Michael Baumann on Mike Baumann

Just to get this out of the best way: I actually do not know if this gimmick is humorous to all of you, and I don’t care. I feel it’s humorous, and so does Mike Baumann. The Orioles righthander and I’ve identified of one another since he was enjoying at Jacksonville University and I used to be protecting school baseball; I’d interviewed him twice for the Ringer MLB Show, as soon as when he was drafted in 2017 and as soon as extra after he made his large league debut in September 2021. But each these interviews have been accomplished remotely; it wasn’t till this week that we met in individual.

The Orioles simply got here to Philadelphia for a three-game sequence, so I made a degree to go meet the opposite Michael Baumann. (I scanned the BBWAA badge listing and didn’t spot another present members who share a reputation with an lively MLB participant, nevertheless it’s doable I missed somebody.)

So I put the next proposition to the opposite man: I’d ask him a sequence of (kind of randomly ordered) questions protecting every little thing from baseball approach to music to meals. When there’s a significant league reliever going round utilizing your title, you need to look him within the eye and see what he’s all about. He agreed, and what follows is our dialog, flippantly edited for readability.

What’s your favourite factor about enjoying in Baltimore?

I really like the stadium. It comes with the ambiance and the followers. It’s such a novel ballpark, and it’s simply been such a enjoyable place to position since I debuted.

Everyone is within the clubhouse earlier than a sport hanging out, and also you see one man going for the aux wire to regulate the music. Who are you hoping it’s not?

Probably Tyler Wells. I really like nation however I feel he’s simply gonna play tremendous old style country-style music.

How do you kill time on the workforce airplane?

I often obtain some episodes from Netflix, proper now I’m watching Suits lots. And we play Monopoly Deal each time we’ve got some spare time.

How is Suits? It’s been popping up on my Netflix and I want, like, a middlebrow TV present to binge. Would you advocate that based mostly on what you’ve seen?

I’d advocate it. There’s three various things occurring each episode, and it’s all the time one thing new. Nothing drags alongside. I’ve fallen in love with these characters. Pretty a lot the entire bullpen’s watching it. First by way of third inning of the sport we’re speaking about Suits.

Cool. I’ll watch it and subsequent time you guys are again on the town we’ll discuss it. So the metrics present some large adjustments to your curveball this yr. [Note: He’s throwing it three miles per hour harder than in 2022, with less break, but opponents’ wOBA against the pitch has dropped from .385 to .243.] What have you ever modified about that pitch?

The primary factor going into this season was a I knew I needed to command it higher. So I began out throwing it like my fastball. Same grip, simply fastball mentality. I sacrificed some motion, however the velocity ticked up. And I feel when it’s just a little tighter, it’s simpler to regulate.

What does that imply, ‘fastball mentality?’

You’re nearly simply gripping and ripping it, not making an attempt to control it or do an excessive amount of with it.

Who’s a teammate who’s higher than folks exterior the workforce notice?

If I needed to stay with the bullpen, I need to say Danny Coulombe’s been large for us. In the lineup, I feel persons are beginning to notice how good Ryan O’Hearn is. He’s been a large addition to our lineup this yr.

We can discuss this when it comes to the key leagues, however even courting again to highschool and journey ball, what number of new locations would you say baseball has introduced you to?

Pretty a lot all of them. I grew up in Minnesota and just about stayed there, Wisconsin, and Florida. I’ve been all up and down the east coast since I’ve debuted and seen among the west coast, too, it’s been superior. Wrigley was fairly cool. The first time I used to be there, I hit a pair guys and bought booed out of there, in order that was a pleasant little reminiscence.

Whatever else you do in your profession, you may grasp your hat on getting booed out of Wrigley. So a pair weeks in the past my brother despatched me an image his good friend had taken in Chicago, of a bunch of individuals in Mike Baumann jerseys—

That was most likely my household. It’s like six hours from [his hometown of Mahtomedi, Minnesota. And my family on my mom’s side is from Wisconsin; that’s probably two hours from Chicago.

What’s your favorite misspelling or mispronunciation of our name?

I get Bowman [Note: like bow and arrow] lots. I don’t know if many individuals misspell it. If something, they miss an N.

There’s a one-N Bauman at Auburn [left-handed pitcher Tanner Bauman] and one other who simply bought drafted [Angels 13th-round pick Riley Bauman, a right-handed pitcher from Abilene Christian]. Any recommendation for them making an attempt to make it in baseball with fewer Ns than they want?

They solely have one N?

Yeah, there’s a two-N Garrett Baumann who was a fourth-round choose, however these guys solely have one N.

I simply…I don’t know. [laughs] You simply gotta get by way of it. Gotta put on it.

Take me by way of your gameday routine. What are you making an attempt to do to get within the headspace to pitch?

I roll my physique to get it activated, after which, yeah, I’ve realized to take catch just a little bit extra significantly being within the bullpen. I get fewer reps now throwing on daily basis. I’m making an attempt to save lots of my bullets, however on the similar time get my work in. I’ve bought a band routine, then just a little plyo ball routine earlier than I throw, to get what I want on daily basis throwing-wise. Before the sport, simply getting in the correct headspace with music. Once the sport begins, I begin transferring round within the third or fourth inning as soon as the sport’s going.

Are you a type of guys who eats the identical factor earlier than each sport or do you want to change it up?

I strive to not, simply because it’s so arduous to seek out the identical meals in several cities. No superstitions there.

What’s on the pregame playlist?

It’s most likely been the identical since I used to be in highschool, although I’m in the midst of altering it now. It’s principally early 2010s hip-hop and rap.

Do you miss beginning?

Actually, no, I don’t miss it. I like throwing on daily basis, being on the board on daily basis, having the ability to participate in as many video games as doable. So I may have a foul day, present as much as the sector like nothing occurred and be within the sport the subsequent day and assist the workforce win. That’s most likely the most effective half about it.

What’s your go-to pizza order?

Good query. If I used to be to order from Domino’s, I’d go together with banana peppers —

YES!

— and bacon.

So my spouse and me, our regular pizza order is pineapple, jalapenos, and both pepperoni or bacon.

I’m not afraid to place pineapple on pizza.

You ought to, subsequent time. You get the spicy, salty, and candy abruptly.

That’d be good. Right now, the wood-fired pizzas, I’ll get in there. Any sort of meat and honey, there’s been some good meat and honey pizzas.

If you want honey on pizza, pineapple isn’t that large a stretch.

Yeah, I’m not scared to strive it. I’ve had pickles on pizza too, that’s fairly good.

What’s the most effective second of your profession to this point?

I’m gonna say my debut. Actually, no, my first Opening Day, which was in Tampa Bay final yr. That was a particular second. Got just a little emotional. I didn’t notice how large a deal it was till that second.

What’s the factor that you just really feel such as you’ve labored hardest to realize?

Honestly, simply consistency. Being the identical man on daily basis on and off the sector, not getting too down on myself or too excessive, and carrying that over to the mound.

If you needed to go professional in a sport apart from baseball, which might you choose?

Football, in a heartbeat. That was my favourite sport rising up, nonetheless is considered one of my favourite sports. I simply beloved being within the trenches in highschool. I’d like to be a cross rusher.

Were you not a quarterback in highschool? I really like that. When a pitcher performed soccer in highschool however wasn’t a quarterback, there tends to be a very good story behind it.

Yeah I used to be a sort out. Defensive and offensive sort out. People all the time ask why I didn’t play tight finish, however I didn’t actually have the arms for it.

What’s one thing you want folks within the media understood higher about ballplayers?

Just that we’re regular folks. We get some hate mail right here and there that we’ve bought to dwell with, it comes with the job. At the top of the day, we go house to our households similar to everybody else.

What’s the talent or capability you don’t have however most want you had?

I’d love to have the ability to sing. I can’t sing, however I’d love to have the ability to sing and play piano.

My reply to that query would even be “play the piano.”

My mother was all the time making an attempt to pressure it on my as a child, and I simply by no means would budge.

Okay, right here’s one. Barbenheimer: Have you seen one? Both? Neither?

Neither. I plan to see each in some unspecified time in the future, however I need to see Oppenheimer in theaters. I’ll go see it on an off day. [As a baseball player,] there’s solely a lot you are able to do so far as regular society goes, so I’ve to seek out an off day and go test it out.

Last one. If you can steal one pitch from one other pitcher across the league, what wouldn’t it be?

We have been simply speaking about it yesterday. I used to be watching Shintaro Fujinami’s splitter. Yeah, I’d take Fuji’s splitter. Or perhaps Matt Brash’s slider.

…

There you could have it. We’re very completely different folks, pursuing very completely different careers, however with a shared title, a shared remorse over by no means having realized to play the piano, and comparable style in pizza. What unites us is bigger than what divides us. If Suits seems to be any good, I’ll allow you to all know.