You want legendary playoff performances? I’ve got a guy for you. You want a grizzly, bearded pitcher with an eye toward nothing other than winning? Keep reading. And if you love old-school baseball and guys who enforce the game’s unwritten rules, then Madison Bumgarner might be your (anti-) hero.
Bumgarner has since faded into the sunset, but this cowboy had quite the rodeo – literally – before all was said and done. Let’s relive some of the greatest moments in this MLB villain’s career.
Why Bumgarner is Great
MLB fans know the Giants owned the 2010s, winning a World Series in 2010, 2012, and 2014. It’s hard to emphasize how important Bumgarner was to those epic runs.
World Series Dynamo
Bumgarner’s arc began in 2010 when he was a 20-year-old with rookie eligibility. He tossed over 100 innings but kicked things up for playoffs. That year, the left-hander tossed an eight-inning shutout in Game 4 of the World Series, helping the Giants defeat the Rangers to win San Francisco’s first-ever title.
That was just the start. In 2012, Bumgarner was back in the playoffs, tossing a seven-inning shutout in Game 2 of the World Series as the Giants swept the Tigers in four games. Still, “MadBum” wasn’t done yet.
2014 marked Bumgarner’s curtain call, by far his best postseason. The run began with a complete-game shutout vs Pittsburgh in the wild-card round, then another stellar start against Washington in the NLDS. By the NLCS, Bumgarner was cooking. He started twice in that series, first spinning a 7.2-inning shutout in Game 1 vs St. Louis, then eight innings of three-run ball in Game 5.
By the World Series, Bumgarner was in full demon mode. The lanky lefty pitched three times in the Fall Classic in 2014. Three times! It looked like this…
- Game 1 vs KC: 7 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
- Game 5 vs KC: 9 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 8 K
- Game 7 vs KC (in relief): 5 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
Bumgarner’s effort to close out Game 7 in relief instantly became one of the most heroic performances in MLB history.
The Villain’s Venom: Be Afraid Of Madison Bumgarner
Bumgarner backed up his prickly attitude with stellar play, but that didn’t stop other players from challenging the crochety-before-his-time left-hander.
Bumgarner vs Yasiel Puig
Nicknamed “The Wild Horse” for his full-tilt style of play, Yasiel Puig bothered Bumgarner on several occasions. It all began with a groundout, where Bumgarner stared Puig down and the two got into it.
Bumgarner vs Joe West
Bumgarner objected to Puig’s errant glances, telling the Cuban outfielder, “Don’t look at me.” Well, apparently veteran umpire Joe West didn’t get the memo. After MadBum got upset at himself for walking a batter, West took his mask off, and the stare-down began. Pure comedy.
Bumgarner vs Victor Robles
Later in his career with the Diamondbacks, Bumgarner still didn’t discriminate in his quest as a visionary of the old school. After Victor Robles pimped a home run off Bumgarner, the pitcher responded by calling the Nats hitter “a clown.”
Robles, in a clever move, sported a foam clown nose in the dugout the following night.
Where do villains go at Night? MadBum’s Secret Life
It’s impossible to break down MadBum’s lore without noting his secret life as a rodeo competitor in North Carolina. In 2020, The Athletic discovered Bumgarner had been competing in rodeos around the U.S. under the alias “Mason Saunders,” at one point securing a grand prize of $26,550.
It turns out the Diamondbacks had no idea about Bumgarner’s reckless hobby. Sometimes, though, you can’t control these types of guys. You’ve just got to let the villains roam free.