Madison Bumgarner says he feels no different this spring than he did in previous years. Time on the DL last summer didn’t change how he prepared. pic.twitter.com/bYujIz0w3p
— Kerry Crowley (@KO_Crowley) March 2, 2018
Video via former KNBR.com writer Kerry Crowley
The story that dominated the San Francisco Giants 2017 season, at least the beginning of the year, was Ace pitcher Madison Bumgarner’s absence in the starting rotation from late April until early July.
Bumgarner missed that time due to bruised ribs and a sprained shoulder, thanks to the infamous dirt-bike incident that took place in Colorado on a day off for the Giants.
Friday afternoon Bumgarner spoke to reporters in Scottsdale about how he feels at Spring Training following a year where he missed almost three months of live-action baseball.
“I’ve felt pretty much the same since day one,” Bumgarner said. “Whether I was 20 years old or now. I mean, I feel fresh and I always have. Hopefully that’s going to be one of those things that stays there for me. I work to keep it that way. I come in and take care of my stuff every day, take care of my body.”
So there you have it. Madison Bumgarner is actually a robot-pitcher put on this earth, one that will not age or decay with the passage of time. It would explain his steely demeanor, one that has allowed him to become arguably the best World Series pitcher in the history of baseball – with apologies to Bob Gibson.
In all seriousness, this is great news for Giants fans. Not only that he’s not feeling the effects of missing time last year, but the fact that he feels the same as he did when he was 20 years old.
Opening day can’t come soon enough.