SAN FRANCISCO — Madison Bumgarner is 6-foot-5, 235 pounds and one of the strongest players in Major League Baseball. He’s a former first-round pick and a Hall-of-Fame talent. He’s the reigning Sportsman of the Year and has his own commercials.
None of that screams “grinder,” but Bumgarner smiled Thursday as he dropped that label on a generation of young Giants infielders.
“That’s my favorite trait,” Bumgarner said.
Bumgarner can make this game look so phenomenally easy, but he appreciates those who understand that it’s not. He’s a worker at heart, and in the Matt Duffys and Kelby Tomlinsons of the world, Bumgarner sees players who chase wins, not glamour.