Madison Bumgarner Can Raise Thousands in Home Run Derby

A company is vowing to pledge money for each Madison Bumgarner home run in the Home Run Derby if he is allowed to participate.

The Home Run Derby is an event that allows MLB players to unwind and watch some of the best power hitters in the game put on a show for fans in the stadium and around the world.

The participants are not usually brought up in the national discussion weeks before the event, but a certain player is drawing a great deal of attention regarding whether he should be allowed to partake.

San Francisco Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner has come out and said he would like to be in the event, but MLB has not stated whether he will be chosen.

Giants Manager Bruce Bochy originally said he did not want Bumgarner in the event, but recently came out and said he was “open minded” about the possibility.

The obvious concern is an injury suffered as a result of participating in the event, but Bumgarner’s claim to compete is that he may be the best hitting pitcher in MLB. He has 13 career home runs, and already has two this season.

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These are not mind-blowing numbers, but they aren’t bad considering he has never had more than 77 at-bats in a season.

But while MLB has yet to announce if Bumgarner is even eligible for the event, a company has made a pledge that may push the decision forward.

Clothing company Carhartt has pledged to donate $1,000 for every home run Bumgarner hits in the Derby, given he is allowed to compete. Further details were explained in an article on Yahoo Sports:

"Carhartt, a company that sells workwear, has vowed to donate $1,000 for every home run Bumgarner hits in the Home Run Derby. Bumgarner has worked with Carhartt in the past, and the company currently supports his “Strikeouts for Vets” campaign. As part of that campaign, the company donates $500 each time Bumgarner strikes out a batter. Bumgarner has raised $57,500 thus far this season. If Bumgarner is allowed in the Home Run Derby, Carharrt will donate $1,000 per home run to Helmets to Hardhats, a non-profit that helps military service members transition to civilian life by helping them find jobs."

Having this pledge be known makes it hard for MLB to come out and say Bumgarner cannot participate in the event. It is supposed to be a fun night and one that is meant to entertain fans, so keeping a player fans want to see out of the event seems counterproductive.

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The only thing that will keep Bumgarner from participating will be if the Giants say they will not let him. It sounds a bit authoritarian, but the team would not be wrong to come out and say it is too much of an injury risk for their star pitcher to try to launch baseballs into the seats at Petco Park in San Diego. The fans may be upset, but if he were to suffer an injury the team may have a shot at another World Series title be derailed.