Ray Olivier
Anchor Staff
On Sept. 7, Los Angeles Dodgers star pitcher Trevor Bauer was accused of sexual abuse and assault. A woman, who wishes to only be referred to as “Ms. Hill,” reported to the LAPD that Bauer assaulted her on May 16. Hill admitted to having a flirtatious relationship with Bauer which she hoped would lead to a mutually explicit relationship.
According to Hill, she was more than willing to meet with Bauer and engage in sexual acts, as long as they were consensual. In her first statement to the public, she declared that none of the ‘rough sexual acts,’ performed by Bauer, on her, were consensual. Subsequently, Hill decides to file a police report and accuse Bauer of something profoundly serious.
Is Hill telling the truth? The more time goes on, the more it seems that she is not. The first piece of evidence which would lead most people to believe that she is lying would be a text exchange with her cousin after the alleged assault took place. Hill says, “he gave me two black eyes.” To which the cousin responds, “As long as it is consensual, I don’t have to kill him.” “It was consensual,'' Hill replied, ''but I didn’t like the two black eyes ?? Look, he took it too far, don’t you think lol.” This evidence, which was presented by Bauer’s defense team, sheds light on the details of this situation. Yes, Hill says that Bauer “took it too far” but her response to that statement, almost making light of the situation, paired with her admitting it was consensual, makes her unreliable.
Apparently Judge Dianna Gould-Saltman agrees because back in August, at the civil trial, she denied Hill’s request for a restraining order on Bauer. Judge Gould-Saltman concluded that Bauer was no threat to Ms. Hill.
On Oct. 6, Bauer spoke publicly for the first time in a while. “Hey guys, I know you haven't heard from me in a while, I look forward to speaking about the false and materially misleading allegations, in the future. But for now, this is what I’m able to share with you, one legal matter has been resolved, the judge’s detailed decision is available and speaks for itself. There is a pending matter, which I’m not able to speak about at this time.”
Due to these allegations Bauer was put on paid administrative leave by MLB (Major League Baseball). He has not pitched since June 28. Any fan of Bauer will understand that he is extremely frustrated by the fact that he cannot be competing with the rest of his teammates. Fortunately, the Dodgers are such a talented organization that they have not needed Bauer to make it as far as they have, which is the National League Championship Series (NLCS). On the other hand, he is the reigning Cy Young Award winner in the NL and could easily provide a boost to that pitching staff.
It is great that the Dodgers were able to acquire Max Scherzer, at the trade deadline, to fill that hole but if Bauer was never accused of sexual assault would they have even needed to make that trade? In order to obtain Scherzer, along with Trea Turner, the Dodgers had to give up four prospects. Two of whom, C Keibert Ruiz and RHP Josiah Gray, are incredible talents that LA could have easily kept despite the glaring hole in their rotation due to Bauer’s absence.
Bauer could help the Dodgers win a World Series. I won’t get into the “what if’s” of them winning the World Series or not because that is something that they could win with Bauer or Scherzer. I believe they are a “wash” when it comes to competitive advantage so it would be a waste of time to say, ‘if the Dodgers don’t win the World Series it is because Bauer didn’t pitch.’ The Dodgers have Scherzer on the roster to counter the suspension and still be in the hunt.
What needs to be talked about is the prospects that the Dodgers had to give up in order to fill the hole left by Bauer. If he is found innocent on all charges and it is proven in a court of law that Ms. Hill is in fact bending the truth, then she should be punished accordingly. This woman could have single-handedly forced a professional sports team to trade away valuable, young assets, for a 37 year-old pitcher. Bauer is still very much effective on the mound, but at the end of his prime, while players like Ruiz and Gray could be impactful big leaguers for years to come.
Exactly what should her punishment be? Well for starters, permanent ban from attending any and all Dodgers’ games at Dodger Stadium. More importantly, Ms. Hill should be fined for a settled price, in court, between her and Bauer’s lawyers.