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Discussion About Who Gets Credited with Wins
gemint
Posts: 6,069 ✭✭✭✭✭
in Sports Talk
Looking at the results of the Pirates game today, the Braves relief pitcher got the win by pitching only the second inning. To me this has never made sense. A starter must complete the 5th inning to get a win yet a reliever can get a win by only finishing the second inning. I presume a pitcher could also get credited with the win if he finishes the first inning in relief of the starter. If they're going to require the game to go 5 innings to credit a win to starters and also to consider the game 'official', why not credit a win only to pitchers who completed the 5th inning (starter or reliever)?
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MLB's method of determining wins could probably be improved, but it's such an unimportant stat (especially for relievers) these days that I don't think anyone cares enough to change it. Felix Hernandez won the Cy Young in 2010 with a 13-12 record. CC Sabathia had a 21-7 record. That shows you how little attention is paid to wins and losses. It's more of a team stat than an individual stat.
Straight from the rules:
Rule 10.17(b) Comment: It is the intent of Rule 10.17(b) that a relief pitcher pitch at least one complete inning or pitch when a crucial out is made, within the context of the game (including the score), in order to be credited as the winning pitcher. If the first relief pitcher pitches effectively, the official scorer should not presumptively credit that pitcher with the win, because the rule requires that the win be credited to the pitcher who was the most effective, and a subsequent relief pitcher may have been most effective. The official scorer, in determining which relief pitcher was the most effective, should consider the number of runs, earned runs and base runners given up by each relief pitcher and the context of the game at the time of each relief pitcher's appearance. If two or more relief pitchers were similarly effective, the official scorer should give the presumption to the earlier pitcher as the winning pitcher.
(c) The official scorer shall not credit as the winning pitcher a relief pitcher who is ineffective in a brief appearance, when at least one succeeding relief pitcher pitches effectively in helping his team maintain its lead. In such a case, the official scorer shall credit as the winning pitcher the succeeding relief pitcher who was most effective, in the judgment of the official scorer.
<< <i>Some pitchers have even gotten a win without throwing a pitch.
MLB's method of determining wins could probably be improved, but it's such an unimportant stat (especially for relievers) these days that I don't think anyone cares enough to change it. Felix Hernandez won the Cy Young in 2010 with a 13-12 record. CC Sabathia had a 21-7 record. That shows you how little attention is paid to wins and losses. It's more of a team stat than an individual stat. >>
Can somebody say, "breath of fresh air." Good job!
Slowly but surely the baseball world is getting educated on baseball evaluation. I look at this board, and ten years ago the board had nobody on here that would be baseball evaluation wise enough to make a statement like above by MLBfan2. Now more and more are coming on.
Unfortunately, over on the sports card forum in the Miguel Cabrerra triple crown thread, there are still many fans who are still using leeches as their primary form of medicine.
Even some of the writers who actually voted for Felix Hernandez in the above example are starting to understand. However, many have a long way to go.
<< <i>Some pitchers have even gotten a win without throwing a pitch.
MLB's method of determining wins could probably be improved, but it's such an unimportant stat (especially for relievers) these days that I don't think anyone cares enough to change it. Felix Hernandez won the Cy Young in 2010 with a 13-12 record. CC Sabathia had a 21-7 record. That shows you how little attention is paid to wins and losses. It's more of a team stat than an individual stat. >>
Okay but then why require a starter to pitch 5 full innings to get a win? Wins are still an important stat, regardless of the evolution of the game. Tradition is a big part of baseball, bigger than any other sport (arguably).
<< <i>
<< <i>Some pitchers have even gotten a win without throwing a pitch.
MLB's method of determining wins could probably be improved, but it's such an unimportant stat (especially for relievers) these days that I don't think anyone cares enough to change it. Felix Hernandez won the Cy Young in 2010 with a 13-12 record. CC Sabathia had a 21-7 record. That shows you how little attention is paid to wins and losses. It's more of a team stat than an individual stat. >>
Okay but then why require a starter to pitch 5 full innings to get a win? Wins are still an important stat, regardless of the evolution of the game. Tradition is a big part of baseball, bigger than any other sport (arguably). >>
Tradition is big in baseball, but tradition for people is usually what it was like when they were kids first being immersed in the game. Otherwise, if tradition prevailed, players would still be pitching underhand and have no gloves.