It’s always nice to hear opposing players talk about the qualities they respect in there peers. Therefore, when Trevor Bauer went on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM to talk about why he respects Bumgarner, I listened intently.
You can here the entire sound clip below, or read ahead for us to parse the best bits for you.
"Why I respect the **** out of Madison Bumgarner," by @BauerOutage:
If you missed a minute of today's all-new "Bauer Hour", hear it NOW On Demand with the @SiriusXM app. Search: "Bauer Hour"@Reds | #Reds | @DBacks | #DBacks pic.twitter.com/iCw8J4ETOr
— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) December 16, 2019
First, Bauer talks about why he fell in love with the game of baseball. Of course it ties in with something big that Bumgarner did in the past.
“I think there’s two things worth talking about here. One, it’s just kind of an indication of what the industry is valuing these days; the numbers. The spreadsheets in respect to his spin rates, that stuff is valuable. But there’s an intangible factor. Some guys melt and some guys don’t. Madison Bumgarner is one of those guys that doesn’t. That’s what I fell in love with about the game. We all want that hero moment.”
Remember when in game seven of the 2014 World Series, Bumgarner threw five innings of scoreless relief against the Kansas City Royals to preserve a one-run lead? Indeed, that moment is the one that stands out in Bauer’s mind.
“Everyone dreams of the shot in game seven [like Bumgarner had in 2014]. It’s the most relevant perfect example of someone living the hero moment in the last 10 years of baseball. That moment stands out. No one remembers the five-inning start…. There is a visceral level of respect that goes along with a moment like that.”
Obviously, that was the San Francisco Giants’ third and final title. Perhaps it was the most memorable because of the gutsy performance that Bumgarner put forth in the deciding game. Without question, every player living would love to have a moment like that on his resume. It is the stuff legends are made of, and it helped make the legend of Madison Bumgarner grow even amongst his MLB peers.
