The Craig Kimbrel Thread

Darnell's Son

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I searched for a thread on the Red Sox closer but didn't see a recent one so I'll kick this one off with an article from iayork about his prospects for the 2017 season by looking back at his historical pitch usage and locations.

One reason for this increase in walks is that Kimbrel has changed the location of his curve in the past couple of years, especially to right-handed batters. Whereas from 2010 through 2014, right-handed batter saw curves that clustered precisely at the bottom edge of the strike zone, in 2015 and 2016 his curves have tended to fall down and outside of the zone
iayork also wrote about his repertoire last week.
 

doctorogres

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This was my favorite pitcher overview so far, because there was a bit more analysis of what it means for 2017 and how he might be able to get back to where he was. A lot of the previous ones overview the pitcher's stuff and hot spots, but seem to be missing a conclusion telling us what it means going forward. I appreciate that it's not always as glaring as it is with Kimbrel's knuckle curve placement, though.

Anyway, I'll be watching the knuckle curve closely. This seems like the kind of thing Bannister should pick up on and be able to fix.
 

iayork

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A lot of the previous ones overview the pitcher's stuff and hot spots, but seem to be missing a conclusion telling us what it means going forward.
Thanks. I'm trying to do two kinds of pitcher reviews this year, one that's straight observation and another that's more interpretation. I'm doing the former for all the Sox pitchers and will try to do some for most of our opponents as I have time through the season. The analysis takes more time and mostly the conclusion is "Yeah, he's pretty good", or "Yeah, he kind of sucks", so I only add them where I think I have something to say.
 

doctorogres

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The analysis takes more time and mostly the conclusion is "Yeah, he's pretty good", or "Yeah, he kind of sucks", so I only add them where I think I have something to say.
I think even that would be satisfying. It's nice to be told what to think by someone who's good at what they do, even if I've already come to the same conclusion.
 

Ramon AC

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Craig Kimbrel is really good. After tonight's 1 IP 4K outing he's got a K/9 of 17.4, an ERA+ near 500, and a bWAR approaching 1.5. With all appropriate caveats for using WAR in May, he's looked outrageously dominant.

He's pitching about as well as a relief pitcher can possibly pitch.
 

Minneapolis Millers

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A k/9 of 17.4 is stupid good. He struck 2 guys out tonight on pitches that they both missed by about a foot. And one of them hit the batter. He's like a high schooler pitching to little leaguers right now. He's ridiculous.
 

Adrian's Dome

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Updated, because I love me some Craig Kimbrel:

20.2 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 HR, 2 BB, 40 SO.

That's a .87 ERA and a .39 WHIP. He's allowing less than half a baserunner per inning pitched.

And striking out 20 for every one he walks.

This is pretty good stuff here, folks.
 

Average Reds

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Craig Kimbrel is really good. After tonight's 1 IP 4K outing he's got a K/9 of 17.4, an ERA+ near 500, and a bWAR approaching 1.5. With all appropriate caveats for using WAR in May, he's looked outrageously dominant.

He's pitching about as well as a relief pitcher can possibly pitch.
Early in his career, I distinctly remember thinking that when Kimbrel came into the game it was over. It's taken a while for me (as a spectator) to shake off the lack of command from last year, but there's no question that Kimbrel is back to being that guy.

Very enjoyable watching him pitch this season.
 

Merkle's Boner

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Early in his career, I distinctly remember thinking that when Kimbrel came into the game it was over. It's taken a while for me (as a spectator) to shake off the lack of command from last year, but there's no question that Kimbrel is back to being that guy.

Very enjoyable watching him pitch this season.
His dominance has helped my sleep patterns. I turn the game off after the 9th inning, or whenever he comes in, now.
 

dhappy42

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His dominance has helped my sleep patterns. I turn the game off after the 9th inning, or whenever he comes in, now.
Funny. I'm kind of the opposite. When Sale isn't pitching, I'll often listen to the game on the radio until Kimbrel comes in, then turn on the TV to watch him shut down the 9th inning. It's beautiful.
 

DJnVa

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Funny. I'm kind of the opposite. When Sale isn't pitching, I'll often listen to the game on the radio until Kimbrel comes in, then turn on the TV to watch him shut down the 9th inning. It's beautiful.
Well, the post you're quoting says AFTER the 9th inning, so it seems he's saying Kimbrel didn't blow it and the game continues cuz it's not going extras.

Maybe.
 

TonyPenaNeverJuiced

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Haven't looked this up, but does anyone else know what other pitchers, if any, in MLB history have thrown both an immaculate inning and a 4K inning?
Bob Gibson, Felix Hernandez, AJ Burnett, Steve Delabar, Justin Masterson, Kenley Jansen

Only Kimbrel has done both feats in the same season.
 

Merkle's Boner

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Well, the post you're quoting says AFTER the 9th inning, so it seems he's saying Kimbrel didn't blow it and the game continues cuz it's not going extras.

Maybe.
Yeah, meant to say after the 8th inning. Anyway. My point was I have no doubt he's going to close games successfully.

Carry on.
 

S. H. Frog

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Even if you watch the games, it's easier to sleep after his appearances this year than last. His ninths are like a lullaby or a bedtime story this year. Last year they were like a cat getting killed in the alley, even when he got the job done.

When he can throw the curve for a strike, I mean, it's just not fair.
 

TonyPenaNeverJuiced

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How much extra sleep is everyone getting by skipping the ninth? Two minutes?
Once you factor in Mattress Adjustment (REM+), you can measure by QS (Quality Sleeps) as long as you factor in K/9 (Children under the age of 9).

Some folks out there might be getting 3, maybe even 4 minutes more sleep when you adjust for all that.
 

dhappy42

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KKKKimbrel has faced 39 right-handed hitters this season. Two have reached base. On walks. No hits. He's struck out 21 of them. That's awesome. Kimbrel's throwing a no-hitter versus righties.
 

redsoxstiff

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At 81 , I've been around for a few baseball experiences...From Ted to Papi...et alia...A'int nobody,no how, comes close to closing as Kimbrel closes.I'm glad to have so much to compare with him.
 

Al Zarilla

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At 81 , I've been around for a few baseball experiences...From Ted to Papi...et alia...A'int nobody,no how, comes close to closing as Kimbrel closes.I'm glad to have so much to compare with him.
Not even Dick Radatz? Well, admittedly, he was a different beast, being an all around, any time reliever. Sometimes they'd bring him in in the fifth inning or so, down 4-2 or something. Sox would come back to tie it late, go extras and he'd end up pitching 9 innings or more and get the win. Of course, they burned him out in no time from that kind of usage, and they had nobody else. Kimbrel is a beast from a different fantasy movie, no doubt about that though.

Radatz also struck out Mickey Mantle 44 of the 63 times he faced him.
 
Not even Dick Radatz? Well, admittedly, he was a different beast, being an all around, any time reliever. Sometimes they'd bring him in in the fifth inning or so, down 4-2 or something. Sox would come back to tie it late, go extras and he'd end up pitching 9 innings or more and get the win. Of course, they burned him out in no time from that kind of usage, and they had nobody else. Kimbrel is a beast from a different fantasy movie, no doubt about that though.

Radatz also struck out Mickey Mantle 44 of the 63 times he faced him.
Not to derail the thread but Radatz never had that kind of success against Mantle. It's true that Mantle struggled against "The Monster" but the two only faced each other 19 times. Radatz often relayed the "44 out of 63" strike out statistic on WEEI and it became accepted as truth. The AP and other media sources even quoted it in 2005 when Radatz died. Here are the real numbers according to BR:


 

redsoxstiff

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Yes Dick was from a different era .He was the cat's ass sans doubt...He was truly huge ,scary and hairy...
Apparently there was a creep in Cleveland who paid Radatz to throw oranges at his bare ass...
 

charlieoscar

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Not to derail the thread but Radatz never had that kind of success against Mantle. It's true that Mantle struggled against "The Monster" but the two only faced each other 19 times.
But that still included 12 strikeouts in 16 at bats, which is 75% of the time. I think it's safe to say he owned Mantle.

As an aside, one time I was in a bar in Alexandria, Virginia, talking baseball with a mathematician and I mentioned Radatz. "Radatz," he said, "he was my college roommate" and then the barmaid popped up saying, "Dick Radatz? He's a friend of the family and comes over to the house all the time."

But it wasn't all second-hand in that bar. One guy I saw about once a month was co-holder of the Carolina League record for most total bases in a game (15 -- 3 HR and a triple in 1955). One day his son was with him, in the minors at the time but who went on to play 11 years in the majors, mostly for the Pirates: Frank and John Wehner.
 

streeter88

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KKKKimbrel has faced 39 right-handed hitters this season. Two have reached base. On walks. No hits. He's struck out 21 of them. That's awesome. Kimbrel's throwing a no-hitter versus righties.
RHB no-no still intact. 5 more faced tonight, 2 Ks, 1 BB, 1 flyout, and a ground ball back to the pitcher.
 

SumnerH

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But that still included 12 strikeouts in 16 at bats, which is 75% of the time. I think it's safe to say he owned Mantle.
.753 OPS is bad for Mantle, but not crazy owned.

Basically, 19 PA is SSS and can be interpreted many ways depending on what you focus on.
 

dbn

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.753 OPS is bad for Mantle, but not crazy owned.

Basically, 19 PA is SSS and can be interpreted many ways depending on what you focus on.
One way to interpret it is to set confidence intervals on it based on the sample-size.

One-sigma error bars it's OPS = 0.753 +/- ~0.355 (i.e., between 0.396 and 1.105).

Or if we go to three-sigma error bars it's an OPS anywhere between 0.052 and 2.016.
 

joe dokes

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One way to interpret it is to set confidence intervals on it based on the sample-size.

One-sigma error bars it's OPS = 0.753 +/- ~0.355 (i.e., between 0.396 and 1.105).

Or if we go to three-sigma error bars it's an OPS anywhere between 0.052 and 2.016.
You can read that in either mantle's voice or radatz's. Gold either way.
 

DJnVa

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Banned, OK about Radatz vs. Mantle. Radatz started his own urban legend, huh?
He did have one 9 inning relief appearance, and another 8.2 though. That's ridiculous.

Most of the other long ones were of the 6 inning variety.
 

PaulinMyrBch

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The feeling I have when after he throws the first pitch rivals how I felt when Koji went through that stretch in 2013 where he was just automatic. And I doubt the Padres board has a thread titled. "The Manuel Margot, Javier Guerra, Carlos Asuaje, and Logan Allen thread" So fun to watch him right now.
 

phenweigh

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The feeling I have when after he throws the first pitch rivals how I felt when Koji went through that stretch in 2013 where he was just automatic.
For me the feeling is different because even when Koji was automatic, I wondered how he did it with a sub-90 fastball. Sure the splitter was awesome, but hitters were almost equally baffled by the fastball. With Kimbrel, there is no wonder how hitters can't cope because the stuff is awesome. Watching Koji had the feel of a magic show, while watching Kimbrel has the feel of athletic superiority.
 

drbretto

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Craig Kimbrel is pretty good at throwing baseballs.

It's funny, because I had missed most of the first few weeks of the season, so I only had this place and the occasional inning that I would catch to go by. And people here were talking about how he was a heart attack closer. Now I get me some NESNgo and I'm blown away at those pitches. And seeing the faces of some of the hitters he's facing. It's really something to see. If he was a video game, it'd break immersion because it'd be too unrealistic.
 

Average Reds

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How has nobody already asked about this?
Perhaps most of us know/are familiar with the story?

Bouton related the story in his follow up book I'm Glad You Didn't Take it Personally. It's as odd as it sounds. Guy just loved having his ass hammered by fruit. (I had remembered it as grapefruit,) He quoted an incredulous Radatz telling him about the story and then saying "and this was back when I was bringing it" for emphasis.