Mets to end 'homophobic' kiss cam joke after backlash: Report

The New York Mets said the team will stop featuring MLB players on the kiss cam after some fans complained the stunt was homophobic.

It's a stunt familiar to anyone who has been to just about any professional sporting event: The kiss cam pans across the stands, featuring different couples, before settling on two men or two women in an apparent joke, usually enticing loud roars of laughter from the stands.

But after complaints about the non-hetero pairings started rolling in, the Mets relented, according to the Huffington Post.

The kiss cam will continue, said Jay Horwitz, vice president of media relations, but it will no longer feature any players in the heart-shaped frame as a perceived joke.

The organization said Wednesday:

"We have, on occasion, included players from opposing teams in our popular in-game kiss cam feature. While intended to be lighthearted, we unintentionally offended some. We apologize for doing so and no longer will include players in the feature. Our organization is wholly supportive of fostering an inclusive and respectful environment at games." 

New Yorker Etan Bednarsh, a lifelong Mets fan first witnessed the gag in April at a Mets game against the Philadelphia Phillies. The heart-shaped frame captured several smooching couples before landing on two players in the Phillies dugout, prompting snickers around the stadium.

To Bednarsh and his friends, it was no laughing matter. He took to his smart phone and tweeted at the Mets.

"Putting two men together on the kiss cam isn't a punch line. I want to keep coming to games. Please stop doing this," he tweeted.

Hey @Mets, putting two opposing players on the KissCam for cheap laughs is more homophobic than my team should be. Let's be classy instead!

— David Seduski (@SeDynasty) June 12, 2015

After he didn't hear from the team, Bednarsh kept tweeting at it each time he saw the stunt repeated in subsequent games.

.@Mets You are AGAIN showing two men on the kiss cam for laughs. This is a disgrace. STOP THIS NOW! pic.twitter.com/9py14w5xrt

— Etan Bednarsh (@EBednarsh) September 15, 2015

Increasingly more frustrated as the gag continued throughout the season, Bednarsh compiled similar complaints from other fans and tweeted them at the team.

Thank you @Mets for committing to not show 2 men as a kiss cam joke! This is something all major sports teams should do. Who's next???

— Etan Bednarsh (@EBednarsh) September 17, 2015

Now the stunt will go the way of "Disco Demolition Night" — at least at Citi Field.

Wilmer Flores throws out Ryan Howard from his butt (VIDEO)

The Phillies may want to brief Ryan Howard on the fundamentals of baseball — namely running out every play.

Watch as Mets second baseman Wilmer Flores throws out Howard from his butt Monday night when the Phillies' slugger runs towards the dugout instead of first base thinking Flores made the catch:

Route efficiency: 0. http://t.co/u9f5N8NN8w pic.twitter.com/0jNO1XIzbn

— MLB GIFS (@MLBGIFs) August 25, 2015

Flores doesn't even throw the ball, he rolls it!

Tremendous hustle from Ryan Howard tonight as Wilmer Flores rolls it to first for the put out pic.twitter.com/pNrTtGN1if

— Young Unsweetened (@KFCBarstool) August 25, 2015

Way to hustle. I'm guessing there was an unfinished Subway foot-long waiting on the bench that needed tending to.

Celebrity 'Core Four' obliges fans with photos at Yankee Stadium (VIDEO)

The stars were out in the Bronx Tuesday night even if they were only in the stands. An hour-and-twenty minute rain delay had Yankees fans feeling a little cranky but that didn't stop this quartet of famous people from posing for photos.

Here's Rudy Giuliani, Lorne Michaels, Jimmy Fallon and Paul O'Neill — who came down from the YES Network's booth — making the ugly loss to the Phillies a little more bearable during the down time.

The stars are out in the Bronx tonight! Rudy Giuliani, Lorne Michaels, @jimmyfallon & of course, @PaulONeillYES! pic.twitter.com/XD2ZCbcwDT

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) June 24, 2015

Not exactly the Core Four but, at least they had O'Neill.

Phillies fans behind home plate mock Craig Kimbrel (VIDEO)

The Phillies and Braves have already been eliminated from postseason play, but Philadelphia fans weren't going to let their rival's closer, Craig Kimbrel, leave town without a funny sendoff Saturday night.

With the Phillies trailing 4-2 in the bottom of the ninth inning, the Braves sent in Kimbrel and that's when the Citizens Bank Park fans started mocking the hard throwing right-hander.

Kimbrel, who has a very exaggerated arm motion from before his wind up all the way to after he delivers the pitch, was mimicked by the fans sitting behind home plate. The playful fans' antics started small but, as the inning wore on more fans around the stadium got into the act.

I love the #Phillies fans behind the plate impersonating Craig Kimbrel. pic.twitter.com/RmZQi1d5Hs
— Whiz Wit Sports (@WhizWitSports) September 28, 2014

Kimbrel had the last laugh though, and nailed the save.

Phillies pitchers give ball from combined no-hitter to ailing team president: Report

After starter Cole Hamels and relievers Jake Diekman, Ken Giles and Jonathan Papelbon threw the first combined no-hitter in Philadelphia Phillies history on Monday, there was no argument on who the prized final game ball should go to — and, to a player, there was only one choice.

The game ball, they decided, will be delivered to team president David Montgomery, who took a medical leave of absence last week after battling cancer earlier this season.

Montgomery had surgery in May to remove cancer from his jaw. The 68-year old has been the Phillies president since 1997, making him the perfect choice to get the last ball from the franchise's 12th no-hitter.

When a group of pitchers combine to throw a no-hitter like a Philadelphia Phillies foursome did, it's probably easier to give the final ball to someone else than decide which pitcher gets to keep it — especially a man as revered as Montgomery.

Ryan Howard's Florida mansion will include $80,000 in doorknobs: Report

The doors for Ryan Howard's departure from Philadelphia had been opening and closing pretty quickly leading up the the trade deadline last week and most parties said the Phillies first baseman's price tag was just a little too expensive.

And it apparently takes the same amount of extravagance to open the doors inside Howard's new Florida mansion as well.

Details of the $5.8 million house, which is located near the team's spring training facility in Clearwater and will be completed in 2015, were recently revealed — and it includes $80,000 worth of doorknobs.

Here's the story on the former All-Star's new beachfront house, via the Tampa Bay Times.

The first baseman's new digs — being built on the gulf 10 miles south of the Phillies' Clearwater spring training complex — will (have) eight bedrooms, at least 10 baths, a two-story library, a trophy room, two kitchens, three laundry rooms, two elevators, a wine room and a bowling alley. Doorknobs for the beige home with its terra-cotta roof, one the largest homes in the bay area, will cost $80,000 alone, the Tampa Bay Times reported in 2012.

But perhaps the coolest feature? A swimming pool complete with an underwater treadmill and lazy river that floats under the mansion.

Ryan Howard may be struggling on the field lately- but not in his wallet.. check out his #Belleaire #mansion pic.twitter.com/WlxYGbPrhW
— Rich Motivation (@RichMotovation) July 23, 2014

Howard, who will have earned $180 million by the time his contract expires, is getting close to closing the door on a great career.

Carl Crawford fakes out Phillies fans after catching final out (GIF)

You've seen it a zillion times. A player makes a catch to end the inning, then flips the ball into the stands and give some lucky fan a souvenir. 

Not this time.

Dodgers outfielder Carl Crawford had another idea on Friday night at Citizens Bank Park. He caught the final out of his team's 2-0 win over the Phillies and faked out the hometown fans as a visiting player.

Those are Phillies fans, Carl. Tread lightly.

Mike Trout gets standing ovation from Phillies crowd (VIDEO)

Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout grew up in Millville, New Jersey — which is roughly 45 miles from Philadelphia. So if Trout does have a "hometown" city in Major League Baseball, it would be The City of Brotherly Love.

And the appreciative Phillies crowd inside Citizens Bank Park Tuesday night embraced the visiting phenom like a hometown hero.

That's right. The same fans who have booed Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny stood and cheered for an opposing player.

Over 4,000 people bought tickets as a part of the Millville Night celebration at the park and countless others came to see the former South Jersey star for the first time.

Trout got the rousing ovation prior to his first professional at-bat ever in Philadelphia.

"It was a special moment for me, a real special moment," said the 22-year-old Trout. "It felt unbelievable to take it in a little longer. A lot of things were going through my mind – excited, anxious, chills. It's a feeling you can't describe. It's just an unbelievable feeling."

A little love was probably lost after the Angels rallied to beat the home team, 4-3. 

Mitch 'Wild Thing' Williams tossed from youth baseball game for calling umpire a motherf***** (REPORT)

MLB Network analyst Mitch Williams was tossed from a youth baseball game for profanely berating an umpire in front of horrified children and parents.

The former pitcher known as Wild Thing during his days with the Philadelphia Phillies reportedly called the umpire a ‘motherf****r’ during a furious rant in front of the teams made up of 10-years-olds, said witnesses.

Phillies Fan, embarrassed to watch @WildThingMLBN Mitch Williams get thrown out of a 10 year old baseball game today @RipkenBaseball
— Hit Me SEO (@HitMeSEO) May 11, 2014

Multiple sources told Deadspin Williams was coaching his son’s Cal Ripken youth team Saturday during a tournament in Maryland when he went on the pre-Mother's Day tirade.

Wild Thing was said to have been griping about balls and strikes the whole game from behind first base.

His constant complaints led to several arguments on the field that eventually culminated in his profanity-laced blowout after he "shouted something to a parent in the stands about getting that umpire fired," sources told Deadspin.

Another parent in attendance said the confrontation was "a train wreck," and that Williams had to be physically separated from the unnamed umpire.

"He went nuts. He got into the umpire’s face like it was the Major Leagues."

The hot-headed Williams then refused to leave the field and caused a 10 minute delay that led to him being banned from the entirety of the tournament. The ban was reportedly lifted after it was determined that the umpire had acted unprofessionally.

Williams eventually left the field but remained behind home plate to watch the rest of the game, said another witness. There were no further incidents.

Later, he took to Twitter to defend his actions after being taunted by a fan.

"To set the record straight. I was thrown out for laughing at a call. Then the [umpire] threatened to fight me. Said pick a time and place," Williams tweeted.

@HitMeSEO to set the record straight. I was thrown out for laughing at a call.then the threatened to fight me.said pick a time and place.
— Mitch Williams (@WildThingMLBN) May 11, 2014

"For those that think I'm making this up. It is on film... and when he threatened me [one] of my coaches came out and put his hands on him," said Williams.

Williams also swore that video would vindicate him, but that footage was nowhere to be found. Curiously, it is curiously the only game in the entire tournament not able to be viewed online.