Madison Bumgarner is likely to go down as the best big-game pitcher of his generation, and you won't find many pitchers in the history of the game who can match what he has done with a bat in his hands.
But Bumgarner has never gotten proper credit for a part of his game that allows him to accomplish so much between the lines. There might not be a better scout among MLB players than Bumgarner.
In an era where players watch hours of video on iPads and look for the tiniest flaws in their opponents' games, Bumgarner remains old school. He trusts his eyes, and he trusts the instant evaluations he can make just from watching where a hitter sets up in the box or how he places his hands as he looks out at the mound. Over and over again, Bumgarner and Buster Posey would think through a game together.
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If you listened closely Tuesday, as Bumgarner was introduced as an Arizona Diamondback, a lot of this came into play. Bumgarner said Phoenix is a second home. He said he’s excited about reuniting with Stephen Vogt and Matt Herges, and he mentioned growing with a young pitching staff.
But more than anything, he talked about how much he likes Arizona’s brand of ball. He has been watching closely for years.
“First and foremost, winning. That’s what the whole decision is based on, and being with a team that’s my brand of baseball,” Bumgarner said. “They play the way I like to play.”
Bumgarner said the Diamondbacks do “it the right way.” He later elaborated.
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“They just play hard,” he said. “They’ve got a bunch of grinders on this team, guys that don’t take any pitch off. They’re just a hard-nosed group of guys.”
Bumgarner has had the opportunity to watch that up-close during six series a year between the Giants and Diamondbacks, and he did his homework. The Diamondbacks are not a powerhouse, but they won 85 games last year despite trading Paul Goldschmidt in the offseason and parting with Zack Greinke in July. General manager Mike Hazen has proven to be creative and he rebuilt a bad situation on the fly. Manager Torey Lovullo seems to get the best out of his players. It’s an intriguing group when you look closely, one intent on catching the Dodgers.
[RELATED: MadBum says it was tough to leave Giants fan base]
Bumgarner has spent years scouting opposing hitters and even providing counsel to Bruce Bochy about how to attack pitchers late in games. Over the last two years, when it became clear he likely wouldn’t be in San Francisco long-term, he was able to scout future destinations.
He settled on the Diamondbacks as his top choice, and they’re counting on Bumgarner being a difference maker. On Tuesday, he didn’t look like a man who will have any regrets.
“For me,” Bumgarner said, “It just feels like where I’m supposed to be.”