basebaLL scoring question

[sniffa]

Listed in some box scores... a pitcher (reLiever) sometimes records an "H".. today's red sox box score has 2 pitchers receiving an "H" as weLL as the starter receiving the "W" and the cLoser receiving the "S".

what does the "H" stand for?

[MallRat]

1. H is for "hold."

It's a way to recognize good work done by middle relievers. If they're brought into a game with the lead in jeopardy and get their team out of a jam, they're credited with a "hold."

-MR

P.S. Lemme check the rulebook about the "lead in jeopardy" part. I don't know if that's necessarily the case.

[sniffa]

2. hmm

i've occasionLy seen the first reLiever record the save though. anyhow, it's a question that's driven me mad for some time now. my onLy guess was a "haLf-save". :P

[MallRat]

3. Here ya go. Straight from MLB.com.

"A relief pitcher is credited with a HOLD any time he enters a game in a save situation, records at least one out and leaves the game never having relinquished the lead. A pitcher cannot finish the game and receive credit for a hold, nor can he earn a hold and a save in the same game."

Save situation, I believe, means leading by 3 or fewer runs. It doesn't necessarily mean that the tying run is at the plate.

-MR

[LynneSin]

4. About time they have that stat

Saves are a joke in baseball. Basically you were the last guy who pitched in the game and they gave you a "save" even if you did nothing more than to come in and pitch one inning of relief for the starting pitcher who already had the win.

I'm a big fan of the Cincinnati Reds and I remember back in 1990 they had a trio of great relief pictures. And although Randy Myers tended to be the closer of the trio and got the most saves, Norm Charlton and Rob Dibble did most of the hard work. When the Reds were in a bind and needed to get a few outs to save the lead, it tended to be Rob Dibble or Norm Charlton to clean up the mess. But those 2 never got any credit with saving the game since they only came in middle relief, got the outs needed to preserve the game lead and then replaced the next inning with the guy (usually Myers) who pitched the last innning.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

5. Saves aren't a total joke

It can be VERY difficult to hold a game in the final innings. The only reason it seems like more of a joke than it is is because it's not plausible to have a studly bullpen go out there and perform every night, but it IS plausible to have one guy come in every night and give you one or two lock-down innings. A guy that can shut out his opponents 40 or so times in a season has truly contributed to his team's success.