Bumgarner enjoys love from Giants fans in his return to Oracle Park. Originally published on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO – The 2014 World Series champions reminisced for a few hours at a reception Saturday morning, then gathered on the infield at Oracle Park for a celebration that included three question-and-answer sessions. Much was said, but the most important moment of the day came when the words stopped.
Mike Krukow asked Madison Bumgarner if he fully understood – 10 years later – how historic his performance was and what it meant. As Bumgarner began to answer, the crowd gave him a standing ovation, which stopped him from speaking. He tipped his cap and thumped his chest as he looked around the stadium.
“Thanks, guys,” he said quietly. “I appreciate it.”
When Bumgarner finished answering the question, Duane Kuiper took over.
“I think it’s important that you’re here,” he told Bumgarner. “Because I think it’s important that you hear how important you are to them.”
The left-hander never wanted to leave, but he was told Saturday that he will always be welcome at Oracle Park and will always be treated like the rock star he became after throwing 52 2/3 innings in the 2014 postseason and leading the Giants to their third World Series title in five years.
Bumgarner had not been seen in an MLB stadium since the Arizona Diamondbacks released him early last season, and he had not represented the Giants since the end of the 2019 season. He spent the last two years at home in North Carolina, pursuing the sports passions prohibited in standard MLB contracts, this time without an alias.
If Bumgarner is retired, he hasn’t admitted it to anyone, but he found his way back to the mound on Saturday. There was only one way to throw the ceremonial first pitch, and Bumgarner threw a cutter to Buster Posey that looked like it could still break a right-hander’s bat.
Next it was Logan Webb’s turn, and he had a day that used to be the norm for starting pitchers when it was Bumgarner, Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Ryan Vogelsong and others. Webb allowed one run in seven innings and threw 110 pitches in a 3-1 win over the Detroit Tigers as Bumgarner and the rest of the Giants watched from the suite.
Webb was warming up in left field when Bumgarner got a standing ovation, and one Giants ace called out to another when asked about his legendary performances on the field. Bumgarner talked about how the game has changed and how every former player thinks their era was the best, but he certainly seems to appreciate the throwback performances Webb puts on every five days.
“When you look at Webby, you know he wants this,” Bumgarner said. “He’s still throwing 200 innings here. I love watching him throw.”
Webb led the majors in innings pitched last year and is atop the leaderboard again. He was 10 innings short of Bumgarner’s career-high 226 2/3 last year, but he knows the key is to make it happen season after season. Bumgarner had six consecutive 200-inning seasons in his prime. Webb would be working on his third if San Francisco’s previous regime let him finish strong in 2022, but it’s quite possible he could make it at least two years in a row.
Webb tipped his water bottle to Bumgarner after hearing the praise, later saying that the group of starters in championship years set the path he tries to follow.
“If I get recognition from that guy, I think I’m doing pretty good,” he said of Bumgarner. “You’ve heard me say this so many times: I came up with these guys who pitch every five days and throw a lot of innings. I want to be like all of those guys. So it was really cool to hear that.”
The right-hander made sure the former Giants had something to celebrate on what many thought was their first day in San Francisco in five or more years. Most of the 2014 Giants hadn’t been to Oracle Park since Bruce Bochy’s retirement ceremony in 2019, but on Saturday they were together again, exchanging jokes and showing pictures of kids that constantly remind them that 10 years have actually passed.
Bochy even found a way to join in. The Texas Rangers manager sent a long and emotional video praising the group for their selflessness, determination and spirit.
All of Bochy’s former players and coaches turned in their seats to watch the video. At one point, Bumgarner pulled out his phone and snapped a photo. It was one of many times he seemed to genuinely enjoy his first day back.
The Giants have honored their own teams in the past, but in many ways they have lost touch with their title teams. When a new front office and coaching staff took over, many of the references to the 2010, 2012 and 2014 teams were removed from the locker room.
But Saturday was a reminder that fans will never forget those seasons. Bumgarner and Posey received the loudest ovations, with the applause for Posey so loud that his last name was drowned out as he was introduced. Other key players like Brandon Belt and Hunter Pence followed close behind, and Brian Sabean was surrounded by autograph hunters as he passed by the Giants’ clubhouse after the game.
Sabean was the man who brought it all together. As he left the stadium on Saturday afternoon, he passed the three flags painted on the left outfield wall. They are a constant reminder of what a real team can do, although some players still do a little more.
No one has ever done it like Bumgarner, and on Saturday he was showered with love for what he set out to do a decade ago. The fiery ace seemed to struggle to contain his emotions as he relived the moment with Krukow and Kuiper.
“I can’t describe how good these fans have been to me,” he said. “It’s beyond words. They don’t reach my limits. This place is unreal.”
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