1000 x 90

Caldwell-Native, Giants Ace Madison Bumgarner Becoming Baseball Legend for Dominating World Series Performances

By Jesse Wood

Oct. 27, 2014. Born just down the road in Hickory, Madison Bumgarner is becoming a baseball legend for his dominating performances in October.

Last night, Bumgarner, who is an ace pitcher for the San Francisco Giants, threw a shutout against the Kansas City Royals in Game 5 of the 2014 World Series. In nine innings, he allowed only four hits with eight strikeouts and no walks. It was his second win in this World Series.

bumBumgarner, 25, has now pitched in three different World Series (2010, 2012, 2014) and has a 4-0 record. In those four starts, he has only given up one run and 12 hits in 31 innings. He has a ridiculously-low ERA of 0.29 in those four starts.

“That’s absurd. Not to mention unprecedented. If he were to retire back to the farm in North Carolina next week, that would be the lowest World Series ERA of any pitcher in history with 25 innings or more,” a columnist for ESPN wrote after Sunday night’s game.

No pitcher in Major League Baseball history has won four World Series games before their 26th birthday, and in the past 50 years only one pitcher – Lew Burdette of the Milwaukee Braves in 1957-58 – has won their first four World Series starts no matter age, according to ESPN.com.

After last night’s game, Bumgarner said it was “very humbling” to be mentioned in the same breath as Bob Gibson, Sandy Koufax and Curt Schilling.

For Bumgarner, he gets better has the pressure increases. During the regular season for his career, he has an ERA of 3.06. For the postseason, his ERA is 2.27, but as mentioned earlier, his ERA in the World Series is a striking 0.29.

“He’s special, isn’t he?” Bruce Bochy, manager for the San Francisco Giants, was quoted saying after Game 5. “What a stud.”

Nicknamed “Mad Bum,” he was the 10th overall pick in the first round of the 2007 Major League Baseball draft. He attended South Caldwell High School in Hudson.