Giants talk about preparing to face former teammate Madison Bumgarner
Feb 9, 2020, 12:50 PM
Newly acquired Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Madison Bumgarner, center, holds his new jersey with general manager Mike Hazen, right, and manager Torey Lovullo during a team availability, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2019, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York)
(AP Photo/Matt York)
The San Francisco Giants dugout will look a bit different on Opening Day, with ace pitcher Madison Bumgarner not suiting up in the black and orange for the first time since making his debut in 2009 after signing with the rival Arizona Diamondbacks in the offseason.
Many of the Giants on the 2020 roster played alongside Bumgarner in the past decade where the team rolled off three World Series titles in five years.
In the new decade, they will have a chance to face him and told Giants radio station KNBR how they think it will go.
Veteran #SFGiants players were asked to imagine what their first at-bat against Bumgarner will be like 😂 pic.twitter.com/xFxqyS0osz
— KNBR (@KNBR) February 8, 2020
“I wouldn’t be surprised if I got drilled in the head,” laughed Giants first baseman Brandon Belt, who played alongside Bumgarner since debuting in the league in 2011.
Shortstop Brandon Crawford foresees a different outcome.
“I envision it going well,” Crawford said. “I hope he hears that.”
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His battery mate Buster Posey, who caught Bumgarner throughout much of his time by the Bay, instead decided to reflect on what the 6-foot-4 left-hander meant to the city.
“It’ll be tough not seeing him in the Giants uniform, for sure,” Posey said in the video. “A lot of good memories with him.”
“The silver lining is I get to compete against one of the fiercest competitors in the game,” he continued. “Having caught him for over a decade, it’ll be interesting to be on the other side of it.”
While Posey didn’t say how he thought the first at-bat would go, he did give a bit of a prediction to Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area.
Buster Posey said it’ll be tough seeing Madison Bumgarner in a different uniform, but he’s looking forward to the challenge of facing him. Said Bumgarner better throw him a fastball. “Come on, Bum, you’re proud of your fastball. Challenge me a bit.”
— Alex Pavlovic (@PavlovicNBCS) February 7, 2020
The Giants play Bumgarner and the Diamondbacks for the first time in the regular season at Chase Field during a three-game series starting on March 30.
