Let’s Talk Trevor Bauer
The Pitcher
Let’s get the nuts and bolts of his career out of the way. Bauer’s cycled through the MLB starting in AZ with the Diamondbacks, going to Cleveland as an Indian (now Guardian), then off to Cincinnati to be a Red, and ending up in his hometown to be a Dodger. Bauer has been pretty controversial on social media and very outspoken against certain umpires and rules the MLB have laid down in the 2020 and 2021 seasons. In 2020 he was the NL ERA leader and won the Cy Young award. In 2021, he came to the boys in blue and trust me… there was quite a vetting process. Interviews with Roberts, Kershaw, and even Betts showed great encouragement of Bauer joining the team and everything he brings with him (even if Bauer has a bit of baggage). Before being taken off the Dodgers roster, Bauer was throwing amazingly well. His last game was one of his best (even with Hernandez as the umpire), only giving up one unearned run and two hits and striking out 11 in 6 1/3 innings of a 2-1 win at San Francisco.
The Elephant in the Room
OK, I am going to say it… sexual assault allegations. On June 29th, it was announced that Trevor Bauer was under investigation by the Pasadena Police Department for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman. Details on this have trickled out from various media sources. We’ve seen text exchanges between the two individuals (consenting I may add). And now we are waiting for the long-awaited court date to arrive. Court was originally set for July 23rd; however, more evidence has been submitted and the new court date is set for August 2nd. In the interim the Dodgers front office have completely erased Trevor Bauer from the Dodgers team (sans his salary). He is no longer on the roster (he’s on paid administrative leave, pending investigation), his merchandise has been removed, and there is no talk of him returning. Actually, there’s really no talk at all. The clubhouse is silent on the issue. Nothing positive or negative coming out of there, only conjecture and hyperbole from various media outlets trying to nudge a story and evoke emotion. The truth is, no one knows the future of Trevor Bauer because he hasn’t had his date in court. And last I heard, we still live in a country where individuals are innocent until proven guilty and the burden of proof rests on the prosecution.
What Now?
We wait and see. Regardless of the case at hand, Trevor Bauer is an excellent pitcher. His style, passion, and sportsmanship paint a very different picture of him on the field than what we know of him off the field. If what he is accused of is true, then no doubt about it… he’s gone. I doubt he’ll ever play professional baseball again. However, if he is proven innocent… I am hoping that the trial by media doesn’t do him in. So, again… we will wait and see what the results of August 2nd brings us. I am not going to venture any guesses to the outcome. The details are so convoluted and have been reported so haphazardly, I honestly don’t know what to think. However, if I were Roberts… I would be looking to replace Bauer… just in case. We have so many pitchers on our roster that are on the IL, then Bauer completely gone, Jansen in a slump… it’ll be comforting to have a buffer. So, sports fans… go forth and have fun.
Commentary article by Jamye Wagner