Baseball Twitter Wars: Are Twitter Wars Good for Baseball?
This could be a hot take, but Twitter wars are good for baseball…
The ‘goody, goody’ nature of the sport needs to end, and my job as a writer is to bring this to baseball fans’ attention. We call professional baseball “The Show,” so I do not understand why people are offended by a little trash talk on Twitter.
The Latest from the Twitter World
If you have seen baseball Twitter over the past few days, you have noticed that the Dodgers’ newest star, Trevor Bauer, has been getting into some battles with Noah Syndergaard and Marcus Stroman of the New York Mets.
It’s important to note that all of the shots have taken place on Twitter in the form of 280 characters or less.
Noah Syndergaard started the chirping, but he should have thought a little harder before he mentioned Trevor Bauer. Bauer’s has made mistakes on Twitter in the past, as he attested to in his first press conference in Los Angeles, but the reigning Cy Young winner is in the trash talk Hall of Fame.
Syndergaard started the chirping, but Bauer buried “Thor” and he is now working his way through New York’s entire pitching staff.
Bauer vs. Syndergaard
Trevor Bauer has been involved in a few Twitter scandals which were not appropriate, but this fight with Syndergaard is harmless. Dave Roberts and Mickey Callaway may not be pleased with the distractions, but these Twitter pokes are great for baseball fans all over the world.
Last Friday, Syndergaard tweeted.
And then he said……” I’m sorry I chose another team but I’ll donate to your charities!”
And then he said……”I’m sorry I chose another team but I’ll donate to your charities!” https://t.co/Kxkje5Uqn2
— Noah Syndergaard (@Noahsyndergaard) February 20, 2021
The New York Mets were in the running for Bauer during free agency in the offseason. People accused Bauer of indicating that he was heading to New York before signing with the defending world champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Bauer apologized following his announcement that he was heading to Los Angeles, and he also promised that he would donate $40,000 to New York based non-profits.
Bauer’s agent, Rachel Luba, was quick to criticize Thor for his shot at her client.
And then he said……”I’m sorry I chose another team but I’ll donate to your charities!” https://t.co/Kxkje5Uqn2
— Noah Syndergaard (@Noahsyndergaard) February 20, 2021
Baseball analysts slammed Bauer and Syndergaard for disgracing the game, but fans in the reply section of the tweet were loving every second of the feud. The spat became even more exciting when Trevor Bauer fired back and left Thor speechless.
Bauer’s first response was okay: “When mistakes are made, you try to make them right. I know you wouldn’t know anything about making mistakes though. Hope rehab is treating you well. Was good to see you back throwing.”
Once the reigning Cy Young Award winner did a little digging on Syndergaard, he delivered the knockout punch that Thor was not expecting.
Also, @Noahsyndergaard, try to treat the fans better. They’re what makes our game go. No place for personal insults, especially about someone else’s wife. pic.twitter.com/I3FaZbR224
— Trevor Bauer (トレバー・バウアー) (@BauerOutage) February 20, 2021
This tweet garnered 1.8 thousand replies, and it’s hard to not laugh at many of the responses from Twitter users. Syndergaard had nothing to say following Bauer dropping the hammer on Thor’s head.
Everyone knows Bauer’s troubled past on social media, but he exposed Syndergaard through multiple examples in his second response.
The best part of Syndergaard’s retort was #takeajokebro. I think a first grader could have come up with a better reply than Thor…
Bauer vs. Stroman
Marcus Stroman and Trevor Bauer’s Twitter war is currently ongoing between bullpen sessions at Dodgers and Mets Spring Training camps. People began calling Trevor Bauer racist in reply to a tweet from the Dodgers’ account.
Bauer has made mistakes in the past, but the man is not racist. The pitcher is loved by players of all races in the MLB, so it’s very unfair to take this shot at Bauer, in my opinion.
However, Marcus Stroman jumped into the reply section of Twitter and tweeted an emoji signaling that he agreed that with the takes that Bauer was racist. It seems like this was Stroman’s intention, and Bauer thought the same exact thing.
Bauer was quick to fire back at Stroman.
Instead of subtweeting me constantly you could just come out and say you dislike me. Speak up homie. We’re both men. We can handle it. https://t.co/t6xUlMx1cV
— Trevor Bauer (トレバー・バウアー) (@BauerOutage) February 21, 2021
This tweet generated over 1,000 replies, and the comments were hilarious once again. Hardcore and casual fans both took to Twitter to get their thoughts across to the two big leaguers.
It seems that Dave Roberts and Mickey Callaway have quieted their stars for now, but this will definitely be an ongoing story throughout the season.
The Benefit of Twitter Wars
I believe that the Twitter wars between Bauer, Syndergaard, and Stroman have been great for baseball. Fans are engaging with the Dodgers and Mets storyline now.
Los Angeles and New York will compete seven times in the regular season, and I guarantee these tweets will generate a lot of interest in all of the matchups.
Bauer is going to step into the box against a pitcher for New York. Depending on the rotation, it could be Noah Syndergaard or Marcus Stroman. The same fate applies for Thor and Stroman when they take the mound for New York against the Dodgers.
I am not condoning throwing at a player, but fans will tune into the action to see what will transpire when Los Angeles and New York face-off.
Will a pitcher go up and in on a batter at some point in the game…probably? I am not saying this is good, but the anticipation of this scenario is what makes professional baseball “The Show.”
If this was football, these Tweets would barely be worthy of a story with all the trash talk that takes place between the lines. Obviously, some people will take social media too far, but this Twitter war was harmless.
Anything that draws fans to the screen is good for the game of baseball, and Bauer, Syndergaard, and Stroman are making this happen.
