Capellan saves the day over and over for the Goldeyes

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This article was published 12/08/2020 (2124 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

IF it’s the bottom of the ninth and you’re trying to protect a lead, you want Victor Capellan on the mound.

Capellan, who’s in his fifth year with the Winnipeg Goldeyes, made history on Tuesday in Fargo, N.D., as he earned his 71st career American Association save, which broke the league’s all-time save record.

In the second game of a doubleheader against the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks, Capellan pitched a scoreless seventh inning to seal the deal on a 4-3 Goldeyes victory and earn a spot in the league’s record book.

“This is something every baseball player wishes they could do — hold a record and be No. 1,” Capellan, a 30-year-old from the Dominican Republic, told the Free Press in a phone interview through a translator.

“When I broke it, I felt relieved of a lot of pressure. I won’t lie, when I got in the game, I felt the pressure to close and break the record. Once I did it, I felt a lot better.”

Manager Rick Forney has leaned heavily on Capellan since the pitcher was acquired in a trade in 2016. Last season, Capellan recorded 27 saves, which set a franchise single-season record. The two-time league all-star also holds the AA record for career appearances with 276.

However, Capellan does his best work in the playoffs, as he was brilliant during the team’s back-to-back championships in 2016-17. He appeared in 17 of the Goldeyes’ 19 playoff games, including all 12 playoff victories en route to a pair of rings. In 19.1 post-season innings, he has a 2.79 ERA with 28 strikeouts. Perhaps the most impressive part of Capellan grabbing the record is the fact he didn’t become the team’s full-time closer until 2018.

But whether he’s entering the game in the seventh, eighth, or ninth inning, Forney said you’d have a tough time finding a more reliable reliever in independent baseball than Capellan.

“I don’t think there’s any question on that. There’s been a lot of really good relief pitchers and a lot of really good closers, but his numbers speak for themselves,” said Forney, who’s in his 15th season leading the club.

“I mean, ever since he’s come to us, his numbers in that ninth inning are pretty astounding. You got to have some longevity to have some numbers like that in a short season like independent baseball. He’s going to go down as one of the best in league history. He’s obviously the best closer the Goldeyes have ever had. We’ve had a few of them over the years. I mean, Brian Beuning single-handedly won a championship for us back in 2012, but I can really say the success we’ve enjoyed as an organization winning championships in 2016 and 2017, we wouldn’t have won those without Victor.”

Infielder Wes Darvill was around for the championship runs in 2016-17. Darvill, who’s in his fourth season with the Fish, said games often feel like they’re only eight innings because if you can get Capellan the ball with a lead in the ninth, you’re confident it’s over.

“He’s an absolute warrior. If he had to, he’d pitch every single day,” said Darvill.

“He means so much to this team. What makes Victor so special is what people don’t see: how hard he works and how well he takes care of his body being an older guy. I think his personality shows and you can see it on the field, but he brings so much energy to the clubhouse all the time. He’s always playing music, always getting the guys fired up, he’s just the total package of being great on the field and being a great teammate.”

Despite all the innings pitched over the years, Capellan isn’t slowing down. In fact, he’s on pace to have his best season yet. He’s picked up seven saves already and is boasting a near-perfect 0.60 ERA in 15 innings of work while helping the Goldeyes get out to a 19-14 start this season — a season in which the team is based out of Fargo and not playing any games at Shaw Park.

While Forney is thrilled with the numbers, it’s Capellan’s character that the skip appreciates even more.

“He’s a great person. He’s got a great heart,” Forney said. “We have a lot of respect for one another. I think that’s the big thing, we have a lot of respect for each other as human beings and as a coach-player relationship, we have a great relationship. It continues to build every year. I love Victor. I wish everybody got a chance to meet and get to know Victor the way we do.”

taylor.allen@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @TaylorAllen31