Baseball

Don't dig a grave for Tim Tebow's MLB career just yet ... HE'S COMING BACK TO THE METS IN 2021!

... so says Mets president Sandy Alderson who made it clear the franchise isn't ready to move on from the former NFL quarterback.

Remember, the minor league baseball season was scrapped in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic -- leaving players like 33-year-old Tebow contemplating his baseball future.

But, Alderson said he spoke with Tebow over the weekend -- and it seems they reached an agreement to resume the Tim Tebow experiment next season.

"He’s anxious to come back," Alderson told the NY Post.

"And I told Tim, ‘Look, why would you want to end your quest based on a COVID-related reason? You didn’t get a chance to perform this year.’ He was hurt a little bit the previous year. So I think Tim is committed to coming back. And I think we’re committed to giving him an opportunity to do that and we’ll see where it goes."

Alderson says both sides realize Tim's baseball career will end at some point -- but that time isn't now!

"This is not a quest without end. At some point it will culminate. But I think that will be at a time when Tim and the organization come to some agreement about where he is and what his potential is. But I didn’t want him to go out based on some COVID-related interruption."

Tebow signed his deal with the NY Mets in 2016 -- and while it's been fun to watch him compete, his numbers haven't exactly been stellar -- he's only batting .223 in his 3 minor league seasons.

He spent a short stint at the Triple-A level in 2019 -- but didn't exactly shine there either ... with a .163 batting average in 264 plate appearances.

After spending three seasons in the NFL, Tebow decided to give baseball a shot. He was signed by the Mets in 2016 and has moved up through the team’s minor-league system. Tebow reached Triple-A briefly in 2019, and will likely begin 2021 at that level.

Tebow recently spoke about his baseball career to MLB.com -- acknowledging the end could be near.

"It’s not something that I want to do forever," Tebow said ... "because there’s a lot of other things that are in my heart that I want to pursue."

Tampa Bay Rays outfielder, Randy Arozarena, is the subject of an MLB investigation stemming from an alleged violent incident in Mexico involving the mother of his child and the woman's father.

25-year-old Arozarena was reportedly detained at the woman's home, according to local media outlets.

ESPN's Jeff Passan reports Arozarena "allegedly tried to take his daughter from her mother and assaulted the woman’s father."

Reports out of Mexico indicate Arozarena showed up to the home with gifts for his daughter -- but things went awry when he arrived and he allegedly tried to take the child from the house without permission from the mother.

Video has surfaced allegedly showing a standoff between Arozarena and neighbors -- while Arozarena is holding a child.

Mexican authorities have said they will release more information about the case in the coming days. In the meantime, MLB has officially launched an investigation to gather information.

Rob Kardashian is ON FIRE -- the sports card collector just pulled an ultra-rare Honus Wagner autograph ... and the video is epic!

Here's the deal ... Rob K. has established himself as one of the top dogs in the high-end sports card market -- often buying boxes of pricy, rare cards in the hopes of hitting big.

AND HE KEEPS HITTING BIG!!!

This time, Rob paid $750 for a chance at the contents of the BullPen BullChest at the Bullpen card shop in L.A.

Basically, 6 people pay $750 each to split the contents of the BullChest which is loaded with expensive PSA graded cards, boxes of unopened cards ... sometimes just packs of rare cards.

The collectors get to select 1 item from the chest in an order that's randomly selected by the shop.

This time, Rob was 5th to select (not the best position) -- but it worked out for him this time!

Rob decided to pick an unopened box of 2020 Topps Dynasty cards -- which usually runs around $500 and only contains ONE CARD!!

But, when the Bullpen staffer opened the pack (Rob was watching virtually on a live stream) ... he went CRAZY when he realized he pulled a special 1-of-1 Honus Wagner auto!

Wagner died in 1955 -- but the people at Topps secured an authenticated autograph used it as the base of a new card.

Unclear what it's worth ... but it's fair to say Rob EASILY made back his investment!

As we previously reported, Rob recently pulled an ultra-rare Tom Brady card that some believe could sell for more than $200k!

A ball Patrick Mahomes signed back in high school is hitting the auction block ... and check out the signature -- the NFL superstar had a John Hancock like a pro even as a teenager!!

TMZ Sports has learned the K.C. Chiefs QB put pen to ball back in 2013 ... and now, it's the earliest Mahomes auto EVER to go up for auction.

We're told the story behind the ball is pretty special ... the guys at Lelands say Mahomes and his entire Whitehouse H.S. Wildcats baseball team in Texas signed it for a boy who was battling Leukemia.

Leland's reps say the boy threw out the first pitch at one of the team's games (with Mahomes catching it) -- and later, the kid got the whole team to sign it.

Check out the piece ... in the sweet spot, "2013 Whitehouse Wildcats" is handwritten. Just above it is Mahomes' auto, which features his signature with the "#5."

21 of Mahomes' other high school teammates also signed the ball.

Unclear what it's ultimately expected to fetch -- it is awfully hard to price such a unique item, after all -- but bidding has started at $500.

And, if that price sounds crazy ... consider this -- a ball signed by a teenage Michael Jordan in 1976 just sold this year at auction for $36,000!!!

Robinson Cano has been popped for a banned substance again ... and this time, it'll cost him the entire 2021 season AND a fat paycheck.

The New York Mets star second baseman tested positive for PEDs, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan, and he's now been suspended for all of next year.

38-year-old Cano will also forfeit $24 MILLION in salary due to the season-long ban, Passan added.

The 8-time All-Star had previously been busted for using a banned substance back in 2018 ... when MLB hit him with an 80-game suspension.

At the time, Cano admitted to taking Furosemide -- which MLB has barred because it can act as a masking agent for PEDs -- but the baseball star claimed he did NOT use it for performance enhancement on the diamond.

"Furosemide is used to treat various medical conditions in the United States and the Dominican Republic," Cano said in '18. "This substance was given to me by a licensed doctor in the Dominican Republic to treat a medical ailment."

"While I did not realize at the time that I was given a medication that was banned, I obviously now wish that I had been more careful."

Unclear what Cano tested positive for this time ... but his absence next year will sure hurt the Mets.

Cano had a monster 2020, batting .316 and hitting 10 home runs in just 49 games.

Before the suspensions ... Cano was considered a Hall of Fame candidate -- with a career batting average of .303 and 334 total home runs.

It's the most wonderful time of the year for Dodger fans -- the team has officially announced a drive-thru holiday extravaganza to help celebrate L.A.'s World Series title!!

The team can't currently celebrate with a normal parade through the City of Angels in honor of their 7th championship (thanks, COVID) ... so they came up with a safe way to honor the victory while spreading some holiday cheer at the same time.

Dubbed the "Holiday Festival," the Dodgers say the event will include "a light show, LED video displays, fake snow and interactive displays honoring the Dodgers World Championship and celebrating the holidays!"

The party will take place at the Dodger Stadium parking lot ... but don't get it twisted -- attendees will still be required to wear face masks when their car windows are down (we're looking at you, Justin Turner) ... as well as maintaining a safe distance from other vehicles.

The event starts the day after Thanksgiving (Nov. 27) and runs through Christmas Eve (Dec. 24) ... and tickets go on sale Tuesday.

Retired MLB star Jim Edmonds is pissed at his estranged wife for being reckless with COVID -- he claims her partying and jet-setting ways put his family in danger.

Jim's estranged wife, "Real Housewives of Orange County" alum Meghan King, says she's isolating after testing positive for COVID-19. Jim's rep, Steve Honig, tells TMZ ... Jim thinks Meghan has a lot of explaining to do because she attended a major Halloween event in St. Louis before jetting down to Miami, where she continued to party.

So, he says Jim's hardly surprised she announced she tested positive ... but he is pissed.

Videos and pictures from the Halloween bash show Meghan rubbing elbows with tons of people, the vast majority of whom are not wearing masks.

And, photos from Meghan's trip to Miami again show her with lots of maskless folks. She says she loves feeding her "wanderlust spirit" ... even in a pandemic.

A source close to the situation claims Meghan came over to Jim's house after her Miami trip to pick up their kids ... after allegedly being exposed to the virus. The source claims Meghan was hugging and kissing the kids, putting not only their children at risk, but also Jim's girlfriend.

Our source claims Meghan's lying about the timing of everything to make it seem like her reckless partying has nothing to do with her positive COVID diagnosis.

We're told after Meghan went public with her diagnosis Sunday, Jim reached out to her directly and expressed disappointment with her lack of responsibility.

Legendary Dodgers Manager Tommy Lasorda is in serious condition at a Southern California hospital in the ICU with heart issues, TMZ Sports has learned.

Lasorda was admitted a week ago and his condition took a turn for the worse. Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ, Tommy was hooked up to a ventilator and sedated. We're told he's now resting comfortably, so it seems he's improved.

Our sources say, his condition is NOT COVID-related.

One source noted Tommy is 93 with medical issues so his prognosis is uncertain.

Lasorda had a storied career in baseball, first signing with the Phillies in 1945. He also played for the Royals

Lasorda retired in 1960 and joined the Dodgers as a scout and then a manager. And, he was one of the most colorful managers in the sport, leading the team to 8 National League West division titles, 4 pennants and 2 World Series championships.

Tommy, who became a TV pitchman for various products, retired in 1996 because of health issues. He has a wine company -- Lasorda Family Wines.

After retiring from managing, he became Vice President and then interim general manager of the team in 1968.

Tommy was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997.

The Miami Marlins have just made a groundbreaking hire -- with the team welcoming baseball exec Kim Ng as the first female general manager in major pro sports history.

The hire makes Ng the highest-ranking woman in baseball operations among all 30 MLB teams.

51-year-old Ng started her front-office career as an intern with the Chicago White Sox in 1991 ... working her way up the ladder and becoming assistant GM to Brian Cashman with the New York Yankees in 1998.

Ng joined the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2001 ... and served as assistant GM until becoming Senior Vice President of Baseball Operations for MLB in 2011.

Ng spoke about the new gig in a statement, saying, "I entered Major League Baseball as an intern and, after decades of determination, it is the honor of my career to lead the Miami Marlins as their next general manager."

"We are building for the long-term in South Florida, developing a forward thinking, collaborative, creative baseball operation made up of incredibly talented and dedicated staff who have, over the last few years, lady great foundation for success."

She continued ... "This challenge is when I don’t take lightly. When I got into this business, it seemed unlikely a woman would lead a Major League team, but I am dogged in the pursuit of my goals."

FYI -- Ng's boss is Derek Jeter ... who, of course, was on the Yanks when she worked as assistant GM from 1998 to 2001.

Ng had interviewed to be GM for other teams like the Giants, Dodgers, Angels and more in the past ... and now she's gunning for ultimate success with her first opportunity.

"My goal is now to bring championship baseball to Miami. I am both humbled and eager to continue building the winning culture our fans expect and deserve."

Congrats!!!

Things are REALLY looking up for Mets fans ... just 2 days after their new owner promised to build a winner -- Noah Syndergaard showed his right arm can still throw missiles!!

... oh, and he did it all sweaty and shirtless!!

Syndergaard -- who had to undergo Tommy John surgery back in March -- posted video of him rocketing fastballs Thursday ... and it's gotta have people in NY ecstatic.

There was obviously concern the 28-year-old might not have the same firepower after the elbow operation ... but it's clear in the footage, Thor should be throwing close to 100 MPH again in no time.

The video comes on the heels of new Mets owner Steve Cohen saying Tuesday he wouldn't cut corners in the process of building the team into a premier MLB franchise.

"This is a major-market team," Cohen told reporters. "It should have a budget commensurate with that."

Syndergaard -- who didn't have the world's greatest relationship with the Wilpons (the previous owners) -- seems fired up to play for the guy ... he even changed his Twitter bio recently to reflect that.

"Dear Steve Cohen," Syndergaard wrote. "Hi, I’m Noah. Some ppl call me Thor. I’m a Met, working out in Florida, and I just want to win for Mets fans just like you."

Need another reason to be envious of World Series MVP Corey Seager?? Well, here ya go ...

The L.A. Dodgers superstar's fiancee, Madisyn Van Ham, loves him SO MUCH ... she got a tiny swimsuit with pics of his face all over it!!!

And, to make sure everyone knows what a lucky guy Seager is ... she shared a photo of it for all to enjoy!!!

"All the 😍 for my soon to be hubby 💍," Van Ham wrote of the suit.

The two have been dating for about 5 years now ... and just got engaged back in December 2019.

They post about each other often ... and Van Ham was even with the shortstop while he was dominating for the Dodgers in the postseason down in Texas last month.

In fact, she got a pic with L.A.'s NLCS trophy right after Seager and the Dodgers moved on to the World Series ... and she hilariously captioned it, "What’s yours is mine, right babe?!"

And, as if the two weren't adorable enough ... they also own the cutest dog ever -- a Toy Australian Shepherd named Hazel Grey!!!

Ex-S.F. Giants outfielder Mac Williamson says his career was ruined by the old placement of the bullpen mounds at Oracle Park in San Francisco ... and now, he's suing over it.

In new court docs, obtained by TMZ Sports, Williamson claims the company that financed and helped create Oracle Park knew the field design posed significant injury risks ... but did nothing about it.

And, Williamson says that all led to a catastrophic head injury that ultimately led to the end of his MLB career.

Williamson was attempting to catch a fly ball back on April 24, 2018 ... when he ran straight into the left field's bullpen mound, slipped and crashed headfirst into a wall.

Williamson stayed in the game and even went on to hit a home run ... but, in his suit, he said he began feeling groggy a short time later.

In the docs, Williamson said the next day, he was "dizzy, disoriented, and nauseous" -- and he was ultimately diagnosed with a concussion and placed on the team's injured list.

Williamson tried to come back and finish out the season ... but he claims he was still struggling with post-concussion symptoms and had shut down for the season.

30-year-old Mac went on to play in 40 games in 2019, but hit just .156 ... and was unable to latch on with an MLB team in 2020.

Now, Mac says in his suit he believes the decline in his play was all due to the injury ... and he wants the company behind Oracle Park to pay for it.

FYI -- it should be noted Williamson is NOT suing the Giants ... rather, just the company behind Oracle Park.

Williamson is asking for unspecified damages in the suit ... adding in a statement Tuesday, "My life hasn’t been the same since suffering the injury."

"The concussion ended my career and left me with life-long injuries that have also taken a significant toll on my personal life."

"I'm fortunate to have such an understanding fiancé who has been there every step of the way and helps me get through the days I suffer nausea, trouble sleeping, mood swings, and other issues. I wake up every day hoping that today is a better day and that I will get closer to how I felt before the injury."

For their part, the Giants and Oracle Park -- which ended up removing the bullpen mounds from the field after the 2019 season -- released a statement Tuesday to the San Francisco Chronicle, saying, "MLB and its clubs have a longstanding practice of addressing claims arising from player injuries through the collectively-bargained grievance procedure and the worker’s compensation system."

Tony La Russa has been charged with DUI stemming from a February incident ... where he allegedly crashed his car in Phoenix and was "argumentative" with police.

The 76-year-old -- who was just hired to manage the Chicago White Sox -- allegedly hit a curb just before midnight on Feb. 24 ... which apparently wrecked his tire.

Cops were called to the scene and found La Russa standing next to his SUV ... which was still smoking, according to court docs obtained by ESPN.

La Russa reportedly smelled like alcohol -- and told the responding officer he had recently left a dinner with some old pals with the Los Angeles Angels.

According to the report, La Russa told the officer his tire had blown out -- but the cop didn't exactly believe Tony's story and conducted a field sobriety test.

La Russa was "argumentative" -- and refused to take a breathalyzer or willingly offer a blood sample to measure his blood-alcohol level, according to the court docs.

Now, prosecutors are moving forward with DUI charges and if convicted, he could face jail time ... though it's unlikely in this particular case.

La Russa has a previous DUI conviction stemming from a 2007 incident in Jupiter, Florida ... but since it's been more than 7 years, it wouldn't be a factor in his current DUI case, under Arizona law.

Dave Roberts is finally speaking out about the Justin Turner COVID drama at the World Series ... admitting everyone involved "could've all done things differently and done better."

The Dodgers manager broke down his feelings on the matter with KTLA on Monday ... relenting his team dropped the ball on the handling of the situation.

"This is new to all of us," Roberts said. "So, I think emotions got the best of all of us."

Turner was pulled in the 7th inning of the Dodgers' Game 6 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays last month after tests revealed he was positive for coronavirus.

The 35-year-old 3rd baseman initially was sent into isolation ... but he came out of it just a short time later, saying in a statement last week that he believed he was given permission to take the field for photos with the World Series trophy.

MLB concluded its investigation into the matter and decided to NOT punish either the Dodgers or JT over it all ... but acknowledged everyone involved should've done more to keep Turner from exposing others.

While Roberts appeared to agree with the sentiment Monday ... he added he's still glad Turner got to relish in the title celebration regardless.

"I'm a cancer survivor," Roberts said. "I sat next to him. And, so, I don't apologize for that."

Ex-Houston Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow is suing his former team for more than $22 MILLION -- claiming he was wrongly made the scapegoat for the cheating scandal despite having nothing to do with it.

53-year-old Luhnow -- who was hired by the Astros in 2011 -- says he signed a deal with the team in 2018 that included $31 million in guaranteed compensation in addition to performance bonuses.

But, when the team fired him for cause following an investigation into allegations the team conducted a high-tech sign-stealing system in 2017 ... Luhnow claims he got screwed out of a ton of money, more than $22 million.

In his breach of contract lawsuit, Luhnow claims the Astros fired him "even though [he] had no knowledge of -- or involvement in -- the sign-stealing schemes."

He adds, "Yet everyone above and below Luhnow in the Astros organization came away unscathed" -- including the "video room employees who conceived and orchestrated the sign stealing system."

Luhnow claims the "investigation" -- which he puts in quotes in his suit -- was "deeply flawed" and wrongly made him a scapegoat, claiming he had knowledge of they scheme.

"The truth is the Astros had no basis to fire Luhnow, a respected executive with an unblemished record and a 16 year history of compliance with MLB rules."

The Astros fired Luhnow in January 2020 -- after the MLB report was released.

He was hit with a 1-year ban -- same as manager A.J. Hinch -- but Luhnow has not been hired by another team.

Hinch, on the other hand, was just hired to manage the Detroit Tigers.

Better start warming up that arm, Mr. President-Elect.

The Washington Nationals have invited Joe Biden to throw out of the first pitch of the 2021 season -- when they take on the New York Mets at home on April 1st.

And, right now, it seems they expect him to accept.

"We look forward to hosting President-Elect Biden on Opening Day of the 2021 season," the team said in a statement.

"We're excited to continue the long-standing tradition of sitting Presidents throwing out the first pitch at the home of the national pastime in our nation's capital."

Worth noting ... Donald Trump did NOT throw out a ceremonial first pitch at an MLB game during his presidency -- the ONLY president to skip the tradition since it began with William Taft in 1910.

Trump famously attended Game 5 of the 2019 World Series when the Nationals played the Houston Astros -- but he didn't throw out the first pitch.

As for Biden, he played a little baseball as a kid -- and threw out the first pitch for the Baltimore Orioles during Opening Day in 2009.

The pitch wasn't horrible (looking at YOU, Dr. Fauci) ... but it wasn't a perfect strike either.