Despite coming from a baseball family, I often find the sport can seem boring, especially when games drag on long past three hours.
The day-to-day life of a baseball player has often been not known to the public because of the lack of time between games to do anything promotional or fan based work, but that’s changed with one player, in particular.
Trevor Bauer, pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds, has opened the eyes of many with his vlogs that showcase playing baseball in the times of COVID-19. These video blogs document his daily routines and what it is like to play professional baseball during these unconventional times.
Bauer’s vlogs have not only given us an inside look at the profession in these odd times, but he has also given us an inside look at the mundane aspects of being a professional baseball player.
I found that watching Bauer’s vlog on YouTube made me feel closer to the sport and even elevated my level of interest in the game itself. Since off days are minimal, it is hard for players to find the time to connect with their fans or even allow their fans to get to know them as players beyond statistics and play by plays.
I personally encourage all fans and non-fans to take a look and find that baseball is not as boring, even when compared to basketball or football, which get way more media coverage. Seeing as basketball is a fast-paced game where things can change in the matter of seconds, it makes sports like baseball seem long and drawn out instead of enjoying the build-up to the turning point of the game.
I encourage this because I am not a Cincinnati Reds fan. I am not even a fan of Trevor Bauer, but he has opened up an inside look into the world of baseball . Bauer is granting fans access to a new angle on the sport and I can only hope that more players of the greatest American pastime can begin to explore how they can connect with fans on a more personal level than just through sporadic Instagram posts.
These vlogs allow for fans to know more about the lives of baseball players, from what they eat on a daily basis to struggles if something as simple as a warm-up routine goes wrong. If more players start doing this, we may just see an increase in interest for baseball.
