by Rowan Kavner
Trevor Bauer said he’s pumped up for his first start in front of his hometown Los Angeles fans. Before that happens, the former Cy Young Award winner’s first start as a Dodger will take place on the road.
Despite the anticipation and excitement for Friday night in Colorado, Bauer said he doesn’t expect a lot of nerves or butterflies.
“It’s been a while since I’ve played meaningful baseball, and I’m just excited to get back out there because I love it,” Bauer said at the end of spring. “I love competing. I love coming together with a group of guys and going and trying to win a ballgame and trying to win a division and win a World Series.”
Bauer went 1–2 with a 4.24 ERA while striking out 28 batters with six walks in 23 1/3 innings this spring, but he said he puts no stock in spring statistics.
That work was to prepare him for now, and he said he accomplished everything he wanted to this spring. He cleaned up what he wanted to mechanically and saw his velocity get into the high-90s.
Manager Dave Roberts said it’s been easy getting to know Bauer this spring, and he’s enjoyed all of the interactions he’s had with Bauer. Now he’s ready to see him perform.
“I know that on his day (to pitch), he’s amped up. He’s competitive,” Roberts said. “I expect to see emotion and strike-throwing. He’s got a wide array of pitches, and he’ll sequence the way he and Will (Smith) see fit.”
Friday night will not be Bauer’s first time pitching at Coors Field, which can often be an adventure for even the most seasoned pitchers. He has made three career starts against the Rockies, including one in Colorado on June 7, 2017, when he allowed four runs, five hits and five walks in 3 1/3 innings. He remembers it well, mostly because it came on just two days of rest after his previous start in Kansas City was cut short.
Bauer said he didn’t notice a lot of difference on his pitches in Colorado’s altitude, and he doesn’t plan on changing much with his approach on Friday because of the elevation.
“To me, it’s just you go out there and get the guy out,” Bauer said. “If you’re missing, you need to make an adjustment.”
The Dodgers will be looking for Bauer to help them capture their first win of the new year after dropping the season opener. Bauer is following Clayton Kershaw in the rotation, with Walker Buehler and Julio Urías set to finish out the series this weekend.
Bauer said he’s been part of “some pretty ridiculous staffs” during his time in Cleveland, but none as deep as the one he’s joined in Los Angeles.
“Certainly not all the way through and down to the Triple-A ranks,” Bauer said. “It’s going to be fun. I think the front office has done a great job of putting together a fantastic group of people and talented baseball players, and now it’s our job to go out there and win baseball games.”
Roberts supports MLB decision to move All-Star Game
Commissioner Rob Manfred announced Friday that Major League Baseball will relocate this year’s All-Star Game and MLB Draft from Atlanta in response to a new Georgia voting law.
“Major League Baseball fundamentally supports voting rights for all Americans and opposes restrictions to the ballot box,” part of the statement read. “In 2020, MLB became the first professional sports league to join the non-partisan Civic Alliance to help build a future in which everyone participates in shaping the United States. We proudly used our platform to encourage baseball fans and communities throughout our country to perform their civic duty and actively participate in the voting process. Fair access to voting continues to have our game’s unwavering support.”
MLB announced it will continue with its planned investments to support local communities in Atlanta and with its plans to celebrate the memory of Hank Aaron during All-Star festivities, wherever the game ends up being played.
Roberts said he supports MLB’s decision.
A week ago, Roberts said he would consider not managing the game as he awaited more information and context about the bill. Roberts applauded MLB for being proactive in its decision.
“I think that obviously I’m not completely versed on everything, but I do understand, and my takeaway from the bill was essentially to suppress votes for people of color,” Roberts said. “With that, that’s something I fundamentally, intrinsically disagree with.
“For the commissioner to do his due diligence in baseball, outside of baseball, players, front office, and ultimately make a decision to remove the All-Star Game and draft out of Georgia, I support. I also applaud the fact that we’re still planning on committing the dollars to the communities in the Greater Atlanta area, which is great, because I think the fans are the ones that are unfortunately losing out. But yeah, I certainly support it.”
Roberts said he thinks MLB’s decision is an impactful one that sets a positive tone looking forward.
“I think in a world now where people want and need to be heard, in this particular case people of color, for Major League Baseball to listen and to do something about it, to be proactive, I think it just sets a tone that from Major League Baseball to the players we have to be in it together,” Roberts said. “It’s a great game, but for it to continue to flourish we have to be in it together and this is a huge step toward that.”
"all" - Google News
April 03, 2021 at 07:53AM
https://ift.tt/3uhQQRV
Notebook: Bauer ready for Dodger debut, Roberts supports MLB's 'proactive' All-Star Game decision - mlblogs.com
"all" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2vcMBhz
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Notebook: Bauer ready for Dodger debut, Roberts supports MLB's 'proactive' All-Star Game decision - mlblogs.com"
Post a Comment