The Strange Connection That Links Garth Brooks And Minnesota

Garth Brooks was in the spotlight this week, looking on among the crowd gathered in Los Angeles to see his wife, Trisha Yearwood, receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. But do you remember the somewhat odd connection he once had to Minnesota?

Garth has been in the Land of 10,000 Lakes many times over the course of his career. In fact, his most recent visit here took place last September, though he didn't perform. He and Trisha Yearwood traded in their guitars and microphones for hammers and saws as they helped out with the 2024 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project, which took place in St. Paul last October.

You have to go back six years to find the last time Garth Brooks actually played live here in Minnesota. It was May of 2019, and Garth was set to perform two shows on his massive Stadium Tour at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.

READ MORE: Garth Brooks Wrote A Song About A Lost Love Here in Minnesota

During a pre-concert press conference, Garth said while he's extremely appreciative of all the support our state has given him (he noted that his Minnesota concert dates are the highest-selling of any he's done anywhere), he IS a little puzzled by it-- because he's not from here, and doesn't have any personal connections to our fine state.

Garth's Saturday, May 4, 2019, show at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, MN (Curt St John/Townsquare Media)

Except for this one: Several years ago, the Minnesota Twins signed a pitcher by the name of Brandon Kintzler to take over for Glen Perkins as their closer. Kintzler would go on to play for the Twins for the rest of 2016 and for part of the 2017 season before he was traded to the Chicago Cubs. He also played for the Florida Marlins and the Philadelphia Phillies before retiring in 2021.

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But it was when he was here in Minnesota that we discovered that Kintlzer once worked for the Wynn Hotel and Casino out in Las Vegas as a driver. That was the same casino where Garth did a series of shows from 2009 to 2014. And the former Twins pitcher used to be the driver who shuttled Garth (and wife, Tricia Yearwood, of course) from the airport to the casino and back.

It was a job Kintzler said he continued to do right up until the time Garth came out of semi-retirement in 2014 and scheduled those 11 World Tour dates here at Target Center. Strange, right?

Now, seeing as it's estimated that Kintler made over $21 million over his major league career, I'm guessing HE'S the one who might be hiring a driver these days. But at the time, it was just another layer to the somewhat mysterious connection that still ties Garth to the Bold North!