One-time Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Trevor Bauer, a 27-year-old professional baseball player, finds himself as the latest public figure under the microscope for his social media behavior. After a young baseball fan tweeted out that Bauer was her “least favorite person in all sports,” Bauer took to Twitter to fire off fastball after fastball screenshotting previous posts from the Twitter user’s timeline that reference underage drinking and other things to shame his Twitter foe.
People in the public spotlight fighting back against Twitter “trolls” is nothing new, but the sheer volume of Tweets from Bauer and the fact that the user under the line of fire was clearly a younger woman made the whole ordeal headline news.
Reputation and Social Media Marketing expert and owner of the digital marketing agency WebiMax, Ken Wisnefski, explains that Bauer should know better saying, “People in the public eye have to understand that their actions on social media have consequences. Even with Bauer being criticized first, going to war with a young Twitter user with 486 followers does nothing but provide people with the perception that you’re thin-skinned.”
The Bauer story can’t help but bring up memories of former 76ers General Manager, Bryan Colangelo, who was exposed for utilizing burner accounts to fight offer criticism from Sixer fans upset with his work. Colangelo was relieved of his responsibilities as his credibility as a leader was completely shattered.
“It’s tough for anyone or any business to read negative comments about themselves online, but how they react to that negativity shows their true character and value.”
According to Wisnefski:
• All public figures and businesses should utilize Twitter and other platforms to engage with their audience to build their brand.
• Setting up a quality control process is necessary for those who are tempted to read and respond to negative attention.
• Bauer is an incredibly talented pitcher, but by engaging in foolish social media behavior, he tarnishes his reputation and creates a distraction his team will all have to deal with.
