How exactly does a Relief Pitcher earn a Save? certain # of innings, batters faced, # of runs ahead by..??

Answer 1

Officially, the rule is that he has to be the finishing pitcher, but not the winning pitcher, in a game won by his team, and meet one of these three requirements:

1. He comes in with a lead of no more than three runs and pitches at least one inning.

2. He comes in with the tying run either on base, at bat, or on deck.

3. "He pitches effectively for at least three innings." Regardless of the size of his team's lead.

So what's "pitching effectively"? When I was a kid, if you allowed three runs and pitched only six innings, that was considered mediocre. Now it's called a "quality start."

Theoretically, tonight, the Yankees could take a 10-0 lead over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays after six innings, and Joe Torre could bring in Scott Proctor (particularly if he wants me to have a stroke, as Proctor is a BUM!), and Proctor could allow nine runs over the last three innings, but as long as he stays in there and doesn't allow the tying run, he qualifies for a save.

It was once said that, without Ernie Banks, the Cubs would finish in Tuscon, which was where their spring training complex was then located. Without Mariano Rivera, the Yankees would be in a Meadowlands dome, still looking for their first Pennant since 1981.

The pitcher's mound was 15 inches high until 1968, then in 1969 it was lowered to 10 inches to aid hitting. I say raise the mound back up to 12 inches. We might see starters lasting longer -- both in a game and in a career. Teams would be less dependent on bullpen help, and while the number of saves would go down, the quality of relief pitching would go up. We might even see relievers go three innings again like Sparky Lyle and Goose Gossage did for the 1970s Yanks, or Rollie Fingers, Bruce Sutter, Tug McGraw, etc. Back then, relief pitchers weren't just credited with saves, they really EARNED them.

Answer 2

Defined in MLB Rule 10.19:

A save is a statistic credited to a relief pitcher, as set forth in this Rule 10.19.

The official scorer shall credit a pitcher with a save when such pitcher meets all four of the following conditions:

(a) He is the finishing pitcher in a game won by his team;

(b) He is not the winning pitcher;

(c) He is credited with at least 1/3 of an inning pitched; and

(d) He satisfies one of the following conditions:

(1) He enters the game with a lead of no more than three runs and pitches for at least one inning;

(2) He enters the game, regardless of the count, with the potential tying run either on base, or at bat or on deck (that is, the potential tying run is either already on base or is one of the first two batters he faces); or

(3) He pitches for at least three innings.
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Type (3) saves are not very common, but they do happen.

This is probably the most unlikely save we'll ever see -- Vosberg qualified under type (1): http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1996/B04190TEX1996.htm

Entered the game in the top of the eighth, Rangers leading 10-7, so the "three runs" condition was in effect. Rangers exploded for 16 runs in the bottom, and Vosberg nailed it down in the ninth, single-walk-GIDP-flyout. A ridiculous 26-7 rout, but he qualified for and was credited with a Save.

Answer 3

1 - when the pitcher comes into the game to start an inning with his team ahead by 3 runs or less, and finishes the game without surrendering even the tying run

2 - when the pitcher come into the game in the middle of an inning with the potential tying run on base, at the plate or on deck, and finishes the game without surrendering even the tying run

3 - when the pitcher comes in with his team in the lead in the 6th or 7th inning, no matter the size of the lead, and finishes the game without surrendering even the tying run.

It's 10.19 of the rulebook.

Please note that the "pitching effectively" clause applies only to the official scorer's decision in selecting the winning pitcher if the starting pitcher left before 5 inning were over and his team already had a lead that it never surrendered.

Answer 4

Maybe this will clear it up for you:

Save opportunities. When a pitcher 1) enters the game with a lead of three or fewer runs and pitches at least one inning, 2) enters the game with the potential tying run on base, at bat, or on deck, or 3) pitches three or more innings with a lead and is credited with a save by the official scorer.

Answer 5

simple. ur up by 1 or 2 runs, send closer in 9th inning. Other wise any ordinary RP can get a save.