As a 22-year-old recent college graduate, Trautwig called New York Apollo soccer games on WBAU 90.3 FM, a student-run radio station on Long Island.
In the 1980s, Trautwig hosted USA Network's coverage of the National Hockey League; one off-beat feature that he did was to interview a water fountain.
From 1991 to 2001, Trautwig was host of the New York Yankees' pre- and post-game shows on MSG Network, and also was in the booth for a few innings per game.
Trautwig's contract was not renewed after taking some time off when he appeared in a November 2019 broadcast and viewers noted he looked unwell.
Despite his years of experience as a broadcaster, he was sometimes criticized by cycling fans, for his occasionally uninformed commentary, and his tendency to compare the Tour to various mainstream sports he covers.
His commentary has resulted in some in the gymnastics community criticizing Trautwig long before the Biles controversy at the 2016 Rio Olympics.