Madison Bumgarner may be a multimillionaire who plays professional baseball in a big city, but behind the greatest World Series pitcher of all time is a small-town background and a hilarious old man.
Kevin Bumgarner, Madison’s dad, still lives in the part of North Carolina where Madison grew up — an area that is littered with Bumgarners. Michael Powell of the New York Times interviewed Kevin after Game 6 and 7 of the World Series, and Madison’s pops did not disappoint.
For starters, the guy is a walking one-liner. Kevin said he was nervous about Madison pitching in Game 7 because he didn’t know how much gas his son had left in the tank.
“I didn’t know if he had enough left tonight,” he said. “But I did know that boy would try to steal a steak off the devil’s plate.”
Perfect. After the Giants were blown out by the Royals in Game 6, Kevin said he offered his 25-year-old son some simple words of wisdom.
“I tell Madison, Sometimes you’re the bug, and sometimes you’re the windshield,” the elder Bumgarner said. “Sometimes you’re the pigeon, and sometimes you’re the statue.”
Is this guy hilarious or what? Powell was initially supposed to watch Game 7 with Kevin at his house, but Bumgarner cancelled last second and explained that he was a “nervous wreck.” When Powell showed up after Game 7, Bumgarner welcomed him with open arms. He also shared a text message he had sent to his son during the 8th inning of his incredible performance on Wednesday. Kevin was too emotional to read it out loud.
“OMG. You’re so much more than awesome,” Kevin had written. “To see you work on the mound reminds me of watching you in high school. You are willing yourself to perfection and dragging the team along with you. I couldn’t be more proud of your baseball accomplishments.”
We know baseball players are superstitious, but Kevin obviously wasn’t worried about jinxing Madison before the final inning. Besides, he probably didn’t care. It sounds like he would have been equally proud of him whether he recorded the final three outs of the series or came out and got shellacked in the ninth.
“I knew he wouldn’t read that text before the game was over, but I wanted him to know this was what his daddy thought of him.”
If you thought Madison Bumgarner was awesome, Powell’s entire piece is worth reading. You’ll like his dad just as much.
H/T Deadspin
