent with her.

"Knowing I am pregnant," the woman reportedly said in court docs, "the defendant body slams me on my back on top of my computer breaking the screen before telling me he will no longer be in a relationship with me if I have this baby."

Bauer, however, is adamant he committed no wrongdoing. According to USA Today, he's filed a countersuit against the woman, accusing her of extortion, fraud and faking her pregnancy.

Bauer reportedly said in court filings of his own that he did have one consensual sexual encounter with her in Dec. 2020, but said the condom broke. He alleges the woman then later told him she was pregnant and wanted nearly $2 million from him for an abortion.

According to USA Today, Bauer paid her $8,761 for help with the termination of the pregnancy ... but said she provided no documentation of the abortion, leading the baseball player to believe the woman "fabricated her pregnancy to try to extort him for money."

The outlet reports the woman said in an amended complaint this week she did opt to not have an abortion -- but instead suffered a miscarriage in April 2021.

The woman is reportedly asking for $3.7 million in her suit.

Bauer has previously been publicly accused of sexually assaulting women three other times -- including once by a San Diego woman ... who alleged Bauer choked her unconscious and then had non-consensual anal sex with her during two encounters in 2021.

Bauer was never arrested nor charged over the claims ... but MLB did hit him with a record 324-game suspension for it all that was later reduced to a 194-game ban. The Dodgers eventually cut ties with him following his reinstatement ... leading the pitcher to sign a one-year deal to play for the Yokohama DeNA Baystars in Japan this season.

Get ready, MLB fans ... another Freeman appears to be well on his way to The Show -- 'cause Freddie Freeman's wife tells TMZ Sports their 6-year-old son is tearing it up in youth baseball games!!!

Charlie Freeman has been working to follow in his dad's footsteps ever since he was old enough to hold a mitt ... and when we got Chelsea Freeman out in L.A. earlier this month, she told us the kid is already ballin' just like Pops in real games.

In fact, Chelsea says little Charlie is actually playing with 7-year-olds ... and is more than holding his own with the older kids.

"We put him up a year," Chelsea said, "so he's playing really well."

Chelsea tells us ... Charlie is both a pitcher and a first baseman -- and the little tyke said he'd love to play for the Dodgers just like his dad someday!

Of course, none of this news should be surprising ... you'll recall, we've been seeing Charlie get busy with a bat since he was just 2 years old.

Yankees and White Sox fans might have to wait another day to watch their teams play ... TMZ Sports has confirmed the MLB is considering postponing Wednesday's game due to smoke coming from ongoing wildfires in Canada.

A spokesperson for the league tells us ... the contest between the two squads is still on for now, but if the conditions get worse or become too dangerous for the players and fans, they will postpone the game.

The rep also told us the league is communicating with health and weather experts ... and will make a decision based on their recommendations.

As you know, smoky conditions from the Canadian fires have dramatically affected the air quality in NYC (and the Northeast), prompting the National Weather Service to warn residents that the air quality is "unhealthy."

In fact, video shot from inside Yankee Stadium earlier Wednesday shows the venue and the sky above it were hardly recognizable.

An MLB postponement due to air quality is not unprecedented ... back in Sept. 2020, the Mariners vs. Giants game in Seattle was moved after wildfire smoke had seriously impacted the Pacific Northwest.

The Yanks-Sox game is currently slated to go down at 7:05 PM ET. The two -- who played their series opener in New York on Tuesday night -- are scheduled to wrap up their three-game set on Thursday.

Jackie Robinson wrote a fiery, handwritten letter to a fan who was pissed off at the Dodgers legend over remarks he made about the Holocaust in early 1969 ... and now, the actual note is for sale for $150k.

Robinson, 50 at the time, addressed the letter to Milton Sacks, a Jewish man who attended Jackie's February 24, 1969 talk at a bank in New Jersey, and Milton wasn't pleased with some of the comments made by the Hall of Famer.

"Being a Jew, I am naturally very sensitive when an attempted genocide which resulted in over 6,000,000 Jews being exterminated in a short period of time is treated very lightly and made to seem insignificant as compared to '140,000,000 Blacks,'" Sacks wrote to Robinson, believing the legendary player downplayed the Holocaust.

Sacks also asked Robinson to provide his source for the statistics on how many Africans died during slavery.

At the time, a local NJ newspaper described Robinson's comments ... "[Jackie] reminded the audience of the mass murders of Jews during World War II, but said that during the slave trading years, an estimated 140 million blacks were killed."

The paper wrote Robinson said ... "That figure was the population of the United States in 1945," adding, "That's something to think about."

Jackie, who clearly didn't agree with the assertion, crafted a handwritten response on "JACKIE ROBINSON" letterhead.

After beginning with a pleasantry, Robinson fired back ... "I was surprised by your sensitivity. How can you say 6,000,000 murdered Jews seemed insignificant regardless of the number of slaves killed."

Jackie continued ... "What difference does a number make one would have been too many and it seems to me you are overly sensitive and it does surprise me. I resent your inference and usually say to 'hell' with individuals who feel as you do about the fact 140,000,000 blacks were killed."

Robinson then invited Sacks to call him on the phone the following week so he could reveal his sources. It's unclear if the conversation ever occurred.

Milton's typed letter to Jackie is also included in the sale.

Robinson, a 6-time All-Star and 1949 NL MVP, is one of the most important figures in the history of American sports. The second baseman broke MLB's color barrier in 1947.

A pursuit of a foul ball nearly turned into a tragedy for one college baseball fan over the weekend ... 'cause video shows as the man was hightailing it for a souvenir, he dropped a little boy on his head.

The scary scene happened on Sunday afternoon during the Campbell vs. N.C. State regional elimination game in Columbia, S.C. ... when in the seventh inning, Wolfpack third baseman LuJames Groover III rocketed a ball into foul territory down the first base line.

Video from the game's broadcast shows the baseball careened through a nearby concourse ... as one man holding a toddler jogged after it.

But, you can see as the guy went down to grab it, he lost his balance ... and collapsed to the ground. As he was falling, the child he was holding smacked his head hard on the pavement.

The kid seemed to be in pain ... and even the game's broadcaster noticed it all go down, letting out an audible, "Oh!" as the two tumbled to the ground.

Thankfully, it doesn't seem the boy was significantly injured.

Tom Sandoval cheating on Ariana Madix is sorta paying off for her and her friends -- the whole 'Scandoval' thing landed her and Scheana Shay on a baseball diamond.

The "Vanderpump Rules" stars were drafted Saturday by the San Diego Padres to throw out their ceremonial first pitch before a game against the Chicago Cubs ... and they were pretty giddy about the gig.

Ariana and Scheana were rocking matching Padres jerseys and brown ball caps at Petco Park, where Scheana said, "This has been a dream of mine."

As for their actual pitches -- not exactly strikes from either of 'em, but they did reach the vicinity of home plate. Much better than several other celebs we've seen on a pitching mound. Definitely not looking at you 50 Cent. 😉

Mind you, neither Scheana or Ariana are San Diego natives, but you get why the Padres recruited them -- 'VPR' is hotter than ever since Tom's affair with Raquel Leviss came to light.

TMZ broke the story ... Ariana and Tom broke up in March after she learned of the months-long affair.

As a result, the 'VPR' reunion is drawing huge ratings for Bravo, Tom's band is selling out venues ... and Ariana is cashing in with brand deals, "Dancing with the Stars" and now baseball.