San Francisco Giants

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.

We don't know if we should crown this guy Dad of the Year, or Gutsiest Dad of the Year ... because he could easily fall into both for this incredible feat with his kid and a baseball.

Check out this insane clip of what seems to be a relatively new father holding his child at the Arizona Diamondbacks game Sunday, where they were in Phoenix facing the visiting SF Giants. Of course, when you go to a live game ... ya gotta look out for those foul balls.

They can come at you fast when coming off a player's bat at the plate ... and that's exactly what happened here for this fella. His instinct was ... catch the damn thing, barehand!

Watch for yourself -- he literally releases the baby that he's holding in his left hand/arm to reach up and snag the ball midair (which he successfully does) ... and an instant later, he swings his arm back down to catch the falling kid (again, he pulls it off somehow).

BTW, we forgot to mention ... Papa Bear here was also carrying a beer in his free hand -- so it's literally like a circus stunt. He spilled a little while making the amazing catch(es), but the suds stayed mostly intact. As freaked as people were, they were equally impressed.

The SF Giants' classic black and orange will be getting a touch of rainbow this weekend ... the team says it will recognize Pride Month by wearing Pride colors on its uniforms.

Giants officials say they'll add a "Pride Patch" on the sleeve of their jersey Saturday against the Chicago Cubs ... and they'll debut a custom cap for the game as well.

"We are extremely proud to stand with the LGBTQ+ community," team prez and CEO Larry Baer said, "as we kick off one of the best annual celebrations in San Francisco by paying honor to the countless achievements and contributions of all those who identify as LGBTQ+ and are allies of the LGBTQ+ community."

Pride Month began Tuesday as the calendar officially rolled over into June ... and the Giants are going all in to make sure they honor the moment.

In addition to the uniform changes ... SF officials also say they'll adorn their scoreboard with Pride colors and wrap Willie Mays Plaza palm trees with the hues as well.

"Very proud that the San Francisco Giants are taking this step," Giants manager Gabe Kapler said Tuesday. "Very proud to be part of it."

Barack Obama had nothing but beautiful things to say about Willie Mays on the MLB legend's birthday ... even saying the ex-SF Giant helped pave the way for his presidency.

Obama posted the cool happy birthday note to the former slugger on his Twitter page Thursday ... saying, "Happy 90th birthday to Willie Mays!"

"If it wasn't for folks like Willie and Jackie Robinson, I might never have made it to the White House."

Obama continued, "The spirit he played with and the way he carried himself changed the game and people’s attitudes. I’m glad he’s still going strong."

Obama and Mays have had a friendship that dates back years ... Mays famously rode on Air Force 1 with Obama in 2009 when the two were on the way to the '09 MLB All-Star Game in St. Louis.

Obama later went on to joke about that trip ... saying, "Very rarely when I'm on Air Force 1 am I the second-most important guy on there. Everybody was just passing me by, 'Can I get you something, Mr. Mays?"

In 2015, Obama awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Mays as well.

Mays is to this day still one of the best baseball players that's ever lived ... he was a 2-time MVP, 24-time All-Star and a 12-time Gold Glove winner.

Scary moment on the MLB diamond Tuesday night ... umpire Kerwin Danley was hit in the face by a foul ball -- and appeared to be knocked out cold behind home plate.

The tense moments all went down in the 6th inning of the Giants vs. Rockies game in San Francisco ... when Sam Hilliard foul-tipped a pitch right into Danley's facemask.

You can see in footage from the broadcast of the game, Danley immediately fell backward and laid motionless for several seconds.

Really scary moment.

Trainers rushed to tend to the 59-year-old ... and, fortunately, he was able to get up minutes later and leave the field under his own power.

The Giants said after the game that Danley was "doing well" ... though he was experiencing a "slight headache."

This is not the first time Danley -- who's had a history of concussions -- has had a scare behind home plate ... back in 2008, he was hit in the jaw by a fastball, and a year later, he was hit in the head by a broken bat.

STOP WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND LOOK AT THIS ADORABLE BUNNY!!!

A pair of San Francisco Giants fans hit up Oracle Park to watch their boys take on the Miami Marlins on Thursday ... and forget the peanuts and crackerjacks, they brought their cute ass therapy rabbit along to enjoy the fun!!

The 4 1/2-month-old bunny named Alex belongs to owners Kei Kato and her fiancé, Josh Row ... who bought the Flemish giant after Kato's brewery restaurant closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Alex helps with Kato's anxiety and stress ... and brings joy to the couple's life during the tough times.

The furry friend has been living it up since he joined the family -- from NASCAR races to tubing and kayaking ... and even helped hand out Easter eggs to kids!!

The fun continued when Kato and Row brought Alex to his first baseball game ... and it was a monumental moment -- it's believed he's the VERY FIRST bunny to attend a ballgame at Oracle Park, according to the team.

Alex -- who was wearing a Giants-colored bowtie -- quickly became a fan favorite ... and the Marlins even tried to convert him to their side with some free merch, while SF invited him back as their good luck charm.

Giants CEO Larry Baer also spoke about their new fan ... saying, "Love this therapy bunny," Baer said. "We could all use a therapy bunny right about now!"

So, what's next for the lovable trio?? They're hoping to hit up a Warriors game ... and Golden State has already welcomed Alex with open arms.

Mike Yastrzemski says he will NOT kneel for the national anthem this season after taking a knee for the song last year ... the MLB star told reporters Thursday he feels he's already made his statement.

The S.F. Giants outfielder, who's the grandson of Red Sox legend Carl Yastrzemski, began demonstrating during the Star Spangled Banner after the MLB came back from its COVID delay last summer.

At the time, the 30-year-old wrote a powerful message on social media explaining his decision to kneel ... saying, in part, "By kneeling last night, I wanted to hold myself, and hopefully others, accountable that something needs to change."

He continued, "and I am willing to be part of the change because we all deserve the freedom that our veterans and active members have sacrificed their lives for."

Yaz, though, says the kneeling will end when the Giants kick off their season Thursday night.

According to The Athletic's Andrew Baggarly, Yaz explained to reporters, "he knelt last year to spark conversation and awareness and let people know where he stands on racial justice and feels he's made that statement."

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."

Sorry, Yankees ... former MLB All-Star Royce Clayton says the Dodgers will win the World Series -- telling TMZ Sports, "This is the year."

Clayton -- who we got out checking the surf in Malibu on Thursday morning -- says it pains him to make the prediction as a longtime S.F. Giant ... but he says he just sees it coming.

"I live here, I got love for them," Clayton admitted. "And, you know, if my Giants aren't in there, then I have to say I'm rooting for the home team."

Clayton says there are a few reasons he's pushing L.A. over NY and others to win the 'ship ... #1 being the addition of Mookie Betts.

"That really puts their offense in another tier," Clayton says.

Clayton added he believes the Dodgers' starting pitching is great ... and says he thinks Kenley Jansen will have a big postseason as well.

As for the team's shortstop ... Clayton tells us he LOVES Corey Seager -- adding the dude should be in line for a HUGE payday this offseason.

S.F. Giants pitcher Sam Coonrod did NOT kneel with the rest of his teammates in a showing of support for the Black Lives Matter movement Thursday ... saying his religion and his personal feelings about BLM wouldn't allow him to do it.

"I’m a Christian," the 27-year-old relief pitcher said, "so I just believe that I can’t kneel before anything besides God."

If you missed it, the MLB provided teams with a long piece of black fabric to signify unity before its Opening Day games on Thursday.

The Yankees-Nationals ceremony went off without a hitch -- players joined together in grabbing the sheet and kneeling ... and the moment was powerful.

But, later in the evening, when it came time for the Dodgers and Giants to replicate the moment ... Coonrod refused to drop to a knee.

After the game, he told reporters his religious beliefs made it impossible for him to join in ... but he also said he didn't believe in some of the things he believes BLM stands for.

"I just can’t get on board with a couple things I’ve read about Black Lives Matter, how they lean towards Marxism,” Coonrod said. “And … they said some negative things about the nuclear family. I just can’t get on board with that.”

Coonrod said he meant "no ill will" by his gesture ... and added, "I’m not mad at someone who decided to kneel. I just don’t think it’s too much to ask that I just get the same respect.”

For the team's part, manager Gabe Kapler -- who not only knelt for the BLM moment but also during the national anthem -- said he respected Coonrod's decision to opt out.

Several S.F. Giants players and coaches -- including manager Gabe Kapler -- knelt for the national anthem Monday ... and Donald Trump took aim at them afterward, calling it all a "great disrespect."

Here's the deal ... before the Giants took on the A's in an exhibition match in Oakland, Kapler and a few others decided to kneel during the pregame song to protest social injustice.

One of the players involved in the demonstration was Mike Yastrzemski, the grandson of legendary Boston Red Sox Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski.

The MLB praised the Giants for the move ... defending the team on social media from critics and writing, "The players and coaches are using their platforms to peacefully protest."

When one Twitter user said the team should not politicize the game ... the MLB responded, "Supporting human rights is not political."

Giants brass also weighed in on the kneeling ... celebrating the team for the moves as well, with president Farhan Zaidi saying "we're proud of our players and staff."

"We support those who knelt to peacefully protest racial injustice and those who stood to express love of country," Zaidi said. "We do not see these as mutually exclusive sentiments and believe the freedom to express both is what our country is about."

But, just hours later, President Trump chimed in on Twitter ... and he was furious to see the kneeling protests return to sporting events.

"Looking forward to live sports," Trump said, "but any time I witness a player kneeling during the National Anthem, a sign of great disrespect for our Country and our Flag, the game is over for me!"

Doesn't seem the comments are going to deter baseball players ... 'cause in San Diego on Monday night, Angels pitcher Keynan Middleton also took a knee and raised his fist during the anthem.

S.F. Giants superstar Buster Posey will NOT participate in the MLB's rebooted season ... in order to care for his newborn twin babies who are currently being treated in the NICU.

Buster and his wife have adopted identical twin girls -- they were born prematurely last week and are currently in stable condition in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

It appears the outlook is good -- but as you can imagine, it's an incredibly stressful situation for any parent to endure.

Posey says the decision to opt out of the MLB season in order to be with his family is a no-brainer.

"From a baseball standpoint it was a tough decision," Posey told reporters. "From a family standpoint and feeling like I'm making a decision to protect our children, I feel like it was relatively easy."

While Posey is certainly not the first to make the call -- several others including Nationals' Ryan Zimmerman and Braves' Nick Markakis opted out several days ago -- he's definitely the biggest name so far.

Buster was expected to bat in the heart of the Giants' lineup, as usual, this season ... especially with the National League adopting designated hitter roles for the 2020 reboot.

For their part, the Giants backed their star in a statement Friday, saying, "The Giants fully support Buster's decision."

He's bigger than ever -- but Pablo Sandoval's weight gain isn't bothering his boss ... with  SF Giants Manager Gabe Kapler insisting "Kung Fu Panda" can still ball.

Here's the deal ... Giants fans were shocked when the switch-hitting infielder -- listed at 5'10", 268 lbs -- reported to camp last week looking like he let himself go during the offseason.

Sure, there's been some fat-shaming online ... but the big question -- how will the weight gain affect his performance on the field?

According to Kapler, 33-year-old Pablo is still playing like a world-class athlete!

"I think it's understandable that in today's world we focus on weight," Kapler said on Sunday according to MLB.com ... "I get it."

"In this particular case, what we've all noticed about Pablo is that the ball is jumping off his bat, and his throws have nice carry."

"Obviously, we've had concerns about whether he was going to be ready [after Tommy John surgery] and at what point he was going to be ready to play 3rd base and 1st base. He's demonstrated that he's healthy. That's the most important thing."

Did you know Barry Zito had a hell of a curveball AND an amazing voice?!?!

It's true ... the former World Series champ sang his face off all season on "The Masked Singer" -- with his voice even making Nicole Sherzinger cry before he was eliminated from the show Wednesday!!

The 42-year-old sang a rendition of Tim McGraw's "Humble And Kind" under the guise of The Rhino ... and it was so good, the Pussycat Dolls star was moved to tears.

Check out the footage ... Zito's twangy sound really had Nicole wiping away the waterworks!!

But, as it turns out, even that wasn't enough to save the former Cy Young winner from elimination ... he was booted from the show just short of making next week's finale.

Of course, it was a valiant effort from the ex-San Francisco Giant ... he finished in fourth place, and the judges praised him for being super authentic throughout the competition!!

BTW, Zito's been doing the music thing for a while -- and told us back in 2017 why he hopes to add a Grammy to his trophy case one day.

Also, don't feel too bad for Barry about the exit -- it's pretty much the only L Zito is taking in 2020 ... he just had a new baby, and his family is cute as hell!!

Former San Francisco Giants star Aubrey Huff is basking in the glory he finds from protesters taking to the streets near San Diego -- all of whom are demanding to be set free.

The World Series winner and ex-first baseman posted a rather telling video Sunday showing off a TON of demonstrators in Encinitas, CA -- just a stone's throw away from central SD. They were out there with a ton of signs, all with the same goal ... reopening the area -- specifically, their hiking trails, beaches and whatever else is closed out there.

Aubrey was digging the vibes. He captioned his vid, "This is what freedom looks like. Current situation in Encinitas, CA. But a friendly reminder to my fellow #coronavirus protesters. If you’re gonna demand the beaches opening back up don’t wear a mask."

Other videos captured a bunch of what appeared to be Trump supporters waving the American flag and donning red MAGA hats. Some reports even say people were chanting, "Let us surf!" near the shore. In any case, these San Diego County residents are out in force.

It's just the latest protest staged across the country -- there were several that took place on Saturday alone ... not to mention the ones that swept through the Mid-West earlier in the week ... including a couple in Huntington Beach in Orange County, not far from L.A.

The S.F. Giants will NOT allow Aubrey Huff to be a part of their 2010 World Series reunion later this year ... and they say it's all 'cause of their ex-star's actions on Twitter.

"Earlier this month, we reached out to Aubrey Huff to let him know that he will not be included in the upcoming 2010 World Series Championship reunion," the Giants said in a statement Monday.

"Aubrey has made multiple comments on social media that are unacceptable and run counter to the values of our organization."

Huff has used his Twitter page to send off controversial tweets almost weekly throughout the past couple years ... but it was a series of comments he made about the Giants' hiring of a female bench coach last month that really landed him in hot water.

Just hours after SF made Alyssa Nakken the first full-time female coach in MLB history ... Huff ripped the move, writing, "Couldn’t imagine taking baseball instruction from an ex-female softball player."

He later added, "I got in trouble for wearing a thong in my own clubhouse when female reporters were present ... Can’t imagine how it will play out with a full-time female coach running around. This has #metoo & #BelieveAllWomen written all over it."

Huff -- who also made headlines last year for his pro-Donald Trump tweets about teaching his kids to use guns just in case Bernie Sanders becomes the next president -- was NOT happy about the Giants' decision to bar him from the celebration.

"Quite frankly, shocked," Huff told The Athletic on Monday. "Disappointed. If it wasn’t for me, they wouldn’t be having a reunion ... But if they want to stick with their politically correct, progressive bullsh*t, that’s fine."

Huff went on to blast team CEO Larry Baer -- who was caught on video last year in a fight with his wife -- for the move, writing, "I find this whole thing very hypocritical coming from a man who has had his share of real controversy for pushing his wife."

He added, "And while I'm disappointed the Giants are so opposed to President Trump, and our constitutional rights that they'd uninvite me to my team's reunion, it shows me that now more than ever we have to stand up for our first 1st amendment rights."

Huff was a superstar for the Giants in 2010, hitting .290 with 26 home runs and 86 RBIs. He finished seventh in the MVP vote that season.

The Giants, though, say there's no chance they let him be a part of their planned reunion on Aug. 16, saying, "While we appreciate the many contributions that Aubrey made to the 2010 championship season, we stand by our decision."