Madison Bumgarner is the kind of person who makes me think back to what I was doing with my life at his age. He gets me thinking about these things, which is both good and bad. Not many players have made me think about that, because most baseball players are just players. Even some of the greats, even some of my favorites, are more or less just players. Of course, I have an inexplicable affinity for pitchers in particular, but that's not why Madison Bumgarner stands out to me. He has an unbelievable resume for a player who can't even legally rent a car in California yet. And recently, he yet again did something that most pitchers never do in their lifetimes: hit a grand slam. I personally think he was mad at himself for giving up a three run homer to Carlos Gonzalez and needed to let off some steam, which may or may not be why he hit that grand slam. But he hit a grand slam in a park that hasn't seen many grand slams, let alone by pitchers. Madison did not have his sharpest stuff on the mound that night, but he got through six innings and then gave his team the lead with his bat. He did his job.
So we know where Madison Bumgarner is now, in 2014, but what else has he done in his short career that's so impressive? Thrown multiple games with 10 strikeouts or more, pitched a 0.00 ERA in two World Series starts (14 innings of scoreless ball, y'all), been in the top 5 in WHIP in the National League for two seasons or more, pitched the most innings per start of pretty much any Giant since he's been one (200 innings or more in each of his three full seasons). And as far as I can tell, this was a guy who was drafted without much fanfare, out of high school. Matt Cain was the top dog when Bumgarner came along, both Southern boys drafted from nowhere high schools. Both turned out to be instrumental to the Giants winning two World Series titles in three years.
With better run support, Bumgarner would have a stellar win-loss record, but instead he has an average one, having won his 50th career start earlier this season. His Ks/9, ERA and WHIP stats tell a better story than his win-loss record. He has pitched some absolute gems that either ended in losses or no-decisions. While so many people have said that Matt Cain would be the next Giants next Cy Young winner, at this point, I'm more comfortable saying that Madison Bumgarner will be. And I'm not the only one. After just three full seasons, he is widely regarded as one of the best left handed pitchers in the National League, as well as in the Majors. Now that Matt Cain has thrown a perfect game and Tim Lincecum has thrown a no-hitter (past his prime, by the way), Bumgarner seems poised to do either one of these things, or more than likely, both.
Then there is Madison's personality to consider, which is one of the (many) things I like about him. He is a no nonsense, quiet young man who never seems to cave under pressure. He never makes excuses for his pitching, always points out his teammate's accomplishments, and is humble for someone who has accomplished so much at the age of 24. In his spare time, he tends to an entire ranch in his hometown of Hickory, North Carolina, where he ropes calves and is probably an above average horseman. When he lived with fellow lefty pitcher Jeremy Affeldt after first coming to the Giants, he was rumored to have roped his roommate's furniture when he was bored. He is not your average pitcher. And that is why Madison Bumgarner is my spirit animal. I can only imagine the other reasons for this as his career continues. The possibilities for him truly are endless.
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