A pitcher, he played in two seasons in Major League Baseball for the Columbus Buckeyes and the St. Louis Maroons.

At the age of 25 Bauer made his professional debut with the Chillicothe Logans of the Ohio State League in 1884.

After playing for the Atlanta team in the Southern League in 1885, Bauer joined the St. Louis Maroons in 1886.

In four games, all starts, Bauer would go 0–4 with 13 strikeouts and a 5.97 ERA in 282⁄3 innings pitched.

This biographical article relating to an American baseball pitcher born in the 1850s is a stub.