For a pitcher, Madison Bumgarner is actually a pretty good hitter. The 2014 World Series MVP hit .258 last year with four home runs (two grand slams) and 15 RBI. You can understand why he doesn’t want someone like Max Scherzer convincing Major League Baseball to take the bat out of his hands.
After St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright suffered a season-ending injury while running out of the batter’s box following a popup, Scherzer said it’s time for the National League to adopt a designated hitter.
“If you look at it from the macro side, who’d people rather see hit — Big Papi or me?” the Nationals pitcher said. “Who would people rather see, a real hitter hitting home runs or a pitcher swinging a wet newspaper? Both leagues need to be on the same set of rules.”
Bumgarner, who describes himself as a “traditional guy,” took offense to Scherzer’s remarks.
“Oh, well, my wet newspaper is 34 ½ inches, 33 ½ ounces, and I’m waiting on some new ones right now,” the Giants’ ace told Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News on Monday. “What if (Wainwright) got hurt pitching? Should we say we can’t pitch anymore?. I hate what happened to him. He works his butt off out there. But I don’t think it was because he was hitting. What if he gets hurt getting out of his truck? You tell him not to drive anymore?”
As for Scherzer, Bumgarner was quick to point out that the former Detroit Tigers pitcher could have signed with an American League team if the NL rules bother him.
“He knew the rules,” Bumgarner said. “Whatever much he signed for — what did he get, again? — he didn’t have a problem signing his name. He didn’t have a problem with hitting then. I’m sure he had his pick of anywhere he wanted to go.”
Very few players would have a problem signing their name with $210 million on the table.
As a pitcher with some pop, Bumgarner is very much in the minority. Most pitchers are as close to an automatic out as you can get, which is why a lot of people — myself included — would like to see the DH become a league-wide thing. Just don’t tell that to this rugged American. He doesn’t want to hear it.
H/T DC Sports Bog
