Madison Bumgarner pirouette to get out at first praised by S.F. Ballet
San Francisco Giants ace Madison Bumgarner had a typically excellent outing on Thursday, allowing just one run and striking out 12 batters in 6.0 innings in a 9-1 win over the Cubs. But his performance caught the eye of some unexpected MadBum devotees: the San Francisco Ballet.
One play in particular drew the interest of the ballet. In the third inning, Giants first baseman Brandon Belt fielded a ground ball and threw the ball back to Bumgarner, who was on his way to first base to tag the runner. But Belt threw the ball behind Bumgarner, and the 2014 Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year was forced to make a leaping grab, successfully executing a pirouette to get the out at first.
On a video of the highlight posted to Facebook, the San Francisco Ballet commented, “That's some baseball ballet right there!”
The ballet followed that up with a comment inviting MadBum to join the troupe: “There's always a spot at the barre for him here at San Francisco Ballet!!”
