Baseball

Miami Marlins outfielder Lewis Brinson was subjected to racist venom during his final at-bat during Sunday's game against the Colorado Rockies ... being called the n-word by a fan.

Brinson was at the plate at the top of the 9th with the Rockies ahead of the Marlins by quite a bit, and with one out logged ... he stepped up to take a hack. After taking a second ball, somebody in the stands started unabashedly hurling the slur as loud as they could.

The man's words were picked up by a mic ... and you can clearly hear him saying it over and over again, seemingly in Brinson's direction -- as the guy turned around to look himself.

It's unclear if the fan was found and punished for the reprehensible language ... as neither the Rockies nor Coors Field seem to have addressed the situation just yet. Beat reporters and broadcasters who were watching/covering the game, however, have spoken out.

All of them are calling for the same thing ... for the fan to be ID'd and banned for life for using such language. As the Marlins play-by-play man Paul Severino put it ... "The level of hate that was displayed has no place in this world. Unfortunately, it's still far too prevalent. We need to be better. And soon. Awful." The sentiment was similar among the others, too.

Brinson, for his part, had been playing pretty well this series -- getting 2 hits Sunday and 3 on Saturday ... so he was giving the Rockies problems. Still, for someone to stoop to this ... it's despicable.

One other weird thing ... the MLB App isn't allowing one to watch the Rockies/Marlins game at the moment -- even though it's already over. It might still be getting archived at the moment, but it's also possible the league is scrubbing/censoring today's game in light of what happened.

Trevor Bauer says he has proof his accuser admitted in writing that at least one of their sexual encounters was "consensual."

The L.A. Dodgers star made the claims in a new court filing this week ... saying he and his reps have obtained text messages between his accuser and her cousin that show she admitted that at least one night of Bauer's rough sexual acts were consensual.

In the text message exchange ... which Bauer claims went down on May 16 -- the morning after the second of their two sexual encounters -- the Dodgers star says the woman was having a conversation with her cousin about having sex with the pitcher.

"How you doing there dude," Bauer claims the cousin asked.

"Dude. Not good," the woman allegedly responded.

When asked what happened, in the document Bauer says the woman showed her cousin a picture of her bruised and swollen face, adding, "He felt so bad. I literally had no idea it was gonna be that bad!? Like im ok but holy sh*t!?!?"

Bauer says the cousin responded, "Ok ok I thought he actually got violent. As long as it was consensual I don't have to kill him."

The woman, according to Bauer, said, "It was consensual but like didnt expect two black eyes!? Like he def took it too far dont you think lol."

In the docs, Bauer and his attorneys claim the messages help prove the MLB player did not sexually assault the woman.

The accuser's attorney, though, is calling B.S. on it all ... with Bryan Freedman saying in a statement to the L.A. Times, "Mr. Bauer’s defense team is deliberately twisting the tone of text messages exchanged with an assault victim within hours of her being attacked to try to minimize the long-lasting impact on her physical and mental well-being to this day.”

Freedman continued, "[She] did not consent to be punched in her face, punched in her head, punched in her buttocks or repeatedly punched in her vagina."

Police have said they are investigating Bauer -- who's currently on administrative leave from the Dodgers.

Further court hearings, meanwhile, to determine if a permanent restraining order against Bauer should be put in place are slated to continue later this month.

Dodgers fans clearly still despise Jose Altuve -- even after L.A. destroyed the Astros star Wednesday -- 'cause they broke out multiple in-game AND postgame "F*** Altuve" chants, and they were LOUD!!

The raucous scenes all went down at Dodger Stadium at the end of L.A.'s big 7-5 win over the Astros ... with broadcast mics picking up the jeers throughout the evening.

In fact, the chants were so sharp ... ex-Dodger Jerry Hairston -- who was working on the team's postgame show -- couldn't help but laugh at them all!!

Of course, Dodgers fans are still VERY bitter at Altuve and his Houston teammates ... after Los Angelinos feel they were cheated out of a World Series title in 2017.

You'll recall, the 'Stros were found to have used an elaborate, illegal sign-stealing scheme to help them win games in both the '17 and '18 seasons.

And, Dodgers fans haven't forgotten about any of it even four years removed from it all ... 'cause they trolled Houston HARD at every turn of their 2-game series this week.

Seems the Dodgers got the last laugh for now, too ... 'cause Altuve was horrible in Wednesday's loss, going 0-for-4 with four strikeouts.

A 1909 Honus Wagner baseball card -- arguably the most coveted sports card to ever exist -- is up for auction ... and is expected to sell for OVER $6 MILLION!!

Bidding for the super rare T206 card (only about 50-60 are known to exist) STARTS at $1 million ... but the experts at Robert Edwards Auction -- who are selling the Wagner -- tell TMZ Sports they predict it'll shatter that price.

In fact, we're told REA believes the collectible has a chance to topple the 1952 Mickey Mantle rookie card ... which sold for $5.2 million this year.

Wagner was an 8x NL batting champion and is a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame ... but that isn't the only reason the card is so valuable.

Honus reportedly despised the card because it was made by a cigarette company ... American Tobacco Company.

ATC only made a handful of the cards ... creating huge demand.

"This is an exciting time in our field, and I believe that timing is right for this card to become the most valuable card ever sold at public auction. This is the Mona Lisa of baseball cards, and it’s a statement piece of epic proportions,” Robert Edwards president tells us.

L.A. fans trolled the hell out of the Astros during their 1st encounter with Houston at Dodger Stadium since the 'Stros were busted for sign stealing ... with people throwing trash cans, mercilessly booing and even breaking out "cheaters" chants.

It all went down Tuesday night ... when Dodgers fans FINALLY got to see the Astros in person in L.A. after the pandemic had prevented them from hitting the ballpark during their games last season.

And, it didn't take long for Dodgers fans to begin spitting fire ... with "boos" raining down HARD during the broadcast of Houston's starting lineup.

The jeers eventually turned into park-wide "cheaters" chants ... and later in the game, fans threw trash bins on the field too.

Of course, MLB officials revealed just before the start of the 2020 season that Houston illegally stole signs using an elaborate trash can-banging scheme in 2017 (the year it beat the Dodgers for their first and only World Series title) and in 2018.

And, clearly, L.A. is still furious over it all ... with things getting so crazy on the field Tuesday, Dodgers P.A. announcers had to remind fans to not throw objects into the outfield.

A number of Dodger fans even threw trash at a nearby Astros fan -- wearing a "0 Fuxgivin" jersey -- in the outfield stands ... resulting in a violent scuffle.

Houston, though, got the last laugh ... at least in Game 1 of the teams' 2-game series this week -- 'cause it ended up beating the Dodgers 3-0.

Game 2 kicks off Wednesday night at 6:40 PM PT ... with Max Scherzer set to make his L.A. debut.

How's Victor Robles filling the void of no more Max Scherzer and no more Trea Turner in the Washington Nationals' dugout??

Apparently with insects ... 'cause the Nats outfielder played with a praying mantis on his head for a full inning during his game Monday!!!

The hilarious scene all went down during the Nationals' tilt vs. the Phillies in D.C. ... when the 24-year-old outfielder got a surprise visit from a green friend.

Broadcast cameras captured the bug on Robles' dome while he was in the dugout ... and when he left the bench area to hit the field, the mantis stayed with him!!

For the entire inning, Robles and the mantis hung out in center field ... and at one point, Robles even informed his little friend of how many outs were in the inning!

Doesn't seem the creature brought Robles or the Nats good luck, though ... 'cause they went on to blow a 3-2 lead to lose the game, 7-5.

In fact, the Phillies went on to claim the mantis as their good luck charm, saying on social media, "RALLY MANTIS."

Kris Bryant cried and needed multiple hugs after learning he was being traded out of Chicago ... and video of his emotional departure from the Windy City will hit ya right in the feels.

The Cubs star was dealt to the S.F. Giants just minutes before Friday's MLB trade deadline ... and when he learned of the news via a phone call in the dugout, it ain't hard to see it hurt like hell.

Bryant dapped up and hugged a Cubs staffer, and then began to tear up. And, when the waterworks began to flow heavily, he needed a second hug before leaving the dugout.

Of course, Chicago is all Bryant has known ... he was picked by the Cubbies in the first round of the 2013 MLB draft, and has been a star just about every day since.

Bryant won the NL Rookie of the Year award in 2015, NL MVP honors in 2016, and he helped Chicago win a World Series title in '16 as well.

Two more stars are headed to Hollywood ... the Dodgers just landed two of the best players in baseball, Max Scherzer and Trea Turner, in a trade with the Nationals.

The deal -- which got done right at Friday's MLB trade deadline -- is MASSIVE for L.A. ... which now boasts probably the best hitting lineup AND starting pitching rotation in baseball.

Scherzer -- who owns a 7-4 record this season with a 2.83 ERA -- will join Cy Young-quality arms like Walker Buehler, Clayton Kershaw and potentially Trevor Bauer (who's currently on paid leave) as Dodgers' SPs.

Turner, meanwhile, will join a lineup that already featured mega-stars like Mookie Betts, Justin Turner, Corey Seager and Max Muncy.

It's been reported that Turner -- who's batting .322 with 18 home runs and 21 stolen bases this season -- will make the move from shortstop to second base when he gets to Los Angeles.

As for what the Dodgers had to give up to land the pair ... L.A. sent a slew of prospects, including catcher Keibert Ruiz, in order to get the deal done.

The Dodgers are currently 3 games back behind the Giants for first place in the NL West ... but something tells us that gap is about to narrow in a hurry.

A one-of-one Mike Trout rookie card just sold for OVER $1 MILLION in a private sale to one of the industries top DJ's ... TMZ Sports has learned.

The 2011 "Platinum" Mike Trout Topps Update card is one of the most coveted modern-day baseball cards in existence.

We're told that DJ Skee -- who's worked with top artists like Kendrick Lamar and Post Malone -- along with Mint 10 business partners Courtney and Carter Reum (Paris Hilton's fiancé) ... dropped nearly $1.1 milli on the cardboard.

Collectible marketplace, PWCC brokered the sale, according to the company.

The front of the card features a photo of a then 19-year-old Trout at the plate in his Angels uni. The back is stamped 1/1 ... and says "The New Jersey born speedster debuted on July 8 vs. Seattle, then showed his wares the next night with his first hit and two runs."

The card -- rated a Mint 9 by the card graders at Beckett -- will be on display this week at the Topps booth at the National Sports Card Convention in Chicago.

And, if you don't have 7 figures to spend on a card, Skee teamed up with Topps ... and is releasing a wayyyy more affordable, $20 card that resembles the ultra-rare Platinum card.

Of course, the high-end card market has EXPLODED over the last few years ... a 2009 Bowman Chrome Superfractor sold for $3.9 million in August 2020.

A fan at a Seattle Mariners game left the ballpark this weekend with a gnarly gash on his forehead ... after he took two HUGE punches to the face during a fight in the stands.

The wild scene was all captured on video during the Mariners' game Friday night against the Oakland A's ... when two fans got into an argument that turned violent.

In the footage, you can see the two were quarreling ... when the man in a Mariners jersey suddenly unloaded a massive right to the other guy's face.

The force of the blow was so vicious, it knocked off the guy's hat and sunglasses.

The fighting, though, didn't stop there ... 'cause just a few seconds later, the same man unloaded a second right that connected flush with the other guy's face again.

Somehow, the dude was not knocked down nor knocked out ... though he posted on social media Saturday revealing the two punches left him with a bloody wound above his eye.

Fortunately, he didn't seem to have too serious of injuries ... saying on his Twitter page, "I’m fine btw! Ate them up."

We've reached out to law enforcement to see if any arrests were made, but so far, no word back yet.

Cleveland Indians pitcher Nick Wittgren says fans hurled homophobic insults at him and threatened to kill his family after he had a poor outing during a game over the weekend.

The comments that Wittgren says he received after he gave up five earned runs in the Indians' loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday night were deeply disturbing.

In one of them, Wittgren says a fan wrote to him after Cleveland's 10-5 loss, "I know where you live. I will get you tonight and kill your family."

Wittgren says the fan continued, "I will get your home at midnight. I will shot your family and stab your necks."

The 30-year-old says another fan also called him "f****t" repeatedly.

"Sadly this is considered 'normal' in professional sports," Wittgren said of the vile comments. "It’s happened to 90% of players I know and basically after every bad outing a player has."

"But there is nothing normal about threatening someone and their families lives."

Wittgren's wife says she, too, received threats and heinous remarks over Nick's game ... saying in a statement on social media, "Y’all I get it, my husband had a bad day at work."

"But sending both of us very explicit death threats aimed at him, me, and our children is absolutely inexcusable."

The Indians say law enforcement has been contacted over the messages ... adding the team is investigating the threats as well.

"We continue to work through all available security channels in an ongoing attempt to identify individuals who engage in this type of behavior towards our team members and eliminate future instances," Indians officials said.

"Abusive and threatening language undermines the ability of social media platforms to create positive, healthy connections."

Trevor Bauer and his attorney showed up to an L.A. courtroom Friday ... making it clear they're ready to fight the pitcher's assault accuser's allegations.

Bauer -- wearing a purple suit, pink shirt and tie -- showed up just prior to the morning proceedings. His accuser was also in court.

During the hearing -- which was scheduled in order to determine if a temporary restraining order against Bauer should turn into a permanent one -- Bauer's attorney said they want to call 3-4 witnesses to support his case.

Meanwhile, Bauer's accuser -- through her attorney -- said they would like to call around six witnesses to show why the restraining order should be granted.

The parties estimated a hearing on the matter would take around 2 days.

The hearing is expected to begin after a lunch break later Friday afternoon.

As we previously reported, Bauer's accuser got the temporary restraining order in late June ... after she said in court docs the MLB star was violent with her during two sexual encounters in April and May.

In the docs, the woman claimed Bauer choked her unconscious and punched her repeatedly ... leaving her with black eyes, bruises, scrapes and scratches.

The 30-year-old pitcher and his reps have denied the allegations ... claiming the incidents were part of 2 entirely consensual sexual encounters.

Police and the MLB are conducting investigations into the claims. Bauer -- who's been on administrative leave and away from the Dodgers' mound since the allegations -- has not been arrested nor has he been charged.

It's unknown if Bauer plans on testifying during the hearing.

Alex Rodriguez is moving on from Jennifer Lopez in an interesting way ... on a yacht with some bikini-clad women along the French Riviera.

The former MLB star's soaking up the sun and enjoying the water while vacationing in Saint-Tropez this week ... while showing off his buff bod and having some fun on a giant inflatable slide.

We haven't seen much of A-Rod recently, and though we know he's renting a summer house in the Hamptons -- not too far away from J Lo -- she's clearly NOT on his mind at the moment. Sources connected to Alex tell us the yacht adventure is to celebrate his upcoming 46th birthday, and the folks onboard with him are friends, family and A-Rod Corp employees ... no romantic hookups.

We'll say this ... Alex has some attractive friends and staffers.

Since their breakup, A-Rod's been more low-profile ... while J Lo's been out and about in multiple cities with her old flame, Ben Affleck. As we reported, she's been house-hunting in L.A., and Ben's come along for the ride -- plus, they've had some romantic dinner dates.

Cleveland pulled out the big guns to unveil its MLB team's new name, drafting none other than Tom Hanks to roll out ... the Cleveland Guardians!!!

A slick new video announced the name change -- which takes effect next season -- with Hanks handling the voiceover, explaining the new name is intended to unite fans "as one family, one community."

The old name, of course, had been trashed for years for being divisive and offensive to Indigenous people.

The new name is linked to a couple of local celebs -- 2 statues on the city's Hope Memorial Bridge, which is right near the team's Progressive Field. Those were built as "guardians of traffic" to symbolize progress in transportation.

The MLB name is more about progress for the city and the team, but like anything else new ... haters gonna hate. Reaction to the Guardians name and logo -- a "G" with a baseball, in the same font as the old name -- is mixed. At best.

That's alright ... Cleveland's used to it.

Does a good fastball run in Pettitte blood? Derek Jeter is certainly hoping so ... 'cause the Marlins exec said he signed Andy Pettitte's son this week because he's banking on the kid's DNA!!

Jeets spoke about the Marlins' deal with Jared Pettitte out in NYC to Adam Glyn ... explaining, with a little bit of his tongue in his cheek, that he inked Andy's boy 'cause of his legendary pops' skillset.

"He's got good genes," Jeter said wryly when asked why he thought his longtime Yankees teammate's son deserved a chance in the Miami org.

Of course, the younger Pettitte is much more than just Andy's kid ... he's got a live arm -- even though he did record a 5.81 ERA in 13 games at Dallas Baptist University this year.

"I do model a lot of my game after [my dad]," Jared told YES Network earlier this month. "I really have to rely a lot on command and just kind of the movement on my pitches."

Jared did not get picked in the 2021 MLB draft ... but Jeter was still able to get him on board as an undrafted free agent this week nonetheless.

And, when asked if he was emotional about being reunited with another Pettitte after having so much success with Andy in New York ... Jeter said he's taking a wait-and-see approach for that.

"Not yet," Jeter said. "We got to get him down there [in the minor leagues] first!"

A shirtless MLB fan's face got demolished by several men in a wild brawl at the White Sox game Tuesday night ... and the insane fracas was all caught on video.

The melee went down at some point during the Sox's tilt with the Twins at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago ... when men let their fists fly in the stadium's left-field bleachers.

You can see in the footage ... the fight was violent -- with haymakers being thrown, and landed, repeatedly.

The man without a shirt took most of the damage ... eating flurries of punches from multiple people involved in the skirmish.

To the guy's credit, though, he had quite the chin ... 'cause he took everyone's best shot -- and still wanted more.

It seems at some point cooler heads prevailed ... 'cause when we reached out to cops over the incident, they told us no arrests were made.

As for the game, the Sox used a big 8th inning to railroad Minnesota, 9-5.