BASEBALL RULES OF INTEREST, CONT.
The “Hold”: The hold is not an official statistic, but it was created as a way to credit middle
relief pitchers for a job well done. Starting pitchers get win, and closers get saves, but the
guys who pitch in between the two rarely get either statistic. So what’s the most important
thing one of these middle relievers can do? “Hold” a lead. If a reliever comes into a game to
protect a lead, gets at least one out and leaves without giving up that lead, he gets a hold.
But you can’t get a save and a hold at the same time.
Slugging Percentage: Divide the total bases of all hits by the total number of at-bats.
Suspended Game Rule 4.11(d) (Official Baseball Rules): A called game ends at the moment
the umpire terminates play. EXCEPTION: If the game is called while an inning is in progress
and before it is completed, the game becomes a SUSPENDED game in each of the following
situations:
1. The visiting team has scored one or more runs to tie the score and the home team has
not scored;
2. The visiting team has scored one or more runs to take the lead and the home team
has not tied the score or retaken the lead;
3. The game has not become a regulation game (4.5 innings with the home team ahead,
or five innings with the visiting club ahead or tied).
4. Any regulation game tied at the point play is stopped because of weather, curfew, or
other reason.
5. If a game is suspended before it becomes a regulation game, and is continued prior
to another regularly scheduled game, the regularly scheduled game will be limited to
seven innings.
6. If a game is suspended after it is a regulation game, and is continued prior to another
regularly scheduled game, the regularly scheduled game will be a nine inning game.
EXCEPTION: The Suspended Rule will not apply to the last scheduled game between the
two teams during the championship season, or League Playoffs.
Winning and Losing Pitcher: The winning pitcher is the pitcher who is in the game when
his team assumes a lead that it does not relinquish. The starting pitcher must complete
five full innings to be eligible to earn the win. If the starting pitcher does not complete at
least five innings, and his team holds the lead at the time he is removed from the game and
maintains the lead over the remainder of the game, then the official scorer shall award the
win to the relief pitcher judged to have been most effective. The losing pitcher is the pitcher
who is charged with the run that gives the winning team a lead that it does not relinquish.
Whenever the score is tied, the game becomes a new contest insofar as the winning and
losing pitcher is concerned.
Won-Lost Percentage: Divide the number of games won by the total number of games
played.
Midwest League 2019 21