Why is no one talking about Madison Bumgarner?

Baseball isn't down, it isn't dying out, so don’t let anyone tell you that. Attendance is up, local TV ratings (in most cities not named Chicago) are up, ticket sales next year will be up. Baseball’s big problem is the national coverage. People get really into their team, the local teams, but that’s it. Even a die-hard fan like myself wouldn't sit down and watch a mid-July Rays vs Blue Jays game, but I watched every minute of the stupid Redskins/Cowboys game last night. That is the problem currently with baseball, locally its fine, but the national coverage just can’t compete with the likes of the NFL.

One of the biggest travesties of this trend is that the insane, once in a lifetime performance of Madison Bumgarner this entire postseason is being criminally under-appreciated. This dude is putting up unheard of numbers and isn't receiving near the recognition he deserves for it. Sure, the baseball universe is abuzz, but he isn't all over ESPN, Good Morning America, and your local news at night. Can you imagine if Peyton Manning has one of the great runs of all-time in these coming playoffs? You literally wouldn't stop hearing about it for months, but Bumgarner, nah, just an article here and there.

Because I hate them, I’m going to place a lot of the blame here on ESPN. Sadly they are the network that decides which sports and events get the coverage, so they get to decide what exactly is news. This World Series is lacking a huge market team AND a team from the East Coast. ESPN gives precedent to the markets and the East Coast because, quite simply, they get ratings. They also use Sportscenter as one big commercial for themselves. If games six and seven were on ESPN instead of FOX, I guarantee that coverage and talk of Bumgarner would take up 30 minutes of each hour as opposed to 10.

Major media outlets aren't doing it, so let me inform you just how crazy good Bums (My new nickname for Madison I just made up) has been. In every game he has pitched this postseason he has gone AT LEAST seven innings. In an era where the complete game seems like some sort of ancient history, Bums has TWO OF THEM!! In half of his starts he hasn't allowed an earned run. His overall ERA this postseason is a microscopic 1.14. Obviously there is much more to go over and compare, but to summarize this is THE BEST POSTSEASON PITCHING PERFORMANCE EVER right behind Curt Schilling in 2001. If he happens to make an appearance and pitches 3-4 innings in game seven, he could surpass that.

Bumgarner is on an absolute tear. One of those stretches you will tell people about a long, long time from now. Don’t let the fact that San Fran vs KC isn't exactly a sexy match up blind you from this fact. Take a second and appreciate what he has done, even if you aren't hearing about it a lot on TV.  

PS

If the Giants win the WS and Madison goes on the chug 6 beers at a time be on the lookout for an article about his underrated pitching and extremely overrated beer drinking.