TMZ Sports - Page 50

The Mantle letter in question is actually a form response that Michael Kovalovsky -- a lifelong Yankees fan -- received in 1959 after he wrote a letter to The Mick. However, Mick's form letter ishand signed by the Hall of Famer ... which is pretty freakin' cool

According to the lawsuit, Kovalovsky loaned the 41-year-old letter -- along with other cool memorabilia -- to the Yankees last year. Problem is, according to the docs, the team failed to return all but one of the items. The lawsuit, filed in Florida, was first published on courthousenews.com.

The Yanks did promise, in writing, to return the items if they "locate them." But when Kovalovsky asked about compensation in case the letter never turns up, his attorney tells TMZ the Yankees tried to argue that the Mantle letter wasn't worth anything.

It all went down Tuesday night at something called Sam Tripoli's "Naughty Comedy Show" at the Improv in L.A.

We're told the "Racist" talked some smack to a porn star who was at the club -- so Roddy called him up on the stage ... and then proceeded to bash his head into a piano, whip him with a belt, and choke the living daylights out of him.

Here's the **SPOILER**

Turns out -- the whole thing was set up ... and not just the fighting. The "Amazing Racist" is just an "act" that comedian Ari Shaffir does in order to "film people's reactions."

TMZ has learned Prejean -- a woman -- is set to tie the knot with NFL quarterback Kyle Boller -- a man -- at The Grand Del Mar hotel in San Diego.

The big day is Friday.

Cincinnati Bengals running back Cedric Benson turned himself into police today -- after being accused of socking a bouncer in the face at an Austin, Texas bar back in May.

According to the police report, obtained by TMZ, Benson got into a fight with an unknown subject at Annie's West bar at 1:50 AM on May 30. Cops say Benson was spitting blood from his injured lip.

The report continues ... bar employees tried to calm Benson down -- and the NFL star replied, "I don't give a f*ck."

Benson was asked to leave the bar ... but refused ... and had to be physically escorted out by security.

Once outside, Benson allegedly told a bystander, "All these white boys are ganging up on me and kicking me out."

But according to the report, one bouncer heard Benson make the statement and replied, "I'm going to take time out of my busy job to kick you out?"

Benson then allegedly punched the bouncer in the face ... and knocked the bouncer back.

Bystanders separated the men -- and cops arrived shortly after.

Dale DaBone dated Jen from 2003-2009 -- if DaBone sounds like a porn star name ... that's because it is -- and DaBone has 443 films under DaBelt.

DaBone claims Jen got horribly depressed every time a grand slam event went down. Interestingly, the OD occurred Sunday, during the time Wimbledon was on. Jen would always complain she was forced out of tennis because of injuries and began taking prescription meds.

But there's something else that DaBone says sent Jen on a downward spiral -- his recent return to porn ... something Jen despised. DaBone signed on with Vivid Entertainment to star in "Batman XXX: A Porn Parody."

DaBone tells TMZ after Jen OD'd, he called her in the hospital Sunday night and she was "hysterical" over his decision to return to XXX films.

Just days after his teammate Ron Artest dropped his explosive single ... Pau -- aka The Singin' Spaniard -- hit a North Hollywood recording studio yesterday to bang out a song of his own called, "Get It Together."

It all went down in the Dugout Club at Dodger Stadium -- the fancy place where all the VIP fans hang out -- when a middle-aged man began choking on a "meat product."

We're told another man rushed to his aid and began performing the Heimlich Maneuver ... and successfully dislodged the meat product.

But our hero wasn't any ordinary baseball fan -- it was Marshall Grossman ... the guy repping L.A. Dodgers owner Frank McCourt in the bitter divorce that seems to be tearing the team apart.

TMZ spoke with Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban -- who tells us he doesn't think he'll have to pull any crazy stunts to get players to want to sign with the Mavs this year ... saying, "This crop of free agents is taking a much more sophisticated approach than other years. I think that helps the Mavs."

Cuban adds, "Less BS and more business."

TMZ broke the story -- Jennifer was taken to a hospital early Sunday morning when paramedics responded to a call for an accidental overdose.

Jennifer's family tells us she is "recuperating at a South Florida hospital from an accidental overdose of medication prescribed to Jen by her personal physicians."

They were not specific about what drugs she was prescribed.

While it was the Stanley Cup's first appearance at a gay pride event, Sopel wanted to ride in the parade to honor Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke's son, Brendan, who was killed in a car accident just three months after publicly coming out of the closet.

Now the Stanley Cup plays on everyone's team.

TMZ has learned former teen tennis star Jennifer Capriati was rushed to the hospital early this morning after paramedics responded to a call for a possible overdose.

Sources tell TMZ the call came from a hotel in Riviera Beach, FL. Capriati was transported to a nearby hospital.

TMZ spoke with Jennifer's father who tells us she's recovering well.

Question is ...

Along with T-Pain, Ron Ron performed his new song "Champion." It was almost as good as the version Ron did on