Bumgarner for the Ages
Madison Bumgarner pitching in epic relief, saving last night's World Series Game Seven for the San Francisco Giants. He is being compared with many of baseball's greatest pitchers this morning. But I think the best comparison might be with Grover Cleveland Alexander (see my post) in 1926. Bumgarner's total pitching record over three World Series' gives him a 0.25 ERA, the lowest in baseball history. The first time I heard about Madison Bumgarner was in Game Four of the 2010 Division Series at Turner Field. The San Francisco Giants led the series 2 games to 1 and Bumgarner was their number four starter against the Atlanta Braves ace, at the time, Derek Lowe . I figured Lowe would be able the handle the Giants' bats and we might have some offensive success against San Francisco's "last" starter. But Bumgarner pitched six strong innings and beat the Braves 3-2 in what turned out to be Bobby Cox's last game. So, for me, it was hello Madiso