DHS, LA Dodgers give conflicting stories about ICE agents at Dodger Stadium



It has been a whirlwind week for the Los Angeles Dodgers, culminating in a battle of words with federal authorities.

Last Friday, Dodgers star pitcher Clayton Kershaw protested the team's Pride Night by writing a Bible verse on the front of his hat. On Saturday, a singer named Nezza purposely defied the organization's requests and sang the national anthem in Spanish.

As a consortium of fans have urged the Dodgers to take a stand and support illegal immigrants living in their city, the team seemingly extended an olive branch to those supporters on Thursday.

'This had nothing to do with the Dodgers.'

The Dodgers were rumored to be planning an announcement on Thursday, finally revealing their support for illegal immigrants and anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement protests. At least one reporter told Blaze News the reporter was expecting an announcement on that general topic.

Protesters announced they were ready for mass mobilization in defiance of ICE agents just after 10 a.m. At about 11:30 a.m., DHS agents were spotted near Gate E of Dodger Stadium.

Just after 12 p.m. local time, the Dodgers posted on X, claiming they had denied ICE agents access to their parking lots.

"This morning, ICE agents came to Dodger Stadium and requested permission to access the parking lots," the team wrote. "They were denied entry to the grounds by the organization. Tonight’s game will be played as scheduled."

However, the DHS said ICE agents were never even there.

RELATED: LA Dodgers say they blocked ICE agents at stadium after campaign to pressure team to condemn deportations

— (@)

Less than an hour after the team's post, the DHS sent Blaze News a statement from Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, stating the presence of her department had "nothing to do with the Dodgers."

"CBP vehicles were in the stadium parking lot very briefly, unrelated to any operation or enforcement," McLaughlin said, mirroring a post the agency put out on social media.

Just after 1:39 p.m., ICE denied even being at the location. "False. We were never there," the agency said in response to the Dodgers' claim.

Not a peep was heard from either side after this. Representatives from the Dodgers did not respond to Blaze News' request for comment.

When pressed for more details, DHS representatives simply linked to their previously mentioned social media posts. The MLB Players Association did not respond to Blaze News' requests for comment either.

RELATED: Christian LA Dodgers pitcher defies Pride Night with subtle in-game protest

— (@)

The Dodgers' response is unlikely to please either side, but pressure continues to mount from illegal immigration supporters.

As Fox 11 LA reported, at least one nonprofit said it will encourage Latinos to avoid Dodgers games.

"We're going to hit them in their pockets. And so that's why we're asking the Latino and our allies in L.A. not to go to any more Dodger games until the Dodgers invest in our community and our Latino community, immediately, that they take a stand and say something on behalf of the Dodger fans everywhere, for L.A. Latinos," Raul Claros told Fox 11, representing Latino Coalition L.A.

Los Angeles' professional soccer team, LAFC, also gave a statement, joining in on the trend of conflating legal and illegal immigration.

"LAFC believes the true strength of our community, our city, is feeling fear and uncertainty. LAFC stands shoulder to shoulder with all members of our community," the team said, per Fox 11.

Even Dodgers player Kike Hernandez posted a message about the issue on his Instagram page.

Standing in front a sign that said, "Born & Raised," Hernandez wrote, "I may not be Born & Raised, but this city adopted me as one of their own."

"I cannot stand to see our community being violated, profiled, abused and ripped apart. ALL people deserve to be treated with respect, dignity and human rights," Hernandez added.

Strangely, the team has previously embraced the DHS, hosting Deputy Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to throw out a first pitch in 2015.

It does seem that the team's activism is a nonstop roller coaster. Later on Thursday evening, the team hosted a race-based celebrity softball game.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Full Threat, No Sweat: On Eve of Israeli Strike Against Iran, US SecDef Pete Hegseth Watched GOP Humiliate Dems at Baseball

Pete Hegseth was cool, calm, and collected Wednesday evening, roughly 24 hours before Israel (with non-military assistance from the United States) launched a massive preemptive strike on Iran. The secretary of defense was spotted enjoying a Diet Coke, the non-alcoholic beverage adored by Donald Trump and many others, while watching the annual Congressional Baseball Game at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C.

The post Full Threat, No Sweat: On Eve of Israeli Strike Against Iran, US SecDef Pete Hegseth Watched GOP Humiliate Dems at Baseball appeared first on .

Can you sue your favorite team for being bad? Lawsuit from Colorado Rockies fan is testing the waters



The Colorado Rockies are the worst team in the major leagues — and one fan says that is criminal.

The Rockies, their abysmal record, and their flawed stadium design are to blame for a fan's 2023 injury, a new lawsuit claims.

'Defendant knew or should have known that the condition of the Stadium, as described above, was dangerous.'

The Rockies win-loss record sits at a jaw-dropping 9-45 as of Tuesday afternoon — a .167 winning percentage. In comparison, no other team is below the .300 mark, setting the stage for a possible record-setting season for the Rockies in the worst way possible.

This caliber of play is at the center of plaintiff Timothy Roeckel's lawsuit against the franchise in which he alleges that the team's lack of competitiveness has made socializing and business the "primary focus" for many fans as opposed to the actual action on the field.

This played a factor, according to the lawsuit, in Roeckel getting hit in the right eye and face by a foul ball in the Rockies' home ballpark — Coors Field — during a game against the New York Yankees two years ago.

RELATED: This isn’t just baseball — it’s a rebellion in cowhide

A fan is assisted by medical personnel after being hit by a foul ball in the eighth inning during a game between the St. Louis Cardinals and Colorado Rockies on Opening Day at Coors Field on April 10, 2023, in Denver, Colorado. Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images

While the complaint notes the Rockies' 2023 record of 59-103 and their present failures in 2025, Roeckel's lawsuit alleges that stadium design flaws also played a role in his incident.

Roeckel sat in the club boxes that day, in a spot where he said it was "not physically possible" to see the foul ball before it hit him.

The lawsuit also points to other alleged failures in the stadium's infrastructure, such as "failing to extend or enhance netting based on data about foul ball trajectories" and "designing open luxury boxes that obstruct view of the playing field."

"[The] Defendant knew or should have known that the condition of the Stadium, as described above, was dangerous," the lawsuit read.

But some of the suit's claims may have fans scratching their heads regarding whether or not to support Roeckel in his pursuit to have a trial by jury; the lawsuit complains of mounted televisions that "distract" fans from the action and alleges that "non-spectating behavior" such as eating and socializing in luxury boxes is encouraged.

"This cultural shift is not incidental but rather encouraged by Defendant's own marketing and design choices, which emphasize hospitality and off-field amenities over fan vigilance," the lawsuit went on.

RELATED: John J. Pinder Jr.: Baseball hero who chose greater sacrifice

OutKick reporter Alejandro Avila told Blaze News that the lawsuit is "ludicrous" but added that it could set a precedent for "bizarre complaints" in the future.

"If this becomes par for the course, then Baltimore Orioles and Chicago White Sox fans should get litigation going," Avila joked with Blaze News.

The Rockies on Tuesday did not immediately respond to Blaze News' request for comment regarding the lawsuit.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Pete Rose still might never get inducted into the Hall of Fame. Here's why.



There may be hurdles in front of Pete Rose's possible induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, even though Major League Baseball recently reinstated the legendary player.

Rose had been banned from baseball — and Hall of Fame eligibility — because he gambled on MLB games, but commissioner Robert D. Manfred Jr. declared earlier this week that permanent ineligibility "ends upon the passing of the disciplined individual."

'They take violations very seriously. Joe Jackson fixed games. OK? Pete Rose bet on games as a manager of one team. That doesn't go away.'

The decision affected 17 individuals — all of them players except for William Cox, a former owner of the Philadelphia Phillies, who was banned for betting on his team's games.

The most famous examples among the 17 are "Shoeless" Joe Jackson, who died in 1951, and Rose, who died in 2024. Jackson was banned due to his part in the infamous Black Sox scandal of 1919, while Rose was shut out in 1989.

RELATED: Pete Rose reinstated as eligible for Hall of Fame — but new rule will revive MLB's darkest era

While much of the commotion has surrounded the possibly of Rose being enshrined into the Hall of Fame after decades, it would not exactly be a walk in the park to get the former Cincinnati Red and Phillies phenom on a plaque.

The problems start to emerge when factoring in that Rose's eligibility period originally was from 1992 to 2006, according to the Associated Press.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has been accused of blocking Pete Rose's eligibility.Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Fortune Media

Rose garnered 41 write-in votes in 1992 and was written in on 243 more ballots over the next 15 years, but those votes did not count.

What's more, now that the ban has been lifted, both Rose and Jackson are eligible only for the Hall of Fame's Classic Baseball Era — and that requires a rigorous process prior to enshrinement in Cooperstown.

Jane Forbes Clark, who chairs the Hall of Fame board, told ESPN the first step will be a 10-person Historical Overview Committee that selects eight ballot candidates to present to the Classic Baseball Era Committee.

Who is on the committees?

While the identities of current members of the Historical Overview Committee are not known, they are assumed to be veteran members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

Longtime sports broadcaster Tony Kornheiser knows how that goes.

"The baseball writers who are members put you in the Hall of Fame. Those baseball writers, as we know well, are guardians of the game," Kornheiser said on his show, "Pardon the Interruption."

RELATED: March Madness money: How the NCAA makes a billion dollars every year

Kornheiser added, "They take violations very seriously. Joe Jackson fixed games. OK? Pete Rose bet on games as a manager of one team. That doesn't go away."

'Shoeless' Joe JacksonPhoto by Sporting News via Getty Images/Sporting News via Getty Images via Getty Images

If Rose and Jackson pass muster with the Historical Overview Committee, their names would be sent to the Classic Baseball Era Committee to vote at its next meeting.

Members of the Classic Baseball Era Committee presently include Hall of Fame players — icons such as Paul Molitor and Ozzie Smith, per ESPN. Jackson and Rose would need 12 votes from the 16-person Classic Baseball Era Committee to get into the Hall of Fame.

Another hurdle is the fact that it would take years for this process to play out. The Classic Baseball Era Committee, according to Clark, does not meet until December 2027. At that point, an entirely new committee could be in place — and who knows how they would view Rose and Jackson.

'It essentially comes down to whether the committees think gambling is worse than using human-growth hormones or steroids.'

Given that the MLB writers have excluded from the Hall of Fame some of the most successful players of all time — Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Mark McGwire, and Alex Rodriguez, for example — potential inductions of players like Jackson and Rose may come down to where committee members draw their ethical lines.

"It essentially comes down to whether the committees think gambling is worse than using human-growth hormones or steroids," said Dave Shrigley, a writer and editor for Rebel News.

Shrigley told Blaze News, "Steroids weren't exactly banned by the league, so not only is there an ethical question, but there's also the question as to what is actually a ban-worthy offense."

Commissioner Manfred slightly touched on this topic in 2020 when he said Rose "violated what is sort of Rule One in baseball," adding that the MLB would continue "to abide by [its] own rules."

Some have criticized Manfred in the past for stonewalling Rose's possible induction, including in 2015 when he denied Rose's application for reinstatement.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

MLB’s Posthumous Reinstatement Of Pete Rose Was The Worst Possible Option

Manfred chose the easy way out with a political, please-all decision that does little to help the sport and adds to his existing list of poor judgment calls.

Pope Leo XIV: Cubs or White Sox fan?



The election of a new pope is always a time of excitement, anxiety, and anticipation. People ask a million questions. Is he conservative or liberal? Is he pro- or anti-migrants? What are his opinions on global warming? The Latin Mass? Capitalism? Gay marriage? Women’s ordination?

But the election of Chicago native Pope Leo XIV on Thursday raised a question that has never before been asked about a pope: Which baseball team does he support?

'Family always knows best, and it sounds like Pope Leo XIV’s lifelong fandom falls a little closer to 35th and Shields.'

The first-ever American pontiff, the man born Robert F. Prevost spent decades of his life in service to the Order of St. Augustine, in addition to his work in Peru and Rome. He was made a cardinal in 2023 by Pope Francis and was chosen by the College of Cardinals to become the next Holy Father for 1.4 billion Roman Catholics.

Leo XIV certainly won’t be the first sports-loving pope; Pope Francis was well known as an Argentine soccer fan. But never before has a baseball fan occupied the throne of St. Peter.

Which raises the question: Cubs or White Sox?

Well, it depends who you ask. ABC News allegedly declared that he’s Cubs fan. Meanwhile, the pope's brother went on local WGN News to claim Leo for the Sox. WLS-TV claims that he is a fan of both Chicago teams.

Neither of the Windy City rivals seems ready to settle for a tie.

“Congratulations to Pope Leo XIV! Hey Chicago! He’s a Cubs Fan!” the Cubs proclaimed on their official social media.

The White Sox later tweeted, “Well, would you look at that... Congratulations to Chicago's own Pope Leo XIV” and “Hey Chicago, He’s a Sox Fan!”

The Sox later made their case in an official statement:

Family always knows best, and it sounds like Pope Leo XIV’s lifelong fandom falls a little closer to 35th and Shields. Some things are bigger than baseball, but in this case, we’re glad to have a White Sox fan represented at the Vatican. A pinstripes White Sox jersey with his name on it and a hat are already on the way to Rome, and of course, the Pontiff always is welcome at his ballpark.

Fr. Burke Masters, the official chaplain for the Chicago Cubs, celebrated the initial news by asking the pope to celebrate Mass at Wrigley Field and saying, “I’ve had the opportunity to meet him; [what an] incredible human being.” Numerous commentators have even suggested that the Holy Father ought to be invited to throw out the first pitch at a game.

Fellow Chicago native, Cubs fan, and apologist extraordinaire Bishop Robert Barron described Pope Leo as quietly competent, prayerful, and experienced and hopes that the unlikely selection of an American pope will revivify the American church. Unfortunately, he did not mention baseball.

The story also comes amid one of the Chicago Cubs’ best seasons in years. The north-side team currently has the best offense of any team in Major League Baseball, marking the Cubs' best performance since the season after they won the 2016 World Series. They currently have a 22-16 record and are placed first in the NL Central Division.

Maybe if they’re lucky, a papal blessing could net the Cubs their second World Series win this century! Similarly, one could help the White Sox break their current slump of 10-28.

Given the new pope’s quiet temperament and reputation for unity and being conciliatory, he’ll simply say that he loves all of his sports teams equally as a good father does to all his children (except the Brewers …).

26 NCAA softball players baptized together before going head-to-head in Conference USA tournament



A group of 26 opponents crossed team lines to get baptized together just days before they would become adversaries on the field.

Student athletes from Jacksonville State, Liberty University, Sam Houston, and Western Kentucky University decided to get baptized before the Conference USA women's softball tournament. What made the event more interesting, though, was that the event was not planned, nor were their appearances predetermined.

WKU is hosting the CUSA softball tournament and organized a religious event beforehand called the "Worship on the Hill."

The WKU Fellowship of Christian Athletes put on the event in partnership with a local church in Bowling Green, Kentucky. At the service, 29 college students were baptized. This seemingly inspired attendees from the Jacksonville State softball team, who were in attendance after having just played WKU to finish the season. WKU players had invited their opponents to the church.

The next day, players from Jacksonville State contacted the WKU players and asked them to help set up another baptism event and invite others to join. The event ended up hosting players from multiple teams in town for the tournament, a spectacular feat given that they are all set to compete against one another in the most important games of their lives, to date.

"On May 5th, we witnessed 29 baptisms at WKU on South Lawn. Several CUSA softball players attended the event, but they had to leave early, so they missed witnessing the baptisms," the Fellowship of Christian Athletes wrote on Instagram.

"But God wasn't finished with them. They were so moved by Worship On The Hill that the next evening on May 6th, 26 COLLEGE ATHLETES crossed from death to life and were baptized in a hotel pool."

The video showed a number of female athletes receiving baptism at the event, which was surprisingly promoted by several of the schools directly on their social media pages.

'You could sense the Lord in the room.'

"For the most part, the Lord just stirred on their hearts that night," WKU FCA Director David Byrd told Sports Spectrum. "As they left and we were on the heels of the event, we thought this was another great event where God moved. Come to find out, He wasn't done."

"What made it really special is these softball players have been competing against each other all year," Byrd added.

The organizer said the competitive spirit was not present while the women were at the church and that rather a feeling of calmness permeated throughout.

"It was peaceful. You could sense the Lord in the room.," he concluded.

Liberty University is by far the favorite heading into the conference tournament, leading the conference with a 45-11 (23-3) record this season, eight games ahead of Jacksonville State and Western Kentucky.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

MLB legend Keith Hernandez refuses not to use the term 'drag bunt': 'I know you're not supposed to say it'



Two-time World Series winner Keith Hernandez raised eyebrows by alleging it is politically incorrect to use the term "drag bunt" during a broadcast.

The New York Mets broadcaster and former player was commenting on a game between the Mets and the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday, the second game of a doubleheader, which the Cardinals won 5-4.

Following a bunt play by Cardinals outfielder Victor Scott II, Hernandez surprised fans by saying the term "drag bunt" is not supposed to be used.

"And this is a perfect bunt. This is shades of Bud Harrelson, who was a terrific," Hernandez said on the broadcast. "I know you're not supposed to say it, but it's — they call it a different term. But in our day, it was a 'drag bunt.' And nothing you can do. You did everything right. It was a perfect."

According to the Baseball Almanac, a "drag bunt" got its name from the appearance that the batter is "dragging" the ball as he sprints to first base. In this scenario, the batter is bunting for a base hit as opposed to a sacrifice bunt, and it is typically performed by left-handed hitters.

Keith Hernandez with Jerry Seinfeld at Shea Stadium on May 22, 2005. Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

Hernandez's comments confused fans, most of whom could not imagine any viewer had taken offense to his remarks.

"Who is watching a baseball game today and thinks 'drag bunt' is offensive? I seriously don't understand. This wouldn't even be a story if he didn't reference some fake cancel culture," one viewer wrote.

Another viewer replied, "It's never anyone actually watching, it's keyboard warriors the next day."

Who is watching a baseball game today and thinks “drag bunt” is offensive? I seriously don’t understand. This wouldn’t even be a story if he didn’t reference some fake cancel culture.
— Ross Read (@RossRead) May 4, 2025

It is unclear whether or not Major League Baseball has issued a directive to announcers to stop using the term, but Hernandez has not since made public remarks regarding the usage.

There did not appear to be any mention of a changing of the term on the MLB website or affiliates, and there has not been any semblance of outrage online connecting the baseball term to drag performers, who are typically homosexual men performing as caricatures of women.

Hernandez has broadcasted for the Mets since 1999 and has worked for both the MSG network and subsequently SNY since 2006.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Boy who had birth certificate changed to 'female' now dominating girls' softball



A 17-year-old male from Minnesota is dominating girls' softball after allegedly hiding his true gender from his team.

According to a recent report, the male athlete plays for Champlin Park High School in Champlin, Minnesota, and is a starting pitcher for the school's girls' fast-pitch team.

The 6-foot athlete recently started in the season opener against the state champion Rogers High School, where he pitched a shutout with 14 strikeouts. He also hit a double.

Charlie Rothenberger, who now goes by "Marissa," reportedly started playing girls' sports at an early age. According to research by Reduxx, court documents show that Rothenberger's mother applied to the Hennepin County District Court to alter his birth certificate just after he turned 9 years old.

The mother's petition was approved, and her son was issued a new birth certificate that changed his sex to "female" and changed his name from "Charlie Dean" to "Marissa."

While most changes to birth certificates in Minnesota require labels indicating that information has been changed, if a person acquires a court order to replace the birth record, "the original record will be sealed," the state notes on their website.

"The new birth certificate doesn’t indicate that the record has been changed," the state website adds. It then becomes "confidential and only released according to Minnesota law."

Rothenberger was shown in a highlight package in 2024 that displayed an obvious advantage and masculinity compared to his competitors.

An anonymous female softball player from Minnesota spoke to Reduxx and claimed that she played on the same team as Rothenberger in 2023.

'Looking back now, it disgusts me and is just scary.'

The girl said she did not realize Rothenberger was male for a number of years and first thought of him as an "awkward" girl.

"I never thought he was a boy, but after finding out he was a boy and then looking back on a lot of things I wouldn't have looked at before, [it] definitely shows he is a boy, and I felt dumb for missing the clues," the girl recalled.

The athlete said it was not until July 2024 when she discovered Rothenberger was male, and by November, "lots of people from the softball community found out the truth and were openly talking about it."

"Looking back now, it disgusts me and is just scary," she added.

The former teammate described Rothenberger's athletic abilities as "completely unreal" and "much more" than what any of the other girls are capable of. She said she was bothered by being told that she just has to "learn to accept that men can take advantage of you even if they just want to identify as a female."

She continued, "Many players and I work so hard to achieve something through this sport, and we find it unfair that our spot can be stolen from us."

"This shouldn't be allowed, and boys can stay in boys' sports and leave us girls alone. I shouldn't have to learn this lesson that girls don't matter or that we need to just be silent while we lose out so a boy feels okay."

Rothenberger has previously been named Player of the Month and has played for a traveling rep team. In his bio for that team, Rothenberger brags that he is "known to have an infectious personality full of passion, drive and humor."

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The most foulmouthed MLB fan base revealed after analysts review over 1 million fan comments



An analysis of fan comments that featured curse words has revealed which team has fans who are most likely to swear.

A sample of comments was taken from the subreddits (dedicated pages on the social website Reddit) for each of the MLB's 30 teams, where readers can often find the most dedicated fans who want to discuss team struggles and operations.

Outlet VegasInsider took in over 1.2 million comments from the fan bases, and with a minimum 15,000 comments per team, calculated how many of those posts contained swear words. Each fandom was assigned a value based on the percentage of the comments on the fan pages that contained swear words.

The analysis, which concluded in April 2025, found the Oakland Athletics to be the most foulmouthed fan base with 6.51% of their comments including swear words. This equates to over 1,300 comments out of 20,000+ total remarks that contained cursing.

However, the devil may be in the detail of these stats. The Athletics have been planning to move their team out of Oakland and to Las Vegas since 2023, and in the interim, have played their home games in West Sacramento.

This has led to chants in support of opposing teams, planned instances of dead silence, and heckles of "sell the team!"

The reality is that before the team announced its move, the Oakland Coliseum where the Athletics played was known as one of the worst stadiums to play in, coupled with poor fan turnout. From 2022 through 2024, the Athletics had the lowest average attendance in the league and were near or at the bottom since 2006.

This may leave Cleveland Guardians (née Indians) fans as the true, most foulmouthed fan base. They came in second with a noted 6.06% swear-word rate.

Cleveland was followed by fans from the Miami Marlins with a rate of 5.91% curse word-laden remarks.

The typically loud New York Yankees fans were ranked as 20th most foulmouthed team.

The Cincinnati Reds were by far the most docile fans, with a rate of 2.86% comments that featured curse words, the only team to place below the 3% marker.

Perhaps surprisingly, the Philadelphia Phillies were second most friendly in their remarks at 3%. It seems they may save all their heckling for real-life scenarios.

With a stereotype of being friendly Canadians, Toronto Blue Jays fans placed 24th on the list at 3.34%, while the typically loud New York Yankees fans were ranked as the 20th most foulmouthed team with 3.68%. New York Mets fans swore less than the Yankees fans by half of a percentage, 3.28%.

In the end, only two words represented the most popular swear word for any given team: "s**t" and "f**k."

While there was no rhyme or reason for this, Athletics fans happened to choose the latter.

In total, 50,034 swear words were revealed in 1,206,364 online comments.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!