Madison Bumgarner wants to be in the T-Mobile Home Run Derby, proves it with BP session
The Giants have a gem in Madison Bumgarner -- everybody knows that. He's a fearless competitor and a lockdown postseason pitcher, having been nearly perfect in each of S.F.'s World Series titles in 2010, 2012 and 2014.
As we've seen time and time again, he's also quite a prolific home run hitter. He proved that yet again prior to the Giants' Sunday night matchup with the Cardinals, putting up the type of batting practice session typically reserved for position players.
And as Bumgarner told ESPN's Buster Olney, this penchant for moonshots isn't something he takes lightly. No, MadBum "absolutely" wants to be in this year's T-Mobile Home Run Derby at Petco Park. Seriously. He backed that up with an upper-deck shot at Busch Stadium that, as a groundskeeper told Olney, was only the second time he could recall somebody hitting a ball there (the other was Nelson Cruz.)
This patently absurd stat below, however unbelievable it may be, was true as of his home run a few days back:
Yes, it¡¯s true.
— MLB Stats (@MLBStats) June 2, 2016
We can¡¯t believe it either. (h/t @theaceofspaeder) pic.twitter.com/0twG75CDiE
If Bumgarner needs to rally Bruce Bochy and the rest of the Giants' coaching staff to allow him to participate in the Derby, he might as well just show them that tweet. That, plus his exploits on Sunday, should be enough.
Plus, if he needs it, he can reference this endorsement from NL West foe Joc Pederson, who seems to also have been impressed by Sunday's power show:
@bcraw35 bum in the homerun derby or what? #?
— Joc Pederson (@yungjoc650) June 6, 2016
