Trevor Bauer is already showing the Los Angeles Dodgers what things can be like when he gets eccentric, especially in spring training.
Bauer started Saturday’s spring training game against the San Diego Padres, and decided to do something a bit different during his first inning of work. He threw the entire inning while keeping one eye closed.
Bauer seemed to take some time to adjust, as he gave up a single and a walk to start the inning, then unleashed a wild pitch to move both runners up. He followed with an infield popup and back-to-back strikeouts, however, ensuring a scoreless frame. He made clear on the inning-ending strikeout what he had been doing, too.
I think Trevor Bauer is throwing pitches with one eye closed like he occasionally does on his offseason YouTube live ABs. Hilarious. @BauerOutage #Dodgers pic.twitter.com/GAdFAW5nRc
— Lance Brozdowski (@LanceBroz) March 6, 2021
Bauer’s stated reason for the stunt was pretty savage.
"I figured if they can't score off me with one eye open, it's going to be difficult to score off me with two eyes open."
Trevor Bauer going full savage mode today pic.twitter.com/TkORnXa1x3
— Blake Harris (@BlakeHarrisTBLA) March 6, 2021
Believe it or not, Bauer did have a more legitimate reason for pitching the way he did. He said putting himself in uncomfortable circumstances helps him improve, as he has to figure out how to cope with whatever the issue is.
#Dodgers Trevor Bauer said he pitched 1st inning today with one eye closed. “I like making myself uncomfortable and throwing different stuff my way and trying to find a solution for it. I think that's how you improve.”
— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) March 6, 2021
There are certainly worse reasons to try something like that. As long as he can do it without losing control of his pitches and endangering batters, it’s hard to see a downside. He’s done stuff like this before in spring training games and it hasn’t seemed to hurt him.
