A true Mad Bum, literally…
San Francisco Giants ace Madison Bumgarner suffered an unusual injury on Saturday. Bumgarner, known for his red-neck personality (he has been using chewing tobacco since the fifth grade), was involved in a dirt bike accident in Colorado on an off-day. Despite being an experienced rider, the crash bruised Bumgarner’s ribs and sprained the AC joint in his pitching shoulder. It is now speculated that the 2014 World Series MVP will be missing 6-8 weeks as a result of the accident. Meanwhile, the Giants are off to their worst 19-game start to a season in over a century with a 6-13 record. Bumgarner, who has had a sub-3.00 ERA and WHIP hovering just above 1.00 for the past four years, is undoubtedly crucial to the Giants’ plan for success as he is widely considered the best pitcher in baseball. Instead, the Giants will be pitching Ty Blach in his place. In addition to his dominance on the mound, many baseball fans love to see Bumgarner at the plate as he already has two homeruns this season. There have even been momentous yet unsuccessful efforts to get him into the Homerun Derby.
Since the incident, the ace has been very apologetic to his teammates and fans. “I realize that was definitely not the most responsible decision I’ve made,” he said to a large group of media members in the Giants’ dugout. “It sucks not being able to be out here with my guys trying to help us win games. It’s very unfortunate. I’ve talked to a lot of them, and they know where I’m at. Everybody’s been supportive.”
Things are not looking good for the Giants. In addition to losing their ace for considerable time, catcher Buster Posey was just put on the 7-day concussion disabled list. The team’s roster is strong, and it is still possible for a turnaround in the future, yet the present is dark for the organization. Uncertainty will inevitably float around the organization for quite some time. They can realistically end up anywhere from last in the NL West to a playoff contender: only time will tell. What is known is that Madison Bumgarner is truly living up to his nickname, acting like a true mad bum.