San Francisco Giants: 5 Reasons They Should Not Send Down MadBum Again
Madison Bumgarner is currently the fifth starter in the San Francisco Giant's rotation, but he hasn't been producing as well as he should be.
The Giants haven't won any of Bumgarner's five starts, and he holds a record of 0-4. Along with that, he's failed to reach the sixth inning three times, and has a sky high ERA of 6.17
There has been talk stemming from these poor performances that Bumgarner needs to be sent back to Triple-A for a while until he can get his command back. Even though statistics show he's hurting the Giants, sending him down would be a horrible decision.
There are many other factors that need to be considered before going through with a knee-jerk reaction to send him down.
No. 5. His Relationship with Teammates and Fans
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Sending down Madison Bumgarner would make most Giants fans pissed off, because he is one of the most popular players.
Everyone loves a young, talented player, and especially one who did his part to help San Francisco win a World Series.
Bumgarner is also loved by his teammates, and has developed an excellent relationship with Buster Posey behind the plate. The veterans on the pitching staff have also seemed to take him under their wing, and would be sad to see him leave.
No. 4. It Could Hurt His Morale
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Do not underestimate the heartbreak that can occur by sending someone back down the minor leagues.
I'm sure Bumgarner isn't happy with his own performance, and he knows he can pitch better. Sending him down would just make things worse for his mindset, and who knows how badly it could affect him.
Over the years there have been players sent down to the minors who never come back as good as they had been in the past. Management can not afford to lose a player with such talent and potential.
No. 3. His Last Start Showed Improvement
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In his last start at Pittsburgh, Bumgarner had his best performance of the season, throwing six solid innings and only allowing one run.
Having a bad April is no obscure phenomenon, and Bumgarner is obviously not exempt from it happening to him.
Even though his first four starts were shaky, it's a great sign to see his latest start be a good one. He also struck out seven batters in that game, which was four more than his previous high of the season.
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No. 2. Experience
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Even though he is only in his sophomore season, Bumgarner has more experience than a ton of pitchers his age.
There is no substitute for pitching in the pressure of the playoffs, and especially the World Series. Bumgarner was outstanding throughout the postseason last year, and that experience is priceless.
If he's proven he can pitch at a high level during high pressure situations, there is no reason he shouldn't be able to pitch during low pressure situations as well. Sending him down without giving him more opportunities would just be a shame.
No. 1. Barry Zito Is on the Disabled List
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With Barry Zito on the disabled list, the Giants were forced to bring in Ryan Vogelsong to replace him.
Even though they may have gotten lucky by having a good backup for any injury on the staff, they certainly can't afford another replacement.
There is no way that anyone else in the Giants system would do better as a starter than Bumgarner.
Having Vogelsong plus another no-name would spell disaster for the Giants, and would quickly turn their dynamite pitching staff into a simply average one.
As I'm writing this, Bumgarner is expected to start for San Francisco at Washington very soon, and it should be a great game. Hopefully we will see a type of performance similar to the end of last year, and not the start of this year.
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