Reds' Trevor Bauer trolls Astros, wears trash-can cleats
No one likes cheaters, but Trevor Bauer takes his disliking of Major League Baseball's most hated team to another level.
For his outing against the Chicago White Sox on Saturday, which was nationally televised, the Cincinnati Reds pitcher took the mound wearing cleats with an obvious reference to the Houston Astros' sign-stealing scandal.
The trash cans signify one of the most talked-about aspects of Houston's elaborate cheating scandal — the banging of a dugout trash can to send signals to the batter. Bauer also had the phrases "Dark Arts" and "Codebreaker" written across the back in reference to code words used by Houston.
Since the scandal was revealed, Bauer has been relentless in his trolling of the Astros. During spring training, the right-hander labeled the club as "cheaters" and "hypocrites." He's even been seen in a "Trash Town" T-shirt multiple times.
Bauer often is one to express himself through his cleats. This season, he almost wore cleats that read "Free Joe Kelly," after the pitcher was suspended for throwing near the head of multiple Astros players. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred prevented him from sporting the cleats. He also has worn cleats dedicated to Harambe, the gorilla that was shot and killed at a Cincinnati zoo in 2016.
The 29-year-old is 4-4 on the season with a 1.80 ERA, 88 strikeouts and a 0.815 WHIP. He'll be a free agent after the 2020 season and certainly will be one of the most sought-after pitchers in the game.
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