“Eccentric pitcher” Trevor Bauer of the Yokohama BayStars gave fans something to cheer about at the Nippon Professional Baseball All-Star Game with a “call to arms.
Bauer took the mound in the fourth inning of Game 2 of the 2023 Nippon Professional Baseball All-Star Game on Tuesday at Matsuda Stadium in Hiroshima, Japan, trailing 0-1. He allowed two runs on three hits and a walk in one inning.
Speaking at an official fan club talk show in downtown Yokohama on April 18, Bauer said, “There are so many things I want to do in the All-Star Game. If I have to say one thing, I want to show all my pitches to the batters and then strike out.”
Bauer did just that against his first batter, Chusei Mannami (Nippon Ham), and got two strikes with a 1-2 swing, but then it was ball, foul, ball, foul, and he threw a seven-pitch slider (131 mph) for a huge home run that landed in the middle of the left-field bleachers. After allowing the home run, Bauer smiled broadly from the mound and appeared to be enjoying his All-Star game.
Yuki Yanagita (SoftBank) grounded out to second base on a 155-kilometer fastball. He was then hit by Kotaro Kurebayashi (Orix) on the tip of the bat for a single up the middle. Yasuda Hisanori (Chiba Lotte) singled to left, putting runners at first and third.
She got Kenya Wakatsuki (Oryx) to ground out to third base, allowing a run to score. He got Hiroto Kobukata (Rakuten) to ground out to first base to end the inning.
Japanese media reported, “Bauer indicated his pitch type to the batter with a grip gesture before throwing. He threw a fastball, knuckle curve, changeup, and cutter. He smiled after allowing a solo home run.”
When asked about his intentions in foreshadowing his pitches to the batter, Bauer said, “The first thing is to have fun. It’s fun for me and my opponent to hit the best pitches.”
Bauer, who entered Nippon Professional Baseball this year, was the last All-Star to be selected in the “Plus One” fan vote after not being selected in the fan vote, player vote, or manager’s pick.
Bauer, who did not pitch in the first game the day before, cheered on Hosokawa (Junichi), who hit two home runs against him during the season, as he entered the home run race. Instead of being on the mound, Bauer was seen as a baserunning coach.
As Jiji Press reported, “Bauer enjoyed himself by talking baseball with Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Orix) and Roki Sasaki (Chiba Lotte). Before the game, he was seen signing autographs by himself on the field. He came to Japan and shined in his first All-Star game.”
Sportshochi added, “Bauer interacted with many players before the game. He taught Togo Shosei (Yomiuri) how to use a fork and talked to Yamamoto about not only technique but also how to spend the offseason.”포커카지노
Meanwhile, the Pacific League All-Stars, who won Game 1 on Sept. 19, won Game 2 6-1. Mannami, who hit a solo home run off Bauer, was named Game 2 MVP after going 2-for-4 with a double, home run and one RBI. Mannami homered in his first at-bat as an All-Star in Game 1 the day before, and he homered in Game 2 for the second straight game.