The Hold in Baseball: A Comprehensive Guide
When it comes to baseball, there are many statistics that help to measure a player’s performance. The most common statistics, such as batting average and home runs, are often used to evaluate the performance of batters.
For pitchers, one of the most important statistics is the ERA (earned run average), which measures how many runs a pitcher allows per nine innings. Additionally, there are more specialized statistics that relate specifically to relief pitchers, such as the hold.
A hold is a statistic that measures the effectiveness of a relief pitcher in maintaining a lead. It’s essentially the opposite of a blown save, which occurs when a relief pitcher enters the game and fails to protect the lead.
In order to earn a hold, a relief pitcher must enter the game with a lead and record at least one out while maintaining that lead. The pitcher is then credited with a hold if they are replaced by another pitcher who also maintains the lead until the end of the game.
The hold statistic was first recognized in 1986 by John Dewan and was created as a way to compare the effectiveness of relief pitchers. It was designed to be a complementary statistic to the save, which is awarded to a relief pitcher who finishes the game and is credited with preventing the opponent from taking the lead in the ninth inning or later.
While the save is awarded to the pitcher who records the final out of the game, the hold does not require the pitcher to do so. It’s possible for a pitcher to earn a hold without recording the final out of the game, as long as they maintain the lead for at least one out.
Additionally, for a relief pitcher to be eligible for a hold, the game must be a save situation, which means there is at least a three-run lead for the pitcher’s team or the tying run is on deck or at the plate. One common question that arises is whether a relief pitcher can earn a hold in a game that his team loses.
The answer is yes a pitcher can earn a hold in a loss if they enter the game with a lead and maintain that lead for at least one out. However, it’s important to note that a hold is not as significant as a save, as the latter reflects a pitcher’s ability to close out a game and prevent the opposing team from tying or taking the lead.
Now that we understand what a hold is and how it’s earned, let’s take a look at an example of a famous hold in baseball history. The 2014 World Series between the San Francisco Giants and the Kansas City Royals was a thrilling seven-game series that featured many memorable moments.
In Game 7 of the series, the Giants turned to Madison Bumgarner, their ace starting pitcher, in relief. Bumgarner had already pitched a complete game shutout in Game 5 of the series, but with the Giants clinging to a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning in Game 7, he was called upon to pitch out of the bullpen.
Bumgarner came in and proceeded to pitch five scoreless innings, allowing only two hits and striking out four batters. He was able to maintain the Giants’ lead and secure the victory, earning a rare five-inning save in the process.
While Bumgarner didn’t technically earn a hold in this game, his performance was a shining example of how a relief pitcher can have a significant impact on the outcome of a game. In conclusion, the hold is a statistic that measures a relief pitcher’s ability to maintain a lead for at least one out.
It was created as a complementary statistic to the save, and while it’s not as significant as the latter, it still plays an important role in evaluating the performance of relief pitchers. With a better understanding of what a hold is and how it’s earned, baseball fans can appreciate the contributions that these specialized pitchers make to the game.
3) How a Pitcher Gets a Hold in Baseball
The hold is a statistic that measures the effectiveness of relief pitchers in maintaining leads during a game. A relief pitcher earns a hold by meeting certain requirements regarding the preservation of a lead and the recording of outs.
A pitcher is credited with a hold when they enter the game, with a lead of no more than three runs, and record at least one out while maintaining the lead. The pitcher is then replaced, and the team eventually wins the game without relinquishing the lead.
In addition to the requirement of maintaining the lead, there is also a maximum number of runs that a pitcher can be ahead by while still earning a hold. This is limited to a three-run lead.
This means that a relief pitcher cannot earn a hold by entering the game with a higher lead, as this would suggest that the game was not in jeopardy. For instance, if a pitcher entered the game with a five-run lead and recorded one out, they would not be credited with a hold if their team went on to win the game, having not lost the lead since they came into the game.
Another key requirement for earning a hold is the need to record at least one out while maintaining the lead. This ensures that no pitcher can get the statistic unfairly as they need to contribute at least one play to the defense of the team.
Additionally, the pitcher must be replaced by another pitcher who maintains the lead until the end of the game. This requires that pitching staff as a whole maintain the lead throughout the game until its completion.
The number of outs required to earn a hold can vary depending on the circumstances of the game. For example, if a pitcher is brought in to start the eighth inning, records two outs while maintaining a lead, and is then replaced, they would still be credited with a hold.
Another pitcher is then brought in to close the game starting with the last out of the eighth inning, and the team successfully holds onto the lead for the remainder of the game. In contrast, if a pitcher enters the game with two outs in the ninth inning and records the third out, they will not earn a hold since the game is no longer in a save situation.
4) Origin of the Hold Statistic
The hold statistic was first recognized in 1986 by John Dewan of Baseball Info Solutions. The primary purpose of the hold statistic was to provide a way to measure the effectiveness of relief pitchers.
Starting pitchers and closers had long been evaluated based on wins and losses, innings pitched, and ERA, but there was no equivalent measure for relievers. The hold was created as a way to quantify the contributions of relief pitchers who were not necessarily used in a game’s most critical moments.
It recognized the value of middle relievers who often work earlier in games and are not necessarily relied upon to close out games. While the save was already in use, it was originally intended to measure the performance of closers and did not take into account the contributions of other relief pitchers.
In comparison to other pitching statistics, the hold is unique because it is the only one specifically designed for relief pitchers. Starting pitchers are evaluated primarily based on ERA and innings pitched, while closers are evaluated by their ability to convert save opportunities.
These other measures do not factor in the contributions of middle relief pitchers who often work in lower-pressure situations. The hold is most similar to the save statistic, but these two statistics are distinct in their purpose.
While both are intended to measure the effectiveness of relief pitchers, a pitcher can earn a hold without recording the last out of the game. In contrast, a pitcher must record the last out of the game and protect a lead for the entire ninth inning or later to earn a save.
Additionally, the save is based on a slightly different set of requirements and is only awarded in specific circumstances when the tying or winning run is on base, at the plate, or on the bases. In conclusion, the hold is a statistic specific to relief pitchers.
It was created to measure their effectiveness and contributions to the team’s success in maintaining a lead. The requirements to earn a hold include maintaining a lead of no more than three runs, recording at least one out, and being replaced before the team wins without losing the lead.
While similar to the save statistic, the hold provides a way to evaluate middle relievers who are often important contributors to a team’s success in high-pressure games. 5) Hold vs.
Save
Baseball has a variety of statistical categories to evaluate the effectiveness of its pitchers, including the hold and the save. While the save is one of the most well-known statistics, the hold is another important measure of a reliever’s contributions to the team’s success.
Both the hold and save have specific requirements for pitchers to attain. A save is awarded to a relief pitcher when they enter a game in a save situation – that is, the tying or winning run is on base, at the plate, or on deck – and successfully finish the game without relinquishing the lead.
The pitcher needs to record the final out of the game while maintaining the lead to earn the save, which is a much more challenging task than earning a hold. The save statistic is a way to measure the effectiveness of a closer in a critical moment of the game.
The primary difference between a hold and a save is that a pitcher can earn a hold without recording the final out of the game, whereas a save requires the pitcher to complete the final out. Additionally, the requirements for a hold are less stringent, as a pitcher only needs to maintain a lead of no more than three runs after recording at least one out.
The save statistic, on the other hand, requires meeting a much stricter set of requirements. Can a pitcher get both a hold and a save in the same game?
The answer is no, not according to the official statistic-keeping rules of baseball. According to the rules, a pitcher who earns a save in a game cannot also earn a hold in that same game, even if they pitch in multiple innings.
This rule reflects the fact that the save is a much more challenging achievement. It is rare for a pitcher to accumulate both a save and a hold in a single season, let alone in a single game.
6) Can a Pitcher Get a Hold in a Loss? The hold statistic measures the effectiveness of a pitcher who enters the game with a lead, successfully maintains that lead, and is replaced before the game’s conclusion.
The statistic is often used to evaluate the contributions of middle relief pitchers who do not receive as much attention as closers, who are typically evaluated based on save statistics. It is possible for a pitcher to earn a hold in a loss, but it can be a relatively rare occurrence.
A loss occurs when a pitcher’s team loses the game, and the pitcher who is credited with the loss is usually the pitcher who allows the winning run to score. Meanwhile, pitcher who enters the game with a lead and successfully maintains that lead for at least one out gets a hold.
The pitcher who is credited with the loss could still have entered the game with a lead and maintained that lead for a short amount of time, which would qualify them for a hold statistic. An example of a pitcher getting a hold in a loss occurred in a game between the Los Angeles Angels and the Oakland Athletics in September of 2021.
Angels pitcher Junior Guerra entered the game in the sixth inning. At the time, his team was leading the game 8-6.
Guerra pitched for two innings, allowing just one hit and one walk while maintaining the lead. Unfortunately, the Angels were unable to maintain the lead through the end of the game, and they ultimately lost 10-8.
Although Guerra was credited with a hold, he did so in a losing game, which highlights the importance of evaluating individual players’ performances in specific situations beyond just looking at the team’s overall result. In conclusion, the hold and save are two important statistics used to evaluate pitchers in baseball.
While a pitcher can earn a hold in a loss, the statistic is not a replacement for the win-loss record, which is the most basic measure of a pitcher’s effectiveness. The rules governing the statistic-keeping do not allow a pitcher to earn both a hold and a save in the same game.
The hold statistic measures a pitcher’s contribution to maintaining a lead beyond the ninth inning, and a pitcher may earn this distinction by entering the game with a viable lead and maintaining it until he or she is replaced.
7) FAQ
The hold statistic is one of the more specialized metrics in baseball, used primarily to evaluate the performance of relief pitchers. As with any statistic, there are many questions that fans and analysts alike might have about the hold.
In this section, we will explore and answer some frequently asked questions about the hold. – What pitcher has the most holds in MLB history?
The record for most holds in MLB history belongs to right-handed pitcher Joel Peralta, who earned 325 holds in his 12-season career. Peralta accomplished this feat as a journeyman reliever, pitching for ten different teams during his career.
This mark surpassed the previous record, held by former Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Mike Gonzalez. – Can multiple pitchers earn a hold in the same game?
Yes, multiple pitchers can earn a hold in the same game, as long as they meet the requirements for the statistic. For example, a starter might earn a hold by pitching five innings with a lead, then entering a middle reliever who pitches two more innings while still maintaining the lead and earning a hold.
While more common in a playoff game where the bullpen is used more often, it is a rare occurrence because of the requirement that the lead must be maintained by the pitcher for at least one out. – Who is the career leader in holds?
As of September 2021, the career leader in holds is Tony Watson, who has earned 220 holds over his 11-season career. Watson has been a consistent contributor for multiple teams, including his most recent, the Los Angeles Angels.
Mike Stanton is the runner-up with 267 holds, followed by Peralta with his record 325. – Can a pitcher earn a hold in a loss?
Yes, a pitcher can earn a hold in a loss, as long as they meet the requirements for the statistic, which includes entering the game with a lead and maintaining it for at least one out. While a pitcher earning a hold in a loss might not necessarily be a great sign for their team, it is possible for pitchers to make significant contributions in the midst of a loss during lower-stress situations in the middle innings of the game.
In conclusion, the hold statistic is a valuable tool for measuring the contributions of relief pitchers, and there are many questions that fans may have about it. Joel Peralta holds the record for most holds in MLB history, while Tony Watson is the all-time leader.
Multiple pitchers can earn a hold in the same game, although this is a relatively rare occurrence. In summary, the hold statistic measures a relief pitcher’s effectiveness in maintaining a lead in a game.
A pitcher can earn a hold by meeting specific requirements, including maintaining a lead of no more than three runs and recording at least one out. The statistic was created to provide a way to evaluate the performance of middle relief pitchers who are often overlooked in comparison to closers.
The save is a similar statistic, but it requires a pitcher to record the final out of a game while maintaining the lead