Trevor Bauer. (Photo by Tim Bradbury/Getty Images)
Trevor Bauer is pitching for the Cleveland Indians in Game 2 of the World Series against the Chicago Cubs. The 25-year-old Bauer was born in North Hollywood, California and attended the University of California, Los Angeles.
His parents, Warren and Kathy, have been supportive of his dream of playing baseball. He also has a younger sister named Gracie.
Bauer made his debut with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2012, when he was just 21. In 2016, he earned a spot behind Cy Young winner Corey Kluber on the Indians rotation.
Bauer is currently single, although he hasn’t referenced his relationship status publicly. Here’s a look at Bauer’s family.
1. When Bauer Was in Arizona, Gracie Made Pies for Him Before Every Start
(Getty)
Bauer was drafted by the Diamondbacks in the first round of the 2011 amateur draft and had four starts with the team the following year. In an interview with Arizona Sports, Bauer said that he planned to eat a piece of a cherry pie made by his sister Gracie before each start. Even when he was on the road, he had a slice of her pie.
Bauer said that it was a ritual he started at UCLA. The one time he didn’t eat a piece of her pie, the UCLA Bruins were no-hit.
2. Bauer Missed His Sister’s College Graduation, so His Parents Took a Picture With Them
(Facebook/Kathy Bauer)
Gracie started college in fall 2012. “I owe my college bound sister 50 dollars for a favor. I have 3 twenties and ask for change. She says she doesn’t have it and takes my money,” Bauer tweeted in August 2012.
I owe my college bound sister 50 dollars for a favor. I have 3 twenties and ask for change. She says she doesn’t have it and takes my money
Unfortunately, Bauer was not able to attend his sister’s college graduation. However, his parents took a picture of Bauer on a stick. Clearly, Bauer isn’t the only member of the family with a sense of humor.
Bauer also joked in September 2016 that if The Players Tribune wanted him to write a piece about his life, he’d ask his sister to ghostwrite it for him.
@mgbode_WFNY considering hiring my sister for this but thank you
Bauer ended up with the Indians in a three-team trade that also involved the Cincinnati Reds.
3. Warren Bauer Worked as a Chemical Engineer & Inspired His Son to Think Scientifically About Baseball
Although Bauer’s father, Warren, was not a baseball player, his outlook on life had an impact on the way his son thinks about the sport. Warren, who worked as a chemical engineer and has an engineering degree from the Colorado School of Mines, inspired Bauer to think about baseball in scientific terms.
According to a 2011 Sports Illustrated profile of Bauer, the two used coconuts to throw, building his arm strength. They used a Nolan Ryan trick by putting nails into a softball to add weight. They would also toss hollowed-out balls, with sand and fishing weights inside.
““We wanted Trevor to learn how to throw the right way,” Warren told SI. “We never imagined there was such a huge divide in how you go about doing that.”
“Engineers have a certain process, where you have a problem…You have your goal and then you have your starting point. You gotta know both before you design a process to get from the starting point to the end goal,” Bauer told Scout.com. “I think that process that my Dad has taught me my whole life— identify where you are, identify where you want to go and design a process to get there— is something that is shared by Kyle in a lot of ways, that same mindset.”
As Cleveland.com noted when Bauer joined the Indians, he studied mechanical engineering at UCLA.
4. His Parents Gave up Their Own Vacation Time to be With Bauer at a Texas Baseball Camp
(Getty)
Bauer began attracting attention from college scouts during high school and his parents made sure that he could pitch at the highest levels. During the summer, they would send him to the Texas Baseball Ranch to refine his skills. Kathy and Warren even gave up their own vacation time.
In a 2008 Los Angeles Times piece, Bauer promised that he wouldn’t forget the sacrifices his parents have made for his passion. However, Kathy told the Times that he was paying them by showing them how much better he was becoming.
“To see him be as dedicated and as passionate as he is . . . it’s amazing,” Kathy told the Times.
5. Bauer Also Taught His Father About Baseball & He Became an Expert on Pitching
In an interview with Fangraphs in 2014, Bauer said that his father did want to become a baseball player when he was a kid, but his parents couldn’t afford to buy Warren a glove. When his son decided to become a pitcher, Warren dove head-first into the science of pitching and learned from his son as well.
Bauer said:
I’ve taught him a ton. Everything he knows about baseball is due to either me teaching it to him or him doing research because I play. Once I became interested in pitching, he started learning everything he could to help me out. The depth of his understanding about pitching is pretty impressive now.
Bauer added:
My dad understands the Magnus force and how spin affects the way the ball moves. If I’m ever struggling with a pitch, I’ll play catch with him. He’ll recognize if the spin axis is wrong – maybe my curveball axis is tilted the wrong way because of how the ball is in my hand – because we’ve played catch and talked about it for so long.
His father’s love of science and Bauer’s own past in mechanical engineering might be the explanation for his sometimes dangerous obsession with drones. While playing with one, he cut his little finger, forcing him to miss Game 2 of the ALCS and he struggled in Game 3 against Toronto.
On October 25, Bauer assured Indians fans that it will not be an issue during the World Series. “It fees fine,” he said, notes ESPN.
“I don’t think that finger is going to be the reason he wins or loses,” Indians manager Terry Francona said.
