Brandon Kintzler Climbing Twins Single Season Saves Chart

Interesting remarks about developing his slider, and having another weapon.

Glad to know he's in attack mode on the mound, as opposed to Ron Davis's attack

mode on the post-game food spreads. I know, I know...cheap shots on easy targets.

As the Twins roared back this weekend to retake the Central Division lead with a three game sweep of division rival Cleveland, it seemed an appropriate time to examine one of the players responsible for their success in 2017. Brandon Kintzler is one of the more unlikely heroes to emerge, especially among all-time Twins relievers, but is nonetheless a very compelling, feel good story. I keep waiting for him to blow up, fall back to earth, have his coach turn back into a pumpkin (all the usual cliches, dig?). Not yet, anyway!

The Twins all-time, single-season saves leaders are represented in the below chart. Kintzler is stacked up against the best the Twins have had to offer, and it's an interesting look! His percentage of saves per appearances / innings pitched is looking impressive at this point, though with some caveats. I completely expect a drop off as the schedule progresses, with more innings pitched, wear on his arm, a go-against-the-grain reliance on grounders as opposed to strikeouts, and the level of opponents and tough innings pile up. 

But who knows? I wouldn't bet on him sustaining this percentage of save conversions, but he's already surprised me about his apptitude for finishing games and ability to put away tough hitters in high leverage situations. He's doing this by relying on a sinker to generate groundballs, a 5.94 K/9 innings pitched rate, while his flyball rate has increased to 28.3% (up from 19.9), and his vaunted 61+% 2016 groundball rate is down to 47% this year. That notwithstanding, his opportunity to turn in a 30-40 plus save season is within reach, even though his past performances wouldn't seem to have provided that possibility.

The slider "thing" should be interesting to watch, to see if it becomes more of a "go-to" pitch in critical situations.

- Chart: 20 or More Saves In Team History, Kintzler at Top For comparison -

Rk	Player	SV	G	IP	Year	Age	SO	ERA	FIP	K%	BAbip
1	Brandon Kintzler	21	33	33.1	2017	32	22	2.70	3.71	16.9%	.268
2	Bill Campbell	20	78	167.2	1976	27	115	3.01	3.16	16.4%	.270
3	Jon Rauch	21	59	57.2	2010	31	46	3.12	2.94	18.8%	.322
4	Mike Marshall	21	54	99.0	1978	35	56	2.45	3.00	13.9%	.259
5	Al Worthington	21	62	80.1	1965	36	59	2.13	3.34	17.7%	.244
6	Bill Dailey	21	66	108.2	1963	28	72	1.99	2.76	17.4%	.231
7	Ron Davis	22	63	106.0	1982	26	89	4.42	4.36	19.4%	.297
8	Rick Aguilera	23	44	44.2	1994	32	46	3.63	3.78	22.9%	.373
9	Doug Corbett	23	73	136.1	1980	27	89	1.98	3.06	16.8%	.247
10	Mike Trombley	24	75	87.1	1999	32	82	4.33	4.52	21.8%	.315
11	Ron Davis	25	57	64.2	1985	29	72	3.48	3.67	25.3%	.293
12	Rick Aguilera	26	61	68.1	1997	35	68	3.82	3.88	23.9%	.313
13	LaTroy Hawkins	28	62	51.1	2001	28	36	5.96	4.74	14.5%	.333
14	Ron Davis	29	64	83.0	1984	28	74	4.55	4.26	20.3%	.292
15	Ron Davis	30	66	89.0	1983	27	84	3.34	2.96	22.0%	.332
16	Jeff Reardon	31	65	73.0	1989	33	46	4.07	3.54	15.5%	.264
17	Jeff Reardon	31	63	80.1	1987	31	83	4.48	4.23	24.6%	.269
18	Ron Perranoski	31	75	119.2	1969	33	62	2.11	3.24	12.8%	.229
19	Glen Perkins	32	60	57.0	2015	32	54	3.32	3.82	22.7%	.299
20	Rick Aguilera	32	56	65.1	1990	28	61	2.76	2.99	22.8%	.279
21	Mike Marshall	32	90	142.2	1979	36	81	2.65	3.42	13.8%	.285
22	Glen Perkins	34	63	61.2	2014	31	66	3.65	3.10	25.4%	.320
23	Rick Aguilera	34	65	72.1	1993	31	59	3.11	3.60	20.6%	.252
24	Ron Perranoski	34	67	111.0	1970	34	55	2.43	3.63	11.7%	.281
25	Glen Perkins	36	61	62.2	2013	30	77	2.30	2.49	32.1%	.275
Rk	Player	SV	G	IP	Year	Age	SO	ERA	FIP	K%	BAbip
26	Joe Nathan	36	64	68.1	2006	31	95	1.58	1.68	36.3%	.243
27	Joe Nathan	37	68	71.2	2007	32	77	1.88	2.65	27.3%	.279
28	Rick Aguilera	38	68	74.1	1998	36	57	4.24	3.65	18.6%	.300
29	Joe Nathan	39	68	67.2	2008	33	74	1.33	2.79	28.4%	.236
30	Eddie Guardado	41	66	65.1	2003	32	60	2.89	3.23	23.1%	.244
31	Rick Aguilera	41	64	66.2	1992	30	52	2.83	3.40	19.1%	.272
32	Rick Aguilera	42	63	69.0	1991	29	61	2.35	3.00	22.2%	.229
33	Jeff Reardon	42	63	73.0	1988	32	56	2.47	3.00	18.7%	.287
34	Joe Nathan	43	69	70.0	2005	30	94	2.70	2.21	34.1%	.266
35	Joe Nathan	44	73	72.1	2004	29	89	1.62	2.16	31.3%	.273
36	Eddie Guardado	45	68	67.2	2002	31	70	2.93	3.46	25.9%	.259
37	Joe Nathan	47	70	68.2	2009	34	89	2.10	2.88	32.8%	.233

.

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used

Generated 6/26/2017.

Kintzler also has three blown saves to this point in the season. That's as many as he had last year, in 2016. It is conceivable he could be in the running for the most blown saves in team history, but he'll have to go hard, regress to the mean, to catch up with the worst in team history.

- 10 or More Blown Saves -

Rk	Player	BSv ▼	SV	G	IP	Year	Age
1	Ron Davis	14	29	64	83.0	1984	28
2	Rick Aguilera	11	38	68	74.1	1998	36
3	Jeff Reardon	11	31	65	73.0	1989	33
4	Ron Perranoski	11	34	67	111.0	1970	34
5	Ron Perranoski	11	31	75	119.2	1969	33
6	Jeff Reardon	10	31	63	80.1	1987	31
7	Mike Marshall	10	32	90	142.2	1979	36
8	Bill Campbell	10	20	78	167.2	1976	27

NOTE: For all the criticism Matt Capps received in 2011, 9 BSs (pardon the phrase!) was the most he ever had in any season as a Twins reliever.

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used

Generated 6/26/2017.

"So long, everybody!" - Herb Carneal

Some Twins Purple Fireworks For A Dad and His Girl

- Definitely: start playback, then bust for 720 HD view, hover cursor near gear, lower right of vid - 
Just imagine: if Prince had mixed fireworks audio into every track, could have been such a star! 

It was a gift-wrapped, late spring night, hinting at rain, but never actually materializing. One that I could spend with my oldest daughter on a rare night off from her restaurant job. It wasn’t perfect - her sister was scheduled to work at the same venue, but you take what you can get.

Thus, I put away my stat charts, calculators and nerdball Twins stories to just enjoy time with the dear one, and buy up some frosty malts and hot dogs. The real payoff for her, however, more than the game itself (let’s not kid ourselves, here)  was the Prince umbrella giveaway and the promise of the Twins spectacular, post-game fireworks.

So, even a lousy, languid  8-2 beating at the hands of the surging Cleveland Indians (BRef Box Score) couldn't take away that goldenness. The girl made her feelings very clear about my idea to leave early and avoid possible postgame traffic, or protesters of the Philandro Castillo verdict invading local roadways. NOT favorable! So damn the consequences, we stayed to enjoy another spectacle together, because that's what you do in life. When there's joy to be had, sleep and comfort can wait. Gold-dang worth it.

And if it isn’t obvious already, the Twins devoted the evening to honoring the departed star Prince. I’ve always admired his talent, and recall vividly the mid-1980s, when “Purple Rain” took over the national charts. These days, I can pull up the Prince station on iHeart Radio and completely marvel at just how incredible his artistry was, even though I never bought an LP or CD of his while he was alive (the Twins let me in the gates, despite that). It’s been stated before, but Prince truly did light up our musical sky, and added color and passion and inventiveness to Minnesota and the world...and then poignantly disappeared one day. Isn’t that just like life?  Appearing one day with splendor and glory, and then...gone forever?

It’s a little bit like those carefree days I spent with my daughter, pushing her and her sister in a suspended rope tree swing -  where did they go?

Were we ever really that young? Was I really such a geeky goofball, trying to make them laugh with silly faces and boisterous games of tag, giving horseback rides, reading “Three Billy Goats Gruff” and “Tuck Everlasting,” or building card castles on the living room carpet??

The carefree days of their childhood are definitely past for my wife and me, have left the yard just as Herb Carneal  announced a Harmon Killebrew bomb (audio): "...It's going, going and... GONE."

And just like the wisps of pyrotechnics that reach into the night skies of Minneapolis, above the city streets where young Prince Rogers Nelson used to walk, we parents grasp at these fleeting memories, remembering old days fondly, and yet rejoicing in and savoring the present we have. When did they become so intelligent, thoughtful? So lovely and dear? Those grainy videos of kids playing in the pool and on the playground climber, who are mature, young women now? Who make me proud, and laugh, becoming who they will be?

When did that happen?

All set for the purple haze n' rain

I’ll take that payback for letting go of the past. It’s nice to think of the coming summer days and nights to hang some more with these grown kids and my wonderful wife. As long as I can go back and playback that old video once in awhile.

“So long, everybody!” - Herb Carneal

Jose Berrios & Dominating Starts By Young Twins Pitchers

In his most dominating, May 18, 2017, start to date against the Colorado Rockies, Jose Berrios sliced and diced through the Colorado Rockies to get credit for a 2-0 victory. It was pretty, it was masterful, and it was doubtlessly humiliating for the opposing lineup of established veterans and All-Stars from Denver. They were not [mile] high on facing him any longer than 7.2 iinnings, ahem.

Teenybopper Blyleven, 1970

And, as if he had an eye on team history, Berrios turned in his superb outing just in time to join a very select, all-time Twins pitchers fraternity. These are hurlers who were 22 years old ( or younger) with a start including:

• 10 or more strikeouts
• 1 or fewer walks

He was age 22, and 356 days. It is a list of only seven players, Dave Boswell, Jim Merritt, Tom Hall, Bert Blyleven (glory hog of the bunch!!), Frank Viola, Francisco Liriano, and Berrios. The uniting detail for each of them? Besides being phenomenally talented, they were also given plenty of attention and outright hype coming out of the minors.

That just comes with the territory, as well as its twin sisters named "pressure" and "disappointment" - the last of which Berrios had supplied plentifully for the anxious fans in Twins Territory before the 2017 season ("Oh, God, the kid's just another 1st round draft bust!). But, on this day in particular, he cut through the Rockies's lineup like a man among boys. His control and command of his Bugs Bunny-type curveball, and high fastball served him well (Fangraphs summary) against the Colorados, who were ten games over .500 at 26-16, and leading the NL West.. He is definitely not a finished product at this point, but one can confidently state he's a quantum leap ahead of last season when he seemed so amped up, looking like he wanted to throw one perfect pitch after another - only to have them sail wide of the strike zone.

STARTS BY TWINS PITCHERS 22 & YOUNGER, 
10 OR MORE STRIKEOUTS, 1 OR FEWER WALKS

Rk	Player	Age	Date	Opp	Rslt	App,Dec	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	UER	GSc
1	Dave Boswell	22.159	1967-06-28	BOS	W 3-2	CG, W	9.0	4	2	2	1	13	2	0	83
2	Francisco Liriano	22.249	2006-07-02	MIL	W 8-0	GS-8, W	8.0	3	0	0	1	12	0	0	87
3	Bert Blyleven	22.161	1973-09-14	CHW	W 6-0	SHO, W	9.0	4	0	0	1	12	0	0	90
4	Bert Blyleven	20.041	1971-05-17	CAL	W 3-2	GS-9, W	8.0	7	2	0	1	12	0	2	75
5	Tom Hall	22.296	1970-09-15 (2)	CAL	L 3-5	GS-9	8.0	3	2	2	1	12	0	0	79
6	Bert Blyleven	19.120	1970-08-04	MIL	W 5-2	CG, W	9.0	7	2	2	1	12	0	0	76
7	JOSE BERRIOS	22.356	2017-05-18 (2)	COL	W 2-0	GS-8, W	7.2	2	0	0	1	11	0	0	85
8	Francisco Liriano	22.233	2006-06-16	PIT	W 4-2	GS-7, W	7.0	5	2	2	1	11	1	0	69
9	Bert Blyleven	22.142	1973-08-26	MIL	L 2-3	GS-8, L	7.2	9	3	3	0	11	1	0	60
10	Bert Blyleven	20.036	1971-05-12	BOS	W 1-0	SHO, W	9.0	7	0	0	0	11	0	0	84
11	Tom Hall	22.291	1970-09-10 (1)	OAK	W 6-1	CG, W	9.0	7	1	1	1	11	0	0	79
12	Dave Boswell	21.191	1966-07-30	BAL	W 7-0	SHO, W	9.0	1	0	0	1	11	0	0	95
13	Dave Boswell	21.145	1966-06-14	KCA	W 6-3	CG, W	9.0	5	3	3	1	11	1	0	75
14	Frank Viola	22.115	1982-08-12	CAL	L 1-3	GS-8, L	7.1	5	3	3	0	10	1	0	66
15	Bert Blyleven	21.181	1972-10-04	CHW	W 14-2	GS-6, W	6.0	3	2	2	0	10	1	0	68
16	Bert Blyleven	21.158	1972-09-11 (2)	OAK	W 3-2	CG, W	9.0	6	2	2	1	10	0	0	76
17	Bert Blyleven	21.045	1972-05-21 (1)	TEX	L 2-5	GS-7, L	7.0	6	3	3	1	10	1	0	62
18	Bert Blyleven	21.027	1972-05-03	MIL	W 7-0	SHO, W	9.0	4	0	0	1	10	0	0	88
19	Jim Merritt	22.281	1966-09-16	NYY	W 2-1	GS-8, W	8.0	5	1	1	1	10	0	0	77
20	Dave Boswell	21.195	1966-08-03	BOS	W 7-2	CG, W	9.0	4	2	2	1	10	2	0	80

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 6/6/2017 - with thanks to Aaron Gleeman of "Gleeman & The Geek" fame

Had Berrios avoided walking pinch hitter Tony Wolters - his last batter - with two out in the 8th inning, he would have joined Blyleven and Viola in the "22 Club" as only the third to not issue a free pass in a 10+ strikeout game. The only hits he allowed were singles to Geraldo Parra in the fifth, and Carlos Gonzalez in the seventh.

HOVER CURSOR NEAR GIF BOTTOM, ACTIVATE AUDIO FOR DICK BREMER'S LOVING TONES

The High Quality Colorado Rockies Lineup

Batting	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	PA	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
Charlie Blackmon CF	4	0	0	0	0	1	4	.315	.356	.601	.957
DJ LeMahieu 2B	4	0	0	0	0	1	4	.280	.348	.348	.696
Nolan Arenado 3B	3	0	1	0	0	1	4	.306	.360	.599	.959
Carlos Gonzalez DH	3	0	1	0	1	2	4	.210	.279	.312	.591
Ian Desmond 1B	3	0	0	0	0	1	4	.299	.324	.418	.742
Gerardo Parra RF	3	0	1	0	0	0	3	.264	.296	.391	.687
Raimel Tapia LF	3	0	0	0	0	3	3	.000	.083	.000	.083
Pat Valaika SS	3	0	0	0	0	2	3	.234	.265	.511	.776
Ryan Hanigan C	2	0	0	0	0	0	2	.280	.308	.400	.708
Tony Wolters PH-C	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	.328	.391	.431	.822
Team Totals	28	0	3	0	2	11	32	.107	.219	.107	.326

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table Generated 6/6/2017.

That's about all I have to say about that.

"So long, everybody!" - Herb Carneal