Bonkers for Bumgarner

(BOD - Angelina Jolie)

In the interest of full disclosure, I must admit that, as of ten days ago, my knowledge of Madison Bumgarner began and ended at the juvenile joy I obtained every time I said his name out loud.

After last night’s performance, the childish snickers I enjoyed from his surname will be the last thing I focus on when I hear about the 21 year old, left-handed flamethrower. Bumgarner gave the Giants a stranglehold on the World Series with eight fantastic innings of three hit, shutout ball. The best word to describe the Rangers hitters as they flailed away at Bumgarner’s offerings would be flummoxed.

He was so calm and cool on the mound that Bumgarner looked like he was pitching in a meaningless spring training game and not on the biggest stage in the game. And, might I remind you, this is at the age of 21.

What was I doing on Halloween night when I was 21? Dressed as David Hasselhoff from Baywatch sloppily trying to offer women free mouth to mouth resuscitations while I covered my body in coconut-scented massage oil (to each his own).

Bumgarner was able to throw strikes to both sides of the plate and had tremendous control of his fastball. His odd delivery was giving Texas fits all night long. The Giants lefty almost slingshots the ball across his body and seems to generate the majority of his velocity with his lightning-fast arm action. Bumgarner’s pitches get on hitters quick, making his stuff appear harder than it actually is (which must be nice when you can throw 93 miles an hour in the first place).

Allow me to be a party pooper for one second and express concerns about the durability of Bumgarner’s arm to handle the strain of his violent, upper body-dominant delivery. There is a litany of pitchers who throw with mechanics similar to Bumgarner and a lot of them are forced to undergo shoulder or elbow reconstruction because of it. Every time I watched him release the ball, I cringed.

Basically, his arm is a ticking time bomb. He may not have a problem for 10 years or it may fall apart next April, I have no idea, but he can’t continue to throw like that or he’s at a serious risk for an arm injury.

While Bumgarner was the story of the game, I want to make a point to congratulate Bruce Bochy on not falling pray to egregious over-managing that seems afflict every manager once October rolls around. As early as the sixth inning yesterday, both Joe Buck and Tim McCarver were wondering aloud when Bochy was going to make a move to his bullpen and get Bumgarner out of there.

Why? He had only thrown 76 pitches through six innings and was having no trouble setting down the top offence in Major League Baseball. Just because the game is in the later innings, it doesn’t mean that you have to go to the bullpen automatically.

Guys are in the bullpen because they aren’t good enough to be starters. You leave your starting pitcher out there as long as possible because he is your best chance to win. I love how Bochy let Bumgarner go out for the eighth and throw over 100 pitches. He is definitely winning the managerial battle over Ron “8 Ball” Washington.

Cliff Lee versus Timmy Lincecum tonight in a rematch of Game 1.

I can’t wait.