Anthony Banda entered 2024 with a 5.69 career ERA and seriously considered retirement at age 30. He experienced outings where his pitches were routinely hit and felt embarrassed and joyless about competing. Banda found renewed perspective and enjoyment through unrelated passions like cutting hair and watching van-conversion videos, focusing on process rather than just results. His agent arranged scout viewings that led to a Triple-A opportunity with the Cleveland organization under a two-way contract containing upward-mobility provisions. The combination of refreshed motivation and new opportunities enabled a successful return to effective high-leverage relief work for the Dodgers, especially in October.
"As the (2023-24) offseason went, I was like, 'Man I don't know if I want to do this again. I really don't'" Banda said. "It was to a point where I was talking about hanging 'em up."
"I'm going out there, getting my stuff absolutely pieced up. This isn't fun. I'm not enjoying striking people out," Banda said. "I might as well just grab the ball, turn around, throw it to the wall, and tell the guy to go run. That's how it felt. This is embarrassing. What value do I bring to the game if I continue doing this? What value do I bring to myself if I continue doing this, in the sense of happiness, achievements?"
"I remember I was watching YouTube videos, like, I always have this ASMR theme with haircuts. I love haircuts. I love cutting hair. On YouTube, I was watching these people turn a van into like a camping van, or like a mini-house. It was so intriguing. It wasn't the finished product that was intriguing to me. It was more the process of it. I found actual enjoyment of that. I was like ... 'If I can find enjoyment out of this, I know I can find enjoyment out of baseball.'"
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