Peak Bay Area Sports

Signing autographs at Lefty's in 2012.

Our young Giants fan got his autograph in 2012.

We watched him hit his first grand slam home run in 2014. (He hit two in 2014, more grand slams than Yankee future Hall-of-Fame shortstop Derek Jeter hit in his entire career.)

Before last night's Wild Card single-elimination game against the Mets, Madison Bumgarner was already one of the best postseason pitchers in baseball history.

After he completed the shut out against the Mets, baseball observers could only marvel:

Bumgarner showed again that he absolutely owns the postseason. This four-hitter was not even his first in a wild-card game; he also did it in 2014 in Pittsburgh....In his last nine postseason games, Bumgarner is 6-0 with a 0.79 E.R.A., and that very big [five-inning save against the Royals in Game 7 of the 2014 World Series].

With the Warriors and Sharks about to begin a season where both teams are expected to be championship contenders, with the Giants entering a playoff run, and with all-time great players like Madison Bumgarner and Stephen Curry playing for home teams, Bay Area sports fans have never had more to look forward to (and please, don't let's talk about the 49ers).