Madison Bumgarner Carries 2014 World Series Banner While Riding Police Horse

Madison Bumgarner Carries World Series Banner While Riding Police Horse

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Madison Bumgarner delivered the San Francisco Giants’ championship banner on horseback during the team’s home opener on April 13.

2014 World Series MVP Madison Bumgarner delivered the San Francisco Giants’ championship banner on horseback during the team’s home opener on April 13.

2014 World Series MVP Madison Bumgarner delivered the San Francisco Giants’ championship banner on a police horse before their home opener on April 13.

According to MLB.com’s Chris Haft, Bumgarner mounted a police horse and then delivered the 2014 World Series banner to a group of Giants players before Monday’s game against the Colorado Rockies. Six of those nine major leaguers suited up for the 2010, 2012 and 2014 World Series teams.

The group–composed of Jeremy Affeldt, Matt Cain, Santiago Casilla, Tim Lincecum, Javier Lopez and Sergio Romo–then went to the stands “to raise a banner up a pole matching the height of the American flag,” per Haft.

How did the Giants celebrate their home opener? By having Madison Bumgarner ride a horse! http://t.co/zENzpUmmfo (via @SFGiants)— Baseball Tonight (@BBTN) April 13, 2015

The three other members of the Giants’ three-ring circle include Bumgarner, third baseman Pablo Sandoval (now with the Boston Red Sox) and catcher Buster Posey who was helping starter Chris Heston warm up in the bullpen at the time of the pre-game ceremony, per Haft.

Despite being unable to join the six other three-ring winners, Posey carried one of the Giants’ World Series trophies as the team made its way to AT&T Park for the pre-game introductions. Lincecum carried another World Series trohy while Bochy carried the 2014 one, per MLB.com.

Giants manager Bruce Bochy escorted his ace pitcher as the latter climbed one of the three police horses in left field. Bumgarner then made his way to the warning track toward center field while being serenaded by The Marshall Tucker Band, per MLB.com.

When you’re the #WorldSeries MVP you can do whatever you want, like ride a horse.

http://t.co/r6LPp68aOa #SFGiants pic.twitter.com/GdWX5JY3KN— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) April 14, 2015

Haft says the moment was reminiscent of last year’s World Series parade when Bumgarner wanted to ride a horse along Market Street. San Francisco police chief Greg Suhr politely declined Bumgarner’s request for fear of getting tossed off the horse and injuring himself in the process.

Bumgarner finally got his wish on Monday. He told Haft it’s something he /4/not be able to do again in the future:

“I could probably say I’ll never get a chance to do that again. I don’t know if anybody’s ever done that before or not, but it was pretty interesting and it was fun to do before the fans at home.

“I didnt’ really know what we were going to do until we got out there.”

MLB.com’s Tracy Ringolsby notes the Giants are the first National League team since the 1942-46 St. Louis Cardinals to win three World Series titles in five years.

MadBum carried the #WorldSeries banner into AT&T Park, and he did it while riding a horse: http://t.co/98vXeeW6y6 pic.twitter.com/2PH1Eij3UV— Cut4 (@Cut4) April 13, 2015

Bochy spoke with Ringolsby on Tuesday to reflect on that rare accomplishment:

“Three in five years. It’s incredible. I’m blessed,” Bochy told MLB.com. “You think about it, 70 years, and you realize what has to happen for you to accomplish that.”

The Giants are entering the 2015 MLB season with a different look–Sandoval is now in Boston while left fielder Michael Morse joined the Miami Marlins in the offseason. Two key players, right fielder Hunter Pence and Matt Cain, are on the disabled list with a fractured left forearm and a right forearm flexor strain, respectively, per Ringolsby.

Nonetheless, Bochy remained unfazed, per MLB.com:

“That’s what makes it all so incredible. Things happen you can control. In 2011, we lost Buster Posey. Those are things you deal with, and when you win you are able to overcome them, but sometimes…

“We don’t have a full deck right now. There’s nothing we can do except hold court until everyone is back.”