Major League Baseball All-Star pitcher used alias for SECRET rodeo competitions
MAJOR League Baseball All-Star pitcher and Diamondbacks starter Madison Bumgarner has been moonlighting as a rodeo roper.
According to a story published by The Atheltic, Bumgarner has been competing in rodeo events under the alias "Mason Saunders".
The story revealed a picture of Bumgarner alongside North Carolinian roping-pro Jaxson Tucker at a rodeo event that was held in December.
The duo reportedly won $26,560 at a competition in at the Rancho Rio Arena in Wickenburg, Arizona in December.
Bumgarner confirmed his hobby and the photo on Sunday night to The Athletic.
The picture had been posted all over Rancho Rio's Facebook page.
It was taken just two weeks before the 2014 World Series MVP signed a five year, $85million contract with the Diamondbacks.
After been shown the photo on Sunday, Bumgarner said to The Athletic, "Oh boy, this will ruin my alias."
He added: "They don't always take pictures. That was a bigger one."
The competition back in December was far from his first appearance at a rodeo event.
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He confirmed his appearance alongside Colorado roper Tammy Ellerman in March 2019.
A few days after winning the $26,560, "Mason Saunders" earned a second-place finish in another event alongside a different partner, Ranger Hill.
According to the sports star, he even has won previous event's under his alias.
But Bumgarner told The Athletic that it is no secret that he rodeos.
He said that he has been roping so long that "it's just part of who you are."
Bumgarner devised the alias as a way to avoid getting too much attention outside of the insular world of roping.
"Mason Saunders" was chosen as the surname is his wife's maiden name and the first name is a shortened version of Madison which "was something for my wife to call me when we were out in public to keep people from recognizing me."
He added: "But you're going to ruin that for me."
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