Baseball

Cleveland ain't big enough for two Guardians -- at least, that's what a local roller derby team is claiming -- 'cause the "original" Cleveland Guardians are suing the MLB franchise in hopes of blocking its name change.

The Cleveland Guardians roller derby team filed the suit this week ... saying the MLB organization is trying to bully its way into using their name, despite the derby team claiming a "common law" trademark for using the branding in northeast Ohio dating back to 2013.

The derby team is accusing the baseball squad of being shady in the months leading up to the rebranding announcement in July ... claiming they "surreptitiously" filed a trademark for the Cleveland Guardians name "in the small, East African island nation of Mauritius, effectively hiding the application unless one knew where to look."

The derby team says the MLB club hit them up months later ... asking for pictures of jerseys and logos to determine if they were interested in acquiring the CG intellectual property.

Shortly after, the derby team claims the MLB team filed a trademark for a logo that looks "remarkably" like their logo.

The Guardians derby team claims the MLB name change has caused serious issues ... in fact, it claims it cannot fulfill merchandise orders due to suppliers believing the baseball team has the rights to the name ... and its website has crashed due to increased traffic.

Gary Sweatt -- the derby team owner -- eventually reached back out to the MLB team's lawyers in hopes of striking a deal over the naming rights, but says the baseball squad "only offered to pay a nominal amount, likely no more than fifteen minutes of annual team revenue."

Bobby Valentine's been known as the unofficial Mayor of Stamford, CT for years, but now the former NY Mets skipper is looking to make it official ... running for the top seat in his hometown.

“I have passion for this city. I have a skill set that meets the requirements of leadership, management, of team building,” Valentine said in a recent interview.

Stamford is one of the wealthiest cities in Connecticut ... and it's the place 71-year-old Bobby V was born and raised.

Bobby says people are tired of the partisan BS in politics ... so he's not running affiliated with Republicans or Democrats.

"My main takeaway of the last five-plus months of campaigning is that for the most part people are really tired of the partisan divide that the two-party system has created here in the city and in the nation," Valentine said.

He might not be affiliated with either party, but that doesn't mean Valentine doesn't have powerful friends who have endorsed him. In fact, former president (and MLB team owner) George W. Bush has thrown his support behind Bobby V.

We're told Valentine hasn't been sitting at home, hoping his celebrity will carry him to a win at the polls ... he's been rubbing shoulders with people around town, even recently going to a Little League baseball game to shake hands and campaign.

Valentine last managed in 2012 ... when he was fired by the Boston Red Sox.

While his time in Beantown was marred by failures on the field ... Bobby V was a heckuva, albeit controversial, manager.

He managed the Mets from 1996 to 2002 ... leading the Mets to the World Series in 2000. The NYM lost that series to the NY Yankees.

One of the most notorious Bobby V stories went down in 1999. After getting ejected, Valentine returned to the dug an inning later wearing a bad disguise -- glasses and a mustache made out of eye black.

Travis Tritt took a hard-line stance on performing at places requiring anything to help stop the spread of COVID-19 -- and in return, he's singing at a playoff MLB game.

The country star is set to belt out the National Anthem Saturday at Truist Park, where the Braves are hosting the Dodgers for Game 6 of the NLCS. It's a game that'll be aired on TBS, and which will obviously get mainstream coverage.

Tritt made the surprise announcement that he'd been tapped late Friday night, writing ... "FYI - I will be singing our National Anthem for Game 6 of the NLCS in Atlanta tonight between the @Braves and the @Dodgers," adding an American flag emoji at the end.

There's been no explanation for this choice on the part of the Braves -- but it's telling considering Tritt has been in the news of late for publicly stating he would not play shows at venues that had any COVID mandates whatsoever -- including vaccine mandates, negative test mandates or even mask mandates ... and canceling shows to that end.

He recently went on Fox News and said he found COVID protocols discriminatory and unnecessary in many cases ... which is why he was putting his foot down, a la Eric Clapton and other musicians who've taken similar positions.

BTW, Truist Park doesn't have any mandates in place besides for those stepping on the field -- and, apparently, Travis will be performing from somewhere behind home plate.

You've heard of iced-out chains, watches and teeth ... but how about a freakin' iced-out STEERING WHEEL!?!

MLB rising superstar Wander Franco -- the former top prospect in baseball -- is bringing new meaning to car customization ... by copping a brand new Mercedes Benz AMG GLE 53 -- with a steering wheel decked out in diamonds!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... the Tampa Bay Rays shortstop wanted a one-of-a-kind whip, so he put together a team of specialists to personalize the Benz from top to bottom.

We're told Wander used the Auto Spa to do the all-white interior featuring his "El Patron" nickname ... which came with a $100k price tag.

On top of that, Franco's business partner, Nick Drbal, took it one step further with the steering wheel -- done by Gabriel The Jeweler -- to make the car extra special.

Including the cost of the car, the whole project was $235k.

"Wander is the biggest car enthusiast I’ve met," Drbal tells us. "He has every car possible right now. When he said he wanted something different, we had to get clever."

"So, why not ice-out a steering wheel?"

Hey, when you got money, ya can't argue with that logic. Franco signed a $3.825 million deal to join the Rays back in 2017 ... and is set to make a TON more throughout his career.

Forget the plays in the field made by Alex Bregman and Xander Bogaerts ... the best catch during Wednesday's ALCS game happened in the stands -- when a Red Sox fan caught a splintered bat with one hand!!

The wild play all went down in the 2nd inning of the Sox's Game 5 tilt with the Astros ... when Rafael Devers broke his bat trying to hit a pitch off Houston starter Framber Valdez.

In footage of the play, you can see part of the bat went flying into the crowd -- a very scary sight, considering the piece of lumber had a sharp and jagged edge on it.

But, 41-year-old Matt Ferrera stuck out his hand and managed to catch it regardless ... saving everyone around him and avoiding injury himself.

Ferrera -- who appeared to be allowed to keep the bat by Fenway Park officials -- told Yahoo Sports' Hannah Keyser after the play his life did not flash before his eyes.

"I just saw the bat coming," Ferrera said. "And I was like, 'I got to grab that thing.'"

Twenty-one baseball fans headed for the Red Sox vs. Astros ALCS game in Boston were involved in a horrific plane crash Tuesday ... but somehow, they all miraculously survived.

Officials say a McDonnell Douglas MD-87 carrying the nearly two dozen people attempted to take off from Waller County, Texas ... but crashed before it could ever get off the ground.

Authorities say the plane skidded through a fence and caught on fire ... and images of the aftermath are horrifying.

Yet, officials say all 21 people on board -- including a 10-year-old -- made it out of the aircraft safely ... which seems impossible given the state of the plane following the wreck.

Authorities did say 2 people needed to be taken to the hospital due to injuries ... but both -- along with the other 19 on the ride -- are expected to be just fine.

The wife of the plane's owner told KHOU 11 after the accident that the passengers were all headed for Massachusetts to watch the 'Stros take on the Sox in Game 4 of the ALCS.

This has gotta sting!!

Alex Rodriguez was just trying to talk some baseball during American League Championship Series coverage on Monday ... when Boston fans used it as an opportunity to ruthlessly troll the hell out of him about Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck.

A-Rod -- who's doing analysis for Fox's coverage of the postseason -- was hit with verbal jabs before and after the Red Sox beat the Astros ... with fans in the crowd chanting 'J Lo' and 'Aff-leck' and even more harsh phrases like, "She left you with Ben Affleck!"

Of course, J-Rod split back in April ... with Lopez moving on with her former fiancé. Boston fans -- who absolutely hate the ex-Yankees slugger -- made sure A-Rod didn't forget their Sox superfan is living it up with J Lo now.

There were more NSFW chants, which kept the worker controlling the censor button busy all night ... but no matter what was thrown his way, it appeared A-Rod was unfazed.

Another guy yelled out, "Hey, A-Rod, what's your favorite Ben Affleck movie?!"

It ain't Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle or Willie Mays ... no, according to David Ortiz, the greatest baseball player ever is Barry Bonds.

The Red Sox legend made the claim to TMZ Sports out in Beverly Hills this week ... saying Bonds is his MLB G.O.A.T.

"He's the best player of all-time," Big Papi said.

Ortiz added he believes the San Francisco Giants legend is, definitively, a Hall of Famer.

Of course, there's no denying Bonds is statistically the greatest ever ... he hit 762 home runs and stole 514 bases while winning SEVEN MVP awards in his 22 years in the Big Leagues.

The problem ... many believed the former outfielder used performance-enhancing drugs to help his game -- which is why he still hasn't been enshrined in Cooperstown.

Playoff baseball is in full swing!

Famous Los Angeles Dodgers fans -- such as Cheech Marin, Rob Lowe, Joseph Baena, Nick Jonas and Thomas Rhett -- are celebrating their favorite team as they face-off against the Atlanta Braves in Game 2 of the NLCS!

Emily Osment, Jenna Fischer, and Joe Jonas are just a few other sporty stars visiting the stadium, chomping down on Dodger dogs, and cheering from the bleachers with high hopes they will take home the World Series title for a second year in a row!

You won't strike out as you scroll through this gallery of these celebrity fanatics!

S.F. fans might be hurting right now, but there's something to look forward to for next season ... 'cause UFC star Nate Diaz says he wants to throw out the first pitch at a Giants game -- and put Conor McGregor's toss to shame!!

Of course, Diaz's nemesis had one of the worst ceremonial first pitches EVER back in September ... chucking the ball wide right of the plate, but claiming it was actually great.

So, when we spoke with the 36-year-old at the Deontay Wilder vs. Tyson Fury fight last weekend -- before the Giants' heartbreaking exit from the postseason -- we asked if he was gonna try to get the same honor at Oracle Park.

Diaz disses McGregor with his response -- saying if he does get the opportunity, he's gonna hit the target!!

When we asked if his pitch will be better than Conor's, Diaz made it clear he'd look like Logan Webb out there on the mound.

David Ortiz has a message for all of the Yankees' fans blaming Aaron Boone for their disappointing season -- STOP IT.

TMZ Sports got the Boston Red Sox legend out in Beverly Hills this week to talk about his old rival's team ... and he made it clear, Boone is not to blame for New York's early playoff exit this year.

"Managers don't play, man," Ortiz said. "Managers just make moves."

Instead, Ortiz said if the Yankees want to be successful, they just need to work on "chemistry."

"If you don't have chemistry, it doesn't matter if you have talent," Ortiz said. "They have the talent, they just need to work on their chemistry. I think they'll be all right."

Many New York fans would disagree ... Pinstripes supporters have been clamoring for the team's brass to fire Boone ever since the Yanks disappointingly dropped the AL Wild Card Game to the Red Sox.

Boone has been safe for now ... which Ortiz appears to think is the right call in New York, despite what fans may believe.

Max Scherzer won the NLDS for the Dodgers ... and then he lost his shirt partying -- and the whole scene was EPIC!!

The Dodgers' ace came into L.A.'s win-or-go-home game in the 9th inning against the Giants on Thursday night ... and closed the door on San Francisco, securing the 2-1 win to move his team on to the NLCS.

And, just a few minutes after the stellar performance, Scherzer ditched his shirt and partied hard on the field!!

With a beer in hand, sandals on his feet and goggles on his forehead, Mad Max fired up Dodgers fans who had stayed in the crowd -- yelling and pacing down the first base line.

Apparently the drinking and festivities only went on harder from there ... 'cause Scherzer told media members "we can party hard tonight" -- and video from the team's locker room showed they did just that.

The dudes poured champagne and beer all over each other, and we're sure they drank a lot of it too.

If you're wondering, Game 1 against the Braves ain't 'til Saturday ... so plenty of time to sleep off any hangover.

Ex-MLB catcher Ray Fosse -- famous for the wild play at home plate with Pete Rose in the 1970 All-Star Game -- died at 74 years old on Wednesday.

The Oakland A's announced the sad news ... saying they were "heartbroken" over the passing.

"Few people epitomize what it means to be an Athletic more than Ray," Oakland officials said in a statement. "He was the type of franchise icon who always made sure every player, coach, colleague, and fan knew that they were part of the Oakland A's family."

Fosse -- who worked as an analyst breaking down A's games following a 12-year MLB career -- said in August he had been fighting cancer for over a decade.

Sadly, after battling the disease for years, he passed away this week.

"We send our deepest condolences to Carol, Nikki and Lindsey, his family and friends during this difficult time," the A's added. "We'll miss you, Ray.”

Fosse was a two-time All-Star, a two-time World Series champ, and a two-time Gold Glover ... but he was perhaps best known for a collision with Rose in the 1970 Mid-Summer Classic.

In the game, Rose trucked through Fosse to score the winning run ... and it ultimately altered Fosse's career and life.

The catcher suffered major injuries during the play -- ones that affected the rest of his playing days -- though he still was able to play effectively for several more years.

Fosse ultimately finished his career with 61 home runs, a .256 batting average and 324 RBI.

"My deepest condolences to the Fosse family," said Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley, who not only played with Fosse but worked with him as an A's analyst as well.

"Ray was a dear friend. I cherished our long history and will miss him dearly. Oakland Coliseum will never be the same without Ray."

While the Dodgers were fighting for their playoff lives against the Giants Tuesday -- their fans in the stands were fighting each other, landing punches in a wild skirmish that was all caught on video.

At some point during L.A.'s playoff game with San Francisco at Dodger Stadium ... several fans got into an altercation in a walkway at the venue that turned violent.

In the footage, you can see two men -- both dressed in Dodgers gear -- argued with each other ... before one of the men unloaded a right on the other's face.

All hell then broke loose, 'cause the two guys began wrestling with each other and throwing more punches.

Eventually, another Dodgers fan came in and threw a huge haymaker that appeared to land flush.

Finally, after several seconds of fighting, security guards raced into the fracas to break it all up.

It's unclear if anyone was injured ... or if any arrests were made.

As for the action on the field -- the Dodgers won their fight with the Giants, 7-2, and will now face their rival in a winner-take-all Game 5 on Thursday.

Tommy Pham is finally revealing what his back looked like the night he was stabbed at a strip club in San Diego ... and it's GRUESOME.

The Padres star remembered the one-year anniversary of his stabbing by posting a photo of his slash wound ... and you can see, the 33-year-old is clearly lucky to still be alive today.

The picture shows Pham was gashed by a blade from the back of his right hip all the way to the back of his left hip -- leaving a deep, bloody wound.

As we previously reported, Pham was stabbed after he got into an altercation with several people in the parking lot at Pacers Showgirls International on Oct. 11, 2020 ... and he says he needed 200 stitches to close the wound.

Pham -- who ended up suing the club over the incident, claiming its employees and security didn't do enough to help protect him -- ultimately made a full recovery and played well in 2021.

The outfielder logged time in 155 games, hitting 15 home runs and stealing 14 bases ... and based on his social media post Monday, it's obvious he's proud of what he overcame.

Chipper Jones' baseball skills have apparently deteriorated over the years ... 'cause the MLB legend just embarrassingly fumbled an attempt at catching a foul ball Monday.

The former Braves star's gaffe just went down in the second inning of Atlanta's playoff tilt with the Brewers ... when Milwaukee 2nd baseman Luis Urias hit a pop fly toward the ex-3rd baseman, who was sitting just a few rows behind home plate.

The ball was hit sky-high ... and despite camping underneath it and having a Hall of Fame baseball resume -- Chipper muffed the grab!!

The ball clanked off the 49-year-old's mitt ... and it ain't hard to see in the broadcast footage that he was pretty embarrassed.

The game's announcers had fun with the moment, with one ruling it an error -- and the other adding, "Poor Larry. That's going to be all over the place today."

In Chipper's defense, he hasn't played in a Big League game in 9 years ... so the debacle is at least kind of forgivable.