Bumgarner wins Minor League Award

by baseballjunkie on Sep 12, 2008 5:10 PM PDT Comment 13 comments

Madison Bumgarner was officially named Minor League Baseball's Most Spectacular Pitcher today, making it two years in a row that a Giant farmhand has won the award after Kevin Pucetas won it last year. Go to www.minorleaguebaseball.com.

The award, which is somewhat of a misnomer, is solely based on the best ERA in the minor leagues. But it could justifiably have been given to Bumgarner if it was based on truly the "most spectacular performance" by a minor league pitcher. Enough has been discussed about MadBum's performance this year that I don't need to rehash his stats for all you McCoven. Let's just revel in the promise of the future that the young arms in the Giants system holds.

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revelrevelrevelrevelrevelrevel

Still , Mr. Bumgarner , you’re nobody until you’re considered as Giant trade bait.

"Ain't got a hope in Hell - that's my belief." - Bon Scott

by victor frankenstein on Sep 12, 2008 5:59 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Worst-named award, ever.

VAE PVTO DEVS FIO

by Bhaakon on Sep 12, 2008 6:51 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

THE SUPER SPLENDIFOROUS AWARD!

by Lars The Wanderer on Sep 12, 2008 6:58 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

reveling

Brian Sabean figures that if he buys enough bottles, one of them is bound to have lightning in it.

by jasomack on Sep 12, 2008 7:16 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Tim Alderson

I got to see Tim Alderson pitch last Saturday night. Here is what I found:

. He threw about 40% curves, and his curve has a very nice bit. Unlike Tim Lincecum’s so-called 13-6 curve ball (The writer said 12-6 doesn’t do it justice.), Timmy Two’s is a 10-4 breaker with very nice horizontal movement.

. Tim’s curve has a quicker bite, but Timmy Two has better control of his pitch. Threw it on 2-0 once — although he missed with that one.

. Timmy Two was mostly hitting 91 with his fastball. The guy with the gun was sitting right behind my son (whom I told not to stand up :), and he said that Timmy Two rarely had gotten above 92.

. Timmy Two has to locate the heater, which he failed to do on at least three occasions, resulting in two homers and a double.

. Timmy Two threw two change ups and then seemed to abandon the pitch. They were clocked at 76 and 82, so he was a little inconsistent. Even the 82 is a better speed contrast than Matt Cain’s change, and the 76 would have one of the biggest variances from fastball speed of any pitcher around.

. IMO Timmy Two needs to perfect the change in order to remain a starter as he moves up. Particularly against lefty hitters, that pitch would be invaluable.

. Although he threw the pitch very seldom, I probably liked his change better than he did.

. Timmy Two’s ceiling appeared to me to be about Matt Cain-like. He didn’t totally wow me as Tim Lincecum did two years ago, but his curve, control and poise are top-rate.

by sharksrog on Sep 13, 2008 1:14 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Cain like eh? I’l buy that for a buck.
Thanks for sharing the eyes on view.

Ivan Ochoa - Heir to the legacy of Rob Andrews & Rikkert Faneyte!

by daveinexile on Sep 13, 2008 9:06 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Not another third starter!!

Matt Cain: He'll save children, but not the Dodger children.

by jponry on Sep 13, 2008 11:21 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Third starter

AT BEST!!!

VAE PVTO DEVS FIO

by Bhaakon on Sep 13, 2008 11:23 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

lol

Didn’t wow you like Tim Lincecum.. that’s a surprise.

proud father of the newly acquired Brandon Crawford..

by Azmanz on Sep 13, 2008 12:27 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

but thanks for the report. I still think Bumgarner should be the better prospect than Alderson.

proud father of the newly acquired Brandon Crawford..

by Azmanz on Sep 13, 2008 12:28 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Much like Sabean

Baseball America respect their Alders.

VAE PVTO DEVS FIO

by Bhaakon on Sep 13, 2008 2:26 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm mad about the Bum

I think Tim Alderson is a very good prospect. I think Madison Bumgarner is nearly off the charts.

As great as Mad Bum pitched, he may have been even better than he showed. Mad Bum’s April ERA was 4.09. Thereafter it was something like 0.99 (which is akin to Tim Lincecum’s career minor league ERA of 1.01).

Jorge Otero, father of San Jose Giants’ closer Danny Otero, told me that Mad Bum struggled a bit in his first two or three starts as the Giants were trying to change his motion. He decided to back to his old way of pitching, and the rest as they say is history.

The only worry I have about Mad Bum is his arm health. Now that David Price has been called up by the Rays, I think Mad Bum is the top southpaw prospect in the minor leagues. It is my belief that if he remains healthy, Mad Bum will become the Giants’ #2 starter.

I am extremely excited about the potential of a rotation of Lincecum, Bumgarner, Matt Cain, Jonathan Sanchez and Alderson.

by sharksrog on Sep 15, 2008 10:45 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs