Baseball

Tarik Skubal had a birthday he won't forget anytime soon ... not only did he win the 2024 American League Cy Young award -- his wife got him a brand-new car!

The wife of the 28-year-old Detroit Tigers flame thrower led him outside to the driveway ... and when Tyler locked eyes on the car, clearly shocked, he gave his wife a big hug.

The group then sang Happy Birthday... and his friends doused him with champagne!

Anthony Banda sure wouldn't mind it if his Dodgers squad boasted a lineup that featured Shohei Ohtani AND Juan Soto in 2025 ... telling TMZ Sports he's hopeful it goes down!!

Soto, of course, is a free agent after spending this past season in New York ... and Los Angeles is reportedly one of just a few teams that's in play for his services for the foreseeable future.

In fact, according to MLB.com, the Boys in Blue were expected to meet with him just this week to deliver their recruiting pitch.

Late Boston Red Sox knuckleballer Tim Wakefield's Florida estate is up for sale ... TMZ has learned.

Tim's waterfront mansion hit the market Friday ... and it's listed for $3.3 million.

Tim lived in the 4-bedroom home in Indian Harbour Beach, FL when he died from brain cancer.

Forget tens of thousands of dollars ... the lucky baseball fan who scores the ultra-rare, MLB Debut Paul Skenes card just got an offer for the piece from Livvy Dunne and the Pittsburgh Pirates that's going to be very tough to refuse.

In a statement released Friday, the Pirates said they're willing to fork over two tickets behind home plate for Pittsburgh games for the next THIRTY YEARS, a meet-and-greet with Skenes himself, a bunch of autographs and several other experiences ... in exchange for the 1-of-1 card.

Livvy -- Skenes' famous girlfriend -- added minutes later that she'd sweeten the pot ... by offering up a seat next to her at one of the pitcher's games next season.

The Tampa Bay Rays have a new home for the 2025 season ... the team just announced it'll be playing in a minor league ballpark next year -- after Hurricane Milton ravaged Tropicana Field in October.

Rays owner Stuart Sternberg said in a statement Thursday that he, the MLB, and the Yankees reached an agreement this week that will allow his squad to move into the Pinstripes' Steinbrenner Field in Tampa for the foreseeable future.

Sternberg thanked the Rays' rival org. for the hospitality ... calling New York's helping hand gracious.

Fernando Valenzuela's cause of death has been revealed -- the Los Angeles Dodgers legend died of septic shock.

TMZ Sports has obtained the 1981 World Series champion's death certificate ... which listed decompensated alcoholic cirrhosis and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis cirrhosis as underlying causes.

The medical examiner also suspects Valenzuela suffered from Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease ... a rare brain disorder.

Francisco Lindor has arrived in Los Angeles ... and given Mets boss Steve Cohen is slated to meet with Juan Soto in Southern California this week -- it sure appears the NY shortstop is now in town to help recruit the star free agent.

The 30-year-old NL MVP finalist flew in to LAX on Sunday evening ... just a few days after multiple reports stated Cohen, Soto and Soto's super agent, Scott Boras, would sit down in the L.A.-area to talk about a potential future with the Mets.

Lindor was mum with a photographer at the airport on whether or not he would be a part of this week's efforts to get Soto in the Blue and Orange ... but he did say he wished "nothing but the best" for the outfielder.

Steve Garvey grounded out during his run for public office in California ... but the Dodgers legend tells TMZ Sports there are only positives to take away from his first at-bat in politics!!

We caught up with the former MLB star shortly after the AP called his race against Adam Schiff for a seat in the United States Senate ... but despite the outcome, the World Series champ was proud of the work his campaign did.

"We're gonna end up with six to seven million votes, new platform in California for moderates," he said. "I'm very proud of the people for standing up. We've registered more people in 58 counties there. All the good things."

The MLB's best two-way player is down to just one arm for the time being ... Shohei Ohtani had shoulder surgery this week -- and as you can see, one of his wings is now immobilized by a sling.

Ohtani went under Dr. Neal ElAttrache's knife on Tuesday in L.A. to repair the labrum he tore while trying to steal a base in Game 2 of the World Series -- and on Thursday, he appeared in OK spirits.

Rockin' a burnt-orange cap and a pair of sweats, Ohtani's left arm was held close to his body by a big ol' brace -- but he didn't seem to be too hindered.

The L.A. Dodgers fan who had a firework explode in his hand during a viral World Series celebration-gone-wrong last week has lost two of his fingers, his dad announced this week.

Kevin King Sr. told Fox 11 Los Angeles his 25-year-old son, Kevin King Jr., is now without the pointer finger and the middle finger on his left hand ... and has already undergone two surgeries to repair the damage the firework caused.

Unfortunately, King Sr. said King Jr. will require a third procedure soon.

Kiké Hernandez's viral postgame interview of the team's "Don't give a f***" mindset took Dodger Nation by storm ... but the star utility player said it wasn't a spur of the moment comment -- 'cause that was L.A.'s motto throughout their World Series run!

TMZ Sports caught up with the newly crowned World Series champ as he worked an honorary shift at Raising Canes ... and he explained how the clubhouse didn't let any outside talk affect how they went about their business.

"We were gonna do whatever it took to win a game, to win a series," he said. "I think it showed throughout the whole postseason that we didn't really care about what anybody thought about us. We didn't really care about the outside noise."

The Dodgers hosted an epic World Series parade Friday ... and some of the players' wives and girlfriends were certainly dressed for the occasion -- getting hooked up with some one-of-a-kind jackets in honor of the team's eighth World Series celebration!!!

Michelle of Custom Bling tells TMZ Sports she got right to work the moment the champs defeated the New York Yankees Wednesday night in the Bronx -- saying she hustled to get the project done in time for the celebration through the streets of DTLA.

The denim jackets -- requested by the wives of Will Smith, Chris Taylor, NLCS MVP Tommy Edman and Walker Buehler -- are decked out with blue and gold Swarovski crystals in the shape of the Commissioner's Trophy.

The Dodgers just wrapped up their World Series parade ... and it was epic -- as it featured Walker Buehler slugging beer, Dave Roberts dancing on Ice Cube ... and even Shohei Ohtani addressing fans in English!

Buehler's chug got all the festivities kicked off on Friday afternoon ... as just after the team's championship busses got going down their parade route through downtown Los Angeles, he whipped out a beer bong and guzzled a cold one.

For the next hour or so, around an estimated two million people cheered on the newly minted champs as they made their way through the roadways.

Freddie Freeman is proving to be a prime example that no matter your profession, daddy duty always comes first ... 'cause the World Series MVP took his kids trick-or-treating just one day after winning the title!

Freddie, who raked 4 home runs while clobbering the Yankees game in, game out, along with his wife Chelsea Freeman, took to social media to document the adorable moment ... only hours after the team landed back in L.A. after winning the W.S. Wednesday night in NYC.

The Freemans showed off the costumes their kids spent the holiday in ... with Brandon wearing the Hulk, Charlie with Iron Man and Maximus in the Spiderman gear!

The World Series title has come with an added bonus for the Dodgers ... TMZ Sports has learned two strip clubs in Los Angeles are now offering them free VIP access for LIFE following the big win!

Frankie, the owner of 4Play The Gentlemen's Club and Plan B in West L.A., tells us ... following the Boys in Blue's takedown of the Yankees in Game 5 of the Fall Classic -- he's giving them an epic hookup at his two joints.

Frankie says every player on the team will get an exclusive Black VIP card that will allow them free admission and free VIP booth seating for as long as they live.

A World Series celebration Wednesday night turned tragic for one Dodgers fan ... who blew off their hand while lighting a firework in the streets of L.A.

The horrifying incident happened in downtown just minutes after the Dodgers beat the Yankees in Game 5 -- and it was all, unfortunately, captured on video.