How They Got Here: The San Francisco Giants is a
one-by-one look at how each member of the 2012 World Series Champion San
Francisco Giants found their way to the squad. We'll look at all of the
players on the roster, as well as notable players who did not make the
postseason roster for whatever reason and the coaching staff and general
manager. Part sixteen tells of up-and-coming starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner.
Madison Bumgarner was born on August 1, 1989, in Hickory, North Carolina. He attended South Caldwell High School in Hudson, North Carolina, where he helped his team to a 4A state championship in his senior year. That same year, he was the tenth overall selection in the Major League Baseball Draft, the first round selection of the San Francisco Giants. He decided to forgo his college years after being drafted, and began the 2008 season in the Class A South Atlantic League, pitching for the Augusta Greenjackets of Augusta, Georgia. Here, working as a starting pitcher, he pitcher to a 1.46 earned run average, as well as 164 strikeouts over 141 and 2/3 innings pitched. Bumgarner began the 2009 season with the San Jose Giants in the Class A Advanced California League, making five starts in which he accumulated a 1.48 earned run average, twenty-three strikeouts, and twenty-four and one-third innings, before being promoted to the Class AA Connecticut Defenders of Norwich, Connecticut, in the Eastern League. He spent most of the rest of the season here, pitching to a 1.93 earned run average, along with sixty-nine strikeouts in 107 innings. He earned a September call up, and made his major league debut with the San Francisco Giants on September 8th. Pitching in place of Giants star Tim Lincecum, who sat out due to injury, Bumgarner filled in nicely, receiving a no-decision for his efforts. He made three relief appearances to close out the year, and ended with ten major league innings, as well as ten strikeouts alongside a clean 1.80 earned run average. His short display wasn't enough to convince the San Francisco executives yet, and he started 2010 down in the Class AAA Pacific Coast League with the Fresno Grizzlies. Making fourteen starts, he pitched to a 3.16 earned run average with fifty-nine strikeouts over eighty-two and two-thirds innings. He was recalled to San Francisco for a June 26th start, and stayed with the team from there on. Over 111 innings, he had a tidy 3.00 earned run average and eighty-six strikeouts, and earned a postseason roster spot for the Giants playoff run. He made four appearances in the postseason (three starts), and ended with two wins (one against the Atlanta Braves in the National League Division Series and the other against the Texas Rangers in the World Series), while accumulating a 2.18 earned run average, eighteen strikeouts, and twenty and two-thirds innings. His win against the Rangers in Game 4 of the World Series was especially captivating, as he hurled eight shutout innings with only five baserunners allowed, which gave the Giants a stranglehold 3-1 series lead, which was sealed off the next night. Bumgarner's critical performance in this game helped him earn his first World Series Championship as a member of the 2010 Giants team. In 2011, he established and held onto his role as a vital member of the San Francisco rotation. While going 13-13 with seven no-decisions over the season, he was more a victim of a lack of run support, as his 3.21 earned run average, 191 strikeouts, and 204 and 2/3 innings pitched indicate. Despite his strengths as a pitcher and the strengths of the rotation in general, the Giants were unable to defend their title. Bumgarner continued to grow in 2012, pitching to a record of 16-11 while accumulating a 3.37 earned run average, 208 and 1/3 innings, and 191 strikeouts. Bumgarner had notable non-pitching accomplishments in the year as well, hitting his first home run on June 12th, followed by his first shutout on June 28th. Fatigue looked to be settling in over August and September, as his earned run average ballooned by one-half of a run, and further evidence occurred during the postseason run. He struggled in short outings against both the Cincinnati Reds in the National League Division Series, as well as against the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Championship Series. He was given ample rest, and pitching a week and a half after his appearance against St. Louis, he pitched Game 2 of the World Series, throwing seven shutout innings with just two hits and two walks allowed. Again, Bumgarner had come up big when the team needed it the most, and two games later, he was rewarded with his second World Series Championship in San Francisco.
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