World Series

Babyface will be belting out "America the Beautiful" at Super Bowl LVII next month … and the R&B legend tells us he never expected in a million years he'd be tapped for the honor.

TMZ Hip Hop chopped it up with Babyface shortly after the NFL and Roc Nation's Tuesday morning announcement, and he was already predicting he'll be a frazzled mess leading up to game day -- but he still plans on giving the millions of viewers an honest performance that showcases his talents!!!

Face knows he's got big shoes to fill ... the late Ray Charles’ rendition of 'ATB' -- performed at the World Series in 2001 -- is immortalized in the Grammy Hall of Fame, and is a radio staple every 4th of July.

He says the song speaks to his soul melodically, so he plans on putting together one of his classic Babyface arrangements -- and adds he'll even have some divine inspiration.

What's making the once in a lifetime performance even more special, is the fact he's teaming up with the clothing company Shine the Light On -- a special collaboration to pay tribute to his mother, who passed away in 2012.

Fair to say Babyface will have some angels on his shoulder on Super Bowl Sunday because he's also thinking about late brother ... After 7 singer, Melvin Edmonds, who died in 2019, and was an avid football fan.

He isn't the only performer who's admitted to pregame jitters -- when we spoke to Rihanna last year, she copped to being a little nervous for her halftime show performance. Yes, even superstars get butterflies!!!

But, Babyface has zero doubts RiRi will kill it, and he floated his wishes to record with her down the line.

BTW, Roc Nation also tapped Sheryl Lee Ralph to sing "Lift Every Voice" and Chris Stapleton for the national anthem.

The Houston Astros will have more than just a championship ring to celebrate their World Series win ... the team is also getting custom diamond pendants too!!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... the bling is coming courtesy of Houston rapper Trae Tha Truth and celeb jeweler Iceman Nick -- who were so pumped that the home team got the dub over the Phillies this month, they wanted to get them some drip to show their appreciation.

A total of 60 chains were made by the duo after Houston locked up the Fall Classic ... and most members of the Astros' org. -- including players, coaches, owners and some staff members -- will get them.

The gifts are pretty awesome ... they feature an Astros logo that's encrusted in diamonds. And, we're told each pendant is valued at $5,000!

Some players received the ice at a ceremony on Wednesday -- and the guys were stoked over the new jewelry. Others members of the title squad, we're told, will get them delivered at a later date.

Two Houston Astros fans got into a wild brawl during the team's World Series celebration on Monday -- where hair was pulled, and PLENTY of punches were thrown.

The fight took place at some point during the MLB team's through-the-streets festivities in Houston ... when two women grew so upset with each other, they decided to settle their beef with their hands.

Video shot by a fan near the fracas shows the two immediately went for each others' hair ... and, eventually, the woman in an Alex Bregman jersey was hurled down to the sidewalk.

You can see in the clip, the Bregman fan tried her best to fight back ... throwing a slew of punches from the ground -- but she got pummeled until others tried to step in.

Ted Cruz is back in Texas, but he's still hearing boos -- the senator just got an earful of jeers from fans in Houston while he was riding in the Astros' World Series parade.

Cruz was on a military jeep as part of the celebration for the best team in baseball ... and cameras caught fans laying into him as his ride made its way through the streets.

People booed loudly ... and, according to Astros reporter Ben DuBose, some even flipped the lawmaker the bird.

Of course, this is far from the first time Cruz has heard the heckling ... in fact, just two weeks ago, fans at Yankee Stadium tore into him during NY's ALCS game against the 'Stros.

Cruz, who was reppin' Houston with an orange shirt and a blue vest, got booed loudly, with one man even calling him a "racist piece of s***."

Cruz appears to have gotten the last laugh on everyone, though -- his beloved Astros closed out the Yankees that night, and then went on to beat the Phillies, 4-2, in the W.S. this weekend.

As for the rest of the parade, the guys all seem to be having a blast celebrating their second title in six seasons.

The Houston Astros spared no expense when it came to celebrating their World Series title this weekend ... TMZ Sports has learned they popped nearly $400,000 worth of 50 Cent's champagne during their postgame party.

We're told the team unloaded just over 250 bottles of the rapper's Le Chemin du Roi Brut ... right after they finished off the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday night to win the Fall Classic.

In total, there were 250 bottles of Rose, 10 Magnums of the bubbly, and one, huge 15-liter bottle as well. The final bill for it all came out to $388,750!!

Of course, the 'Stros enjoyed every bit of it ... soaking in it for hours following their 4-1 win in Houston.

Star pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. seemed to get the most out of it though ... kickin' off Houston's epic celebration by coating his teammates in it first.

The Astros will continue the party later on Monday -- their championship parade is slated to go down at around 11 AM CT.

The Astros and Phillies are duking it out in the World Series -- but the players wouldn't have gotten to this point without the passionate support from their lovely partners -- so let's meet them!

Astros ace Justin Verlander's wife, Kate Upton, needs no introduction -- the SI swimsuit model has been by JV's side for the Astros' previous three World Series appearances.

Houston's third baseman Alex Bregman and his wife, Reagan, hope they have another reason to celebrate in a few days ... after welcoming their first child, Knox, in August.

Zach Wheeler has been having quite the season -- and his wife, Dominique, has been cheering for the 32-year-old every step as he tries to help the Phillies secure a championship.

We'd be remiss if we didn't mention Jose Altuve, the fiery, talented second baseman for the Astros, and his wife, Giannina (aka Nina), who've been married since they were teenagers.

Win or lose, Wheeler's teammate, Aaron Nola, will have reason to be happy -- the 29-year-old flame-throwing righty is reportedly marrying his fiancée, Hunter Harrington, next month.

Phillies right fielder Nick Castellanos is quickly becoming a fan favorite in Philly for his brilliant defense -- making his wife Jess extremely proud of her hubby.

The Phillies let down the FLOTUS in a big way on Wednesday night ... not only losing to the Astros in front of Jill Biden -- but doing so in a historically awful fashion.

Biden hit Citizens Bank Park full of hope for the World Series' Game 4 ... but it didn't take long for her beloved Philly squad to disappoint.

In nine innings, the team didn't record a hit -- marking only the second time EVER that a squad has gone hitless in a Fall Classic game. Philadelphia ended up losing, 5-0.

To her credit, though, Jill -- who's consistently professed her love for Philly sports over the years -- didn't let the lackluster performance ruin her day at the ballpark. She appeared to be in good spirits throughout the evening, and participated in the game's moving Stand Up To Cancer moments of silence.

Bruce Springsteen and Miles Teller, meanwhile, were also in attendance to watch Philadelphia's flop ... with the two catching up for a few seconds before ultimately seeing Houston tie up the series, 2-2.

But, the Phillies are at least not done yet ... there's still three games left to go before it's all over.

Nick Swisher says the Phillies would not be two games away from a World Series title if they had kept Joe Girardi ... telling TMZ Sports the team's new manager, Rob Thomson, is the biggest reason for Philly's success this year.

"If it was Joe Girardi in this position," the former Big Leaguer told us, "I don't think Philly would be in this spot."

The Phils had started the season with Girardi at the end of the bench -- but put him on ice back in June after a disappointing 22-29 start. Thomson then became the interim manager, and the team took off.

Swisher told us he believes none of that ensuing success was a coincidence ... saying Thomson -- who was one of the outfielder's coaches during his time with the Yankees -- is just that good of a honcho.

"Rob Thomson has given that team the freedom to be themselves," Swish said. "He has given them the freedom to go out and play with freeness and be open and authentic."

Swisher clearly believes the guy and his team can close out the Astros this week, too ... telling us with the talent they have, and the fan support in Philly -- two more wins shouldn't be hard to come by.

As for what Swisher's been up to outside of watching this year's Fall Classic -- he's actually launched a new podcast, "The Nick Swisher Show," where he'll be interviewing people from all different walks of life about the importance of positivity.

"On this podcast, man," he told us, "we jump in!"

Most roosters only have eight toes, but this Rooster could end up with seven ... 'cause Miles Teller says he'd consider parting ways with an appendage in exchange for a Phillies World Series win!!

The 'Top Gun' actor and diehard Philly fan joined Guardians pitcher Triston McKenzie and Yankees outfielder Harrison Bader for a quick interview before the Phillies' huge Game 3 win over the Houston Astros ... and was asked what he'd be willing to do to secure his beloved team's third Fall Classic title.

"I feel like you don't need all your toes," Teller joked.

When McKenzie followed up and asked if he was talking about losing several piggies, or just one ... Teller explained his proposed sacrifice should be more than enough.

"Easy buddy, a toe is still important!! One toe is not enough?! Get out of here."

But, in case he doesn't want to walk with a limp for the rest of his life, Teller has another idea.

"Gallbladder, I heard you don't need that."

As for the game, Teller and the Phillies were losing their minds as their team whooped the 'Stros 7-0 ... especially after Bryce Harper and Alec Bohm's dingers.

The Phillies are now up 2-1 in the series ... which means just two more wins before Teller's gotta stick to his word!!

Phillies fans made sure Justin Verlander got anything but a warm welcome when he showed up to the stadium for Game 3 of the World Series ... and the ace returned the favor by flipping them off!!

The playful moment went down when the Houston Astros' team bus made its way to Citizens Bank Park for Monday night's matchup ... and when it passed by a group of Philadelphia backers, JV decided to give the finger.

The fans loved it ... with one person even saying, "That was great!!"

But, once Justin got off the bus, he gave a thumbs up before doubling down on the gesture -- giving the bird once again with a big smile on his face.

"Hey, that's for you!!" Verlander said.

The fans erupted in laughter ... and it's clear the whole interaction was all in good fun.

Phillies fans were phull of beer phollowing their big win over the Padres on Sunday ... with one of them enjoying the suds straight from near the top of a light pole!!!

The wild chugging celebration went down in the streets of Philadelphia ... after the home team punched its ticket to the World Series with a 4-3 victory over San Diego.

You can see in video from the roadways that the crowd was going crazy enjoying its first trip to the big games since 2009 ... especially after one fan climbed a light pole to shotgun a beer.

The dude held on for his life with one arm ... while suckin' down the booze with the other.

The famous Philly Elmo also popped up on Broad Street with the drumline ... getting the crowd even more fired up.

Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle Jordan Mailata -- who was enjoying a bye this week -- stopped by to join in on the fun too!

Baseball fans were all over Ted Cruz during Sunday night's playoff game at Yankee Stadium ... booing the senator relentlessly and flipping him off as he moved around his seat behind home plate.

The Texas politician -- a huge Astros fan -- showed up to the Bronx wearing orange and blue to cheer on his favorite team as it tried to punch its ticket to the World Series with a win over the Yankees.

Cruz was seen smiling before the opening pitch ... but throughout the night, he was NOT received well by fans near him.

Video of the senator shows as he got up from his seat during the game, fans jeered him over and over again. Several could be heard in the footage calling him a "f***ing loser" and a "racist piece of s***."

A photo of Cruz at the game also shows two fans even flipped him the bird from just feet away.

The 51-year-old kept his cool during it all ... smiling and waving to other fans in the crowd. At one point, he even took a selfie with a man in an Aaron Judge jersey.

Despite the scene, Cruz ended up with the last laugh, 'cause Houston beat New York, 6-5, giving them the sweep over the Pinstripes in the ALCS.

Cruz now won't have to travel far from home to watch his team play next ... the Astros host the Phillies in Game 1 of the World Series on Friday.

The Houston Astros embarrassed the New York Yankees ... and then they danced all over their graves -- bustin' out the brooms AND the booze for an epic locker room celebration.

The party all went down on Sunday night in New York ... after the 'Stros clinched the American League Championship Series, 4-0, with a 6-5 win over the Pinstripes.

Houston's players stayed on the field after the final out to receive their trophy at a ceremony in the middle of the Yankee Stadium diamond ... but then they hit the showers -- and turned up.

The guys grabbed brooms to signify their sweep over Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton ... and grooved to music with champagne well into Monday morning.

Everyone in the locker room got rowdy -- including 73-year-old Dusty Baker, who was spotted holding a bottle in one hand and the ALCS trophy in the other.

The Orioles ain't just on a hot streak -- they're real deal World Series contenders ... so says the team's star closer Jorge Lopez, who tells TMZ Sports they could "absolutely" win it all this year.

We got the flame-throwing righty out at LAX just a couple days after he dominated in the All-Star Game ... and he said straight-up, believe in the O's in the second half of the season.

"That's the mentality," said the 29-year-old, who's already notched 17 saves with a 1.62 ERA this year. "That's the mentality we want ... Just trust the process."

If Lopez is right, it could cost Las Vegas sportsbooks a fortune -- 'cause when the Orioles were stumbling at the beginning of the year, some bettors got them at 2,000-to-1 odds to win the World Series.

And, according to ESPN, that means if Lopez and the Orioles are champs by the end of the year -- it could mean a seven-figure loss for some books.

Seems Lopez doesn't care much, though -- telling us he really believes in Baltimore, which currently holds a record hovering around .500.

Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuna Jr. made a champion-esque move this week ... by visiting and donating 113,000 face masks to an Atlanta children's hospital the day after winning the World Series!!

The awesome visit happened on Thursday -- right after Acuna's Braves took home the Commissioner's Trophy and beat the Houston Astros in Game 6 of the 2021 Fall Classic.

The outfielder popped up at the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta -- surprising fans including 11-year-old Nolan Madsen, who's a patient at the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center.

It turns out Nolan's hero is Acuna -- and he was in total shock when he came face to face with the superstar, who later handed him a signed #13 jersey and posed for pics with him!!

That wasn't the only thing Acuna gave away during his stop ... he also donated 113,000 masks to the hospital as a thank you for their hard work and dedication during the COVID pandemic.

"This day is for the kids," Acuna says. "I get to smile, and feel happy that I’m a World Series champion. They helped me get that. It’s only right if I can give that smile back."

The hospital thanked the 23-year-old via IG for the great gesture .. saying, "Thank you Acuna for making this incredible week even better for our kids! ⚾"

The Atlanta Braves partied like its '95 on Friday ... with players getting bombarded with beers getting thrown at 'em by fans at the World Series parade -- and it's hilarious!!

TONS of fans were out and about in the streets of Atlanta to watch the champs soak in the rewards of their hard work.

The Braves -- who haven't won the Fall Classic since 1995 -- capped off a Cinderella postseason run by defeating the Brewers, Dodgers, and the pesky Astros.

As the parade made its way through ATL, the players made sure to show their appreciation for the fans in attendance ... and well, the fans returned their favor.

In the video, you can see a fan in the crowd tossing a beer to Austin Riley -- a third baseman for the squad -- and he's able to snag the brew from the air!!

Dansby Swanson was also able to snag a beer Stone Cold Steve Austin-style ... and we gotta admit, the throw was just as impressive as the Gold Glove-worthy catch.