The entrance press conference has captured everyone's attention. It's because it's a key factor that will determine the team's performance for the year.

Trevor Bauer (34) has returned to Japan, heading to Yokohama. He has returned to the DeNA BASS after a year.

The team offered an exceptional salary. It amounts to $6 million (approximately 900 million yen, 8.7 billion won). This is the highest level within the team. There are rumors that the actual amount is 1 billion yen. They ensured he receives ace treatment.

There's no way there wouldn't be expectations. He reassures the team and the fans with a confident voice.

"I can't forget the enthusiastic support from Yokohama fans and the sight of waving towels with my name on them. I'm glad to be back. Above all, I want to win the Sawamura Award (Best Pitcher Award). It's an authoritative title like the Cy Young Award. If I become the first player to achieve both, it would be a great honor." (Trevor Bauer, entrance press conference on the 3rd)

So far, it's been fine. A smooth question-and-answer session continues. However, as it progresses into the middle, it veers off track. This happens when someone asks about 'YouTube.' It's a question of whether he will continue.

"The goal is to upload once a week. For now, I plan to use a channel for American viewers. I tried a Japanese voice AI, but the response wasn't very good. Instead, I plan to use subtitles. I want to convey my performance this season through the lens."

The ambitions of the channel owner are specific.

"The current number of subscribers is around 940,000. I wanted to exceed 1 million last year, but it didn't go as planned. This year, I definitely want to receive the gold button."

From the start of the press conference, it was out of the ordinary. The main character entered holding a camera, already equipped with a holder.

He looked around and set up after finding a suitable location. This shows his intention to create content by capturing the scene. This made some reporters chuckle.

Of course, the times are such that activities like this cannot be criticized. However, many worried looks are evident because the main character is Trevor Bauer.

He is particularly sincere about social media. He operates two YouTube accounts. The one in English, as of the 5th, has over 940,000 subscribers and has uploaded 946 videos. The other account features some Japanese language content, with 310,000 subscribers and 40 videos uploaded.

In addition to that, there are various platforms. He has his own website and is actively using Instagram, Facebook, X, and TikTok. There is also a clause in his contract that guarantees 'free YouTube activity.' It can be inferred that this was the case with the current DeNA situation as well.

Up to this point, it's fine. However, with a lot of exposure, the likelihood of mistakes or errors naturally increases. This means that problems may arise.

He created controversy by expressing doubt about Gerrit Cole (pine tar). He also made a rap dissing his teammate, catcher Miguel Montero. The incident that caused his downfall was also linked to a woman he met on social media.

There's more. He disappointed Japanese fans with the so-called 'Lieutenant Alkonis' incident.

U.S. Army service member Ridge Alkonis caused a traffic accident near Mount Fuji in 2021, hitting a family that had just finished trekking, resulting in the deaths of two people.

He was charged with negligent homicide and sentenced to 3 years in prison. However, a rescue campaign was launched primarily by the U.S. Republican Party. Eventually, he was repatriated, and as soon as he returned to the U.S., he was released on parole.

The Japanese public was outraged. Accusations of humiliating diplomacy poured in. Amid this, a thoughtless line from Bauer's social media came to light. It was a mention saying, 'Welcome home Ridge!'

The feelings of the frustrated Japanese people exploded. The views on related posts surpassed 1 million. Online communities and social media were flooded with criticism and abuse. (Lieutenant Alkonis was stationed near the Yokosuka Naval Base in Yokohama.)

In a hurry, he bowed his head through YouTube and posted an apology translated into Japanese. However, it was already too late. He faced backlash for not appreciating being welcomed back after being kicked out of Major League Baseball.

That was in the winter of 2023, after completing his first season in Japan. There is speculation that such public sentiment may have made contract renewal difficult. As a result, it is presumed he had to spend a season (2024) in the Mexican League.

Will everything be okay? Is the ambition of a YouTuber dreaming of a gold button justified? Yokohama fans are on edge.

[OSEN]