Michael Berry

Michael Berry

Michael Berry has drunk homemade moonshine from North Carolina with Robert Earl Keen, met two presidents with the same last name, been cussed at by...Full Bio

 

Diamondbacks Ace Used Alias To Secretly Compete In Professional Rodeos

Incredible story by The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly and Zach Buchanan who discovered that Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Madison Bumgarner had been secretly competing in rodeos under an alias.

Bumgarner says he’s been roping since he was a teenager, and has even won some money doing it at the pro level. 

Baggarly and Buchanan say they came across a rodeo show’s Facebook congratulatory photo and recognized Bumgarner who went by the name “Mason Saunders”.

The 2014 World Series MVP was photographed with roping professional Jaxson Tucker, and both ultimately ended up walking away with a total of $26,550 in prize money. 

Bumgarner confirmed over the weekend to the Athletic a picture they had of him competing.

They write:

“Yes, that was him in the photo and another one showing him competing on horseback, Bumgarner confirmed after throwing a live bullpen session Sunday at Salt River Fields. It was taken Dec. 3, a little less than two weeks before he signed his five-year, $85-million contract with the Diamondbacks. "They don't always take pictures," he added. "That was a bigger one." A few days later, "Mason Saunders" earned a second-place finish in another event alongside a different partner, Ranger Hill.”

The article points out the reason why he competes under an alias, “if he competed as Madison Bumgarner, every phone camera in the arena would be trained on him, he said. So, he devised "Mason Saunders."

The surname is the maiden name of his wife, Ali. "Mason" is a shortened version of Madison, "something for my wife to call me when we were out in public to keep people from recognizing me," Bumgarner said. "But you're going to ruin that for me."

Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen told reporters the team was unaware of Bumgarner's rodeo activities when he signed.”


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