in the yahoo baseball linescores--what does(H) mean when it's beside a relief pitchers name?

Question

(W)=win; (L)=lose;BS=blown save; (S)=save--but what is (H)?

Answer 1

The "H" is for hold.

A hold is given to any pitcher comes into the game during a save situation, and leaves the game without relinquishing the lead. It's really an unofficial statistic, but one that's used for a number of purposes. For clubs, it gives some measure of effectiveness for middle relievers and setup guys. For the pitchers, it's a tool to be used in bargaining. And for fantasy baseball players, it's a stat that you can use to utilize middle relievers in your league.

Answer 2

It means hold, which isn't a statistic that's "official", i.e. there are no official MLB rules denoting how to determine whether or not someone should get a hold or not. That's why you may notice some boxscores will differ on who gets a hold. I believe Yahoo! gives it to any pitcher who comes in w/ a lead and runners on and does not surrender that lead, and then that lead is never surrendered and his team wins but he is not eligible for a win or save. I've also seen it where it goes to basically any pitcher that pitches without giving up the lead, i.e. it doesn't matter if runners were on or not or if his team eventually loses, but said pitcher is not eligible for a W, L, or SV. Personally, I think it should work mostly like a save, sorta along these lines...

You must enter with your team in the lead (no rules on by how much or where runners have to be or where the tying run is in the order).
You must not give up that lead.
No following pitcher (if any) may give up the lead before the end of the game.
No pitcher is eligible for a H if he is credited elsewhere in the decision.

Basically it would work the same as a save except that a pitcher could come in after you, and also you could come in w/ your team up by like 30 runs (or 4 runs w/ the tying run in the hole, rather than on deck).

I think that's pretty close to what Yahoo does anyways, but for the runners on part.

Personally I like any stat that makes fantasy baseball more in depth, but holds are about the worst stat there is. In practice, you could give up 10 runs and still get a hold. I don't even think you need to get 1 out to get a hold. Although wins and losses are subjective to how well your team bats and how well the other pitcher pitches (just ask Danny Haren, Rich Harden, and my fantasy baseball team), it still shows you had an ability to last at least half a regulation game and pitched comparably better than the other guy. Saves at least show that while you may not pitch for long, you still gave up less than a predetermined number of runs, even if you can give up more than 4 runs in one inning and still get the save (if your team has a 5 run lead and you enter w/ the bases loaded, although technically at that point only 1 ER would be yours, but that's still a 9.00 ERA).

But that's why I don't think decision stats are a good way to judge how good a pitcher is. Ask Walter Johnson how many 1-0 complete games he lost. I think without a doubt ERA is the most important stat for a pitcher (starter or reliever). After that I'd probably say WHIP (if they can't get on, they can't score), BAA (almost as good as WHIP but doesn't take into account the fact a guy could have a .000 BAA and still walk in 50 runs), K/BB (strikeouts aren't the only way to win a game, but if you have a good K/BB it means you have good stuff and good control of said stuff), and then K/9 (I'd rather have a guy w/ a low ERA and low K/9 than a guy w/ a high ERA and high K/9, but still, if you can get a K/inning, that effectively shortens the game by 3 innings, or more accurately each inning by an out). Johan excels at all of these, but put him on the Nationals and I bet his win totals drop. Is he suddenly a bad pitcher b/c he doesn't get as many wins? Heck no. And that's why I think those other stats are more telling.

* http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/official_rules/official_scorer_10.jsp

You'll notice that on the links the poster below me provided, there is a mention of a hold, but not official rule is referenced. That is b/c it is not an oficial stat of record, as evidenced by the above link.

Answer 3

It means "hold" as in, that pitcher "held" onto the lead. It's usually given to middle relievers and setup men (like the Padres' Scott Linebrink) who come in with the lead in the 7th or 8th inning and then give the lead to the closer in the 9th, who gets the save for finishing the game.

Answer 4

H is for Hold. A pitcher entering the game in relief with a lead and not surrendering that lead, is the SIMPLEST explanation.

I like it as a stat. It shows a bullpen stat other than Saves

Answer 5

It's a hold, AKA a save situation, successfully passed along to the next pitcher, while recording at least one out.

It was a concept devised by the sportswriter Ken Holtzman, who also give us the concept of the save.

Answer 6

Sam Malone is a fictional character from the television prepare Cheers. He exchange into no longer a actual man or woman or a actual baseball participant. i'm assuming they by no ability made a actual baseball card for a faux participant, yet stranger promotions have befell. no remember if it is available, i wish you hit upon it, yet i think of you would be getting television and actual existence slightly perplexed.

Answer 7

(H)= Hold

When a relief pitcher comes in with the lead and doesn't surrender the lead before the closer comes into the game.

Answer 8

"Hold "means they came in w/ runners on and didn't let them score.