Philadelphia Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies debuted a new look for their beloved mascot, the Phanatic, this weekend -- but in very anticlimactic fashion ... he appears to have not changed very much.

The lovable, green monster furball trotted out onto the field Sunday ahead of the team's game against the Pirates in Clearwater, FL -- where they're hosting their Spring Training home opener. The buzz was that the costume would look a bit different ... for legal reasons.

Long story short ... Phillies brass are in the middle of this legal sitch with the original creators of the Phanatic's design, Bonnie Erickson and Wayde Harrison, who drew up what fans have come to enjoy for decades now. Well, the rights expire this summer ... and the two designers want their fair cut in order to have the mascot continue being used by the team.

It doesn't appear the Phillies wanna pay Erickson and Harrison though, so they've come up with this new design that's supposed to be different enough to avoid having to pony up potentially millions. This is what they came up with, and frankly ... kinda the same, no?

ACTUALLY ... there are slight modifications to the suit. The nose is a bit shorter and more evenly rounded, and it looks ol' Phanatic here dropped a few pounds too. The new mascot also has different colored socks, shoes and a bigger caboose -- plus, wings along the arms.

Before Bryce Harper sent a baseball to another planet in walk-off fashion Thursday night ... he told a heckler to "shut the f**k up" -- and the scene was hilarious!!!

The Philadelphia Phillies superstar has heard constant chirping from fans this year after signing a 13-year, $330 MILLION contract this offseason ... 'cause he hasn't quite performed up to expectations.

So, after he was 0-for-3 to start the Phillies' game against the Cubs ... a fan let him have it on his way back to the dugout.

"$330 million, 0-for-3," the fan said ...

"Shut the f**k up, stupid!" Harper clapped back.

Of course, there's no doubt the fan did exactly that just an inning later ... 'cause in the bottom of the 9th with the bases loaded -- Harper sent a baseball 413 feet to give the Phils a series sweep over the visiting Cubs!!!

It had to feel good for Harper -- who's now officially busted out of his slump with 7 home runs and 15 RBI in the last two weeks.

Begs the question ... what does Miles Teller know that the rest of the baseball world doesn't?!?!

Bryce Harper is NOT a bust ... and his $330 MILLION contract WILL pay off for the Phillies -- so says Philadelphia superfan Miles Teller!!!

"I think it's a good investment!"

Of course, Harper has been a disappointment for the Phils since inking a 13-year contract this offseason ... he's batting just .248 with 22 home runs.

But, Teller -- who's been a die-hard Phillies supporter since he was kid -- didn't seem too concerned about the outfielder when we got him out in Bev Hills this week, saying he believes Harper will bounce back, eventually.

"He'll be with the Phillies for, what, 13 years?" the "Whiplash" actor says ... "So, I think, you know, it's one of 13."

Philadelphia is certainly hoping Harper can still salvage this year ... the team is just two games out of the Wild Card race in the National League!!

And, if Harper can't put it all together and the Phils don't make the playoffs -- Teller tellls us he'll be understanding.

"Sports are hard, man."

#Truth

Alex Rodriguez had HALF A MILLION DOLLARS worth of stuff stolen from his rental car while he was in San Francisco broadcasting a Giants-Phillies game ... TMZ Sports has confirmed.

Law enforcement sources tell us the MLB legend -- who was in town for his ESPN gig as a baseball color commentator -- had his rented SUV broken into just a few blocks from Oracle Park on Sunday.

We're told the burglary happened around 10 PM ... and the thieves made off with $500,000 worth of electronics and jewelry.

Rodriguez had been at the stadium nearly the entire day ... he and his ESPN crew called the Giants' 9-6 win over Philadelphia on "Sunday Night Baseball."

Law enforcement sources tell us they've made the case a high priority ... with investigators working overnight to collect evidence.

We've reached out to Rodriguez for comment ... but so far, no word back yet.

WHAT A CATCH ... by the dad in the stands!!!

A Philadelphia Phillies fan made an AMAZING 1-handed grab at Citizens Bank Park on Wednesday ... snagging a foul ball while HOLDING HIS BABY!!

The Phillies were playing the Arizona Diamondbacks when Nick Ahmed fouled a pitch off into the right field stands ... where a dude clutching an infant got under the ball.

With his kid on his hip, the dad reached up and CAUGHT IT WITH 1 HAND -- without dropping the baby!!

The crowd went wild. The Phillies went wild. It was ... WILD!

The broadcasters on NBC Sports Philadelphia were impressed too -- "With a baby in hand, he was able to make the grab," one of the guys said ... "Oh man, what a baller!"

After the catch, the man told reporters he played high school and college baseball ... so he's got a little experience.

Nice grab, dude!

Roy Halladay -- nearly two years after his tragic death -- is STILL having an impact on the Phillies' locker room, so says stud pitcher Zach Eflin.

"We're always thinking about him," Eflin tells TMZ Sports ... "There's a lot of things I take away from him."

Halladay died after the plane he was piloting in the Gulf of Mexico crashed into the water on November 7, 2017.

It was a horrific moment for baseball -- losing such a legend at just 34 years old -- but Eflin says his legacy is still carrying on strong in Philadelphia.

In fact, Eflin tells us he's still to this day using tips Halladay taught him during their offseason together ... and says, "He's awesome, man. He was an amazing person."

Justin Verlander is giving props to Max Scherzer for coming back strong from a gnarly broken nose injury ... telling TMZ Sports, "I appreciate him working through the pain."

Of course, Mad Max took a baseball straight to the face during a bunting drill in Nationals' batting practice Tuesday ... and suffered a nasty broken nose and a black eye as a result.

But, Scherzer toughed it out and pitched for Washington just 24 hours later ... and DOMINATED -- throwing 7 innings with no earned runs and 10 strikeouts against the Phillies.

Verlander -- who played with Max for a few years in Detroit -- says he saw his ex-teammate put in the work ... and he was impressed!!!

By the way ... we also asked Verlander if he thinks he's done enough in his own career to deserve a spot in the Hall of Fame -- and he tells us he ain't so sure.

4:10 PM PT -- Scherzer wasn't kiddin' when he said he was gonna try to pitch just ONE DAY after breaking his schnoz. He just took the mound against the Phillies on Wednesday.

Oh yeah ... and he's got a nice shiner to go with it.

Here's how you DON'T bunt a baseball ...

Max Scherzer -- arguably the best pitcher in the MLB -- was working on his bunting game in Nationals' batting practice Tuesday ... when he popped a pitch straight into his face!!

The ball flew into his nose and right eye ... and the 3-time Cy Young winner had to leave the field as a bloody mess.

Bad news for Washington ... x-Rays revealed he broke his nose -- and he even needed a CT scan to determine if his brain was okay.

Good news for Washington? Scherzer is reportedly doing much better Wednesday ... and wants to make his scheduled start Wednesday night against the Phillies!!!

Who said hockey players were the only tough guys left in sports?!?

10:35 AM PT -- TMZ Sports has obtained the mug shot from Herrera's arrest.

We've also obtained court docs from the incident ... which say Herrera's girlfriend was found with "hand print markings to her neck area and small scratches to her arms."

Odubel is due in court to face the charge in June on the same day the Phils are scheduled to play the Nationals in D.C.

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Odubel Herrera was arrested Monday night after cops say he roughed up his 20-year-old girlfriend during an altercation in an Atlantic City casino.

According to the Atlantic City Police Department, Herrera and his GF got into a dispute at the Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino during the Phillies' off day Monday.

Cops were called to the scene ... and when they saw the woman, they said she had visible injuries on her arm and neck.

Cops say they found 27-year-old Herrera in his hotel room after the incident ... and arrested him on the charge of simple assault.

Herrera -- who's batting just .222 with 1 home run for the Phils this season -- was released from custody shortly after and will be required to return for a court date in the future.

For their part ... Major League Baseball says it's placed Herrera on administrative leave in wake of the arrest.

"This morning we were made aware of an alleged incident involving Odúbel Herrera," the Phillies said in a statement ... "Upon receiving this information, we immediately reported the incident to Major League Baseball, which has informed us that Herrera has been placed on Administrative Leave."

"The Phillies take any domestic violence accusation seriously, and strongly support the Joint Domestic Violence Policy agreed upon by MLB and the MLBPA."

Bruce Willis has done a lot of cool things in his career ... but uh, this is bad. Like REALLY bad.

The "Die Hard" actor threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Phillies game on Wednesday ... and it's pretty damn embarrassing, considering it didn't even make it to the plate before hittin' the ground!!!

A couple of things to address -- 1. Bruce was standing a few feet IN FRONT of the mound and he still didn't reach the plate. 2. How did the "Die Hard" theme music blaring over the PA system NOT get him in the zone??? Dude shoulda been able to throw it a mile.

The boo birds let Willis have it ... and rightfully so. But, there's a silver lining here, Bruce -- at least it wasn't as bad as 50 Cent's first pitch in 2014.

That STILL gives us nightmares.

Aaron Nola -- one of the MLB's best pitchers -- says baseball should NOT move on from umpires in favor of automatic strike zones, telling TMZ Sports, "I don't think it should happen."

Of course, balls, strikes and umps have been a huge topic in the sport recently ... especially after Nola's famous teammate, Bryce Harper, got ejected for arguing a strike earlier this week.

It's led to all kinds of baseball players and pundits wondering if the game should ditch the guys behind the plate in favor of some sort of laser-like strike zone.

But, when we got Nola out in NYC before the Phils took on the Mets on Wednesday ... he told us, "No, I don't think it should happen."

It's interesting, 'cause Nola would be one of the biggest beneficiaries of an automatic strike zone -- dude is one of the league's most precise pitchers ... he had 224 strikeouts last season!!!

Yeah, we didn't think it was possible either ... but Bryce Harper's life keeps on gettin' better -- the Philadelphia Phillies' $330 MILLION man just announced he's havin' a baby boy!!!

"Philly raised little man will be!" Harper said Monday.

Bryce has had the best month of his baseball career BY FAR ... 'cause after signing a 13-year, $330 million deal with Philly, he launched two massive home runs opening weekend.

But now, dude has even MORE to celebrate ... 'cause he says a baby boy with his wife, Kay Harper, is on the way -- and she says the kid will be in a Phillies uniform by THIS summer!!

"Wrigley’s gonna be pissed..." Kay said, referencing the couple's dog ... "Baby Harper making HIS debut Aug. 2019 #littleman"

Bryce and Kay have been together for years ... and tied the knot back in 2016 in an epic ceremony at one of the most famous Mormon temples in the world.

In fact, Kay reportedly played a big role in Bryce's free agency this offseason ... with the outfielder saying he wanted a long-term deal to make sure his family had roots in place for the future.

Now, dude's got that ... and just about everything else!!!

Bryce Harper needs to listen -- and listen good.

If you don't WIN in Philadelphia, the fans will DESTROY you. It will be brutal. It will be merciless ...

... so says Chris Matthews.

The 'Hardball' host is from Philly and says he knows exactly how things will go if Harper doesn't live up to his brand new $330 MILLION contract with the Phillies.

"I know Philly, let me tell you about Philly ..."

Matthews says he knows firsthand how quickly people in Philly will turn on you -- he watched Pete Rose get BOOED by his own Phillies fans in the World Series in the early '80s!!!!

"He struck out and the crowd booed him!! This is Pete Rose!!"

Of course, Philly fans have a long-storied history of being hard on sports teams ... they once threw snowballs at Santa Claus at an Eagles games!!

But, if Harper wins, Matthews says life will be GREAT in the City of Brotherly Love.

"Philly fans, they love you, but they demand great stuff from you."

Chuck Todd is MAD AS HELL that Bryce Harper left his beloved Washington Nationals to sign with the rival Phillies ... and used "Meet the Press" to rip the guy a new one!

"PHILLY?! PHILLY?! Seriously???"

"They will never love you the way Washington would have loved you ... I hope you enjoy 3rd place!"

Ouch.

Of course, Washington and Philly are both in the NL East -- Todd is clearly taking the move pretty hard.

"There will never be a statue of Bryce Harper at National Park in Washington D.C."

Bryce has 330 MILLION reasons to not give a crap about Todd's opinion -- because that's how much cash he'll be making over 13 seasons thanks to his new deal with the Phillies.

By the way, the Nationals only finished 2 games ahead of the Phillies last year -- and now that they have the Nats biggest bat, it ain't looking good in D.C.

Bryce Harper could have another HIGHLY paid teammate in the near future -- because Curt Schilling believes the Phillies are gearing up to make a serious run at Mike Trout.

Of course, Philly just signed Harper to a 13-year, $330 MILLION contract in a move that Curt believes immediately turns the Phillies into a World Series contender.

But, Schilling says he doesn't believe the spending ends with Harper ... telling TMZ Sports, "I believe after next season, Mike Trout goes on the market ... and I can see the Phillies making stupid money offers in that direction as well."

Trout is a 7-time All-Star, 2-time AL MVP and widely regarded as the best player in baseball. He's expected to fetch a contract in the neighborhood of $400 million when he becomes a free agent after the 2020 season.

Everyone knows Trout is a big Philly guy -- he's a staple at Eagles games -- and grew up nearby in south New Jersey.

"My god, could you imagine throwing Bryce Harper in right field and Mike Trout in center field?!"

Bryce Harper's having the best Thursday ever ... dude just made $330 million -- AND HE GOT A MANKINI STRIP SHOW FROM HIS NEW TEAMMATE, JAKE ARRIETA!!!

Bryce just inked a monster 13-year deal worth around $25 MIL per season with the Philadelphia Phillies ... and to celebrate -- his new team's stud pitcher decided to give him a show.

Jake popped on his bikini briefs and sandals ... and broke out his broom for a little victory dance.

"Getting the house ready for [Harper]," Arrieta said.

By the way, Jake spared no expense for the occasion ... 'cause the Versace skivvies he was wearing come in at a cool $225 a piece!!!

Not that that's expensive for Jake ... dude is in the middle of a 3-year, $75 MILLION contract of his own!!!

As for Harper's Phillies deal ... it's the richest free-agent contract in baseball history -- blowing by the 10-year, $300 million contract Manny Machado just inked with the Padres earlier this month.

But, some wonder if Harper could have actually gotten MORE ... saying his per-season salary is actually NOT ENOUGH for a 26-year-old MVP in his prime.