The Giants are headed to the postseason for the fourth time in seven years after winning a National League Wild Card. As this will be the first time that many fans across the Majors will be focusing on their roster, here's our attempt to learn the origins of ace Madison Bumgarner.
Madison Bumgarner, LHP
Born: Hickory, N.C.
DOB: 8/1/89
HS: South Caldwell (N.C.) High School
Minors: Augusta (Class A), San Jose (Class A Advanced), Connecticut (Double-A), Fresno (Triple-A)
:: Before they were Postseason-bound: Select a player ::
Path to San Francisco: Bumgarner was selected 10th overall by the Giants in the 2007 Draft.
Trophy case: Three-time World Series champion, four-time All-Star, World Series MVP (2014), NLCS MVP (2014), two-time Silver Slugger Award winner (2014-15), Babe Ruth Award winner (2014).
Famous feat(s): Bumgarner was dominant in the 2014 postseason en route to his third championship with the Giants. He went 4-1 with a 1.03 ERA and one save through 52 2/3 innings, including two complete-game shutouts.
You might not know: Bumgarner's 0.25 ERA in five World Series appearances is the lowest all-time among pitchers with at least 20 innings.
Six degrees of Willie Aikens: Bumgarner committed to play at North Carolina before going pro with the Giants. He was in the same UNC recruiting class as Matt Harvey and Rick Porcello.
"Bumtown": The Bumgarner family has deep roots in North Carolina's Caldwell County that go back 100 years. There's an area called "Bumtown" for all the Bumgarners residing on both sides of Deal Mill Road. Bumgarner owns a 38-acre farm about three miles down the road from where he grew up.
The great outdoors: Bumgarner is a noted outdoorsman. His offseason hobbies include fishing, hunting and farming. He's even gotten into cattle roping.
"I grew up on a farm, riding horses all the time, but I had never roped," Bumgarner said. "I started dating my wife and her parents roped. It looked like something I wanted to do. I fell in love with it. That's what we do all winter."