By: Peter Gaposchkin

Peter Gaposchkin — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 23:59:15 +0000

In my proposed wording for rule 10.17 the word ‘otherwise’ covers two cases: (1) where the winning run is scored in the first half or the first inning, and (2) where the closer for the half-inning before the winning is the starting pitcher. My proposed ruling would prevent a pitcher who started by giving up a home run in the bottom of the first and was immediately taken out of the game after the visiting team scored two runs in the top of the first and nobody scored in the remainder of the game. This is the reason for the first pitcher getting the most outs to be the winning pitcher. The reason for first pitcher with the most outs is that if the runs are all scored in the first inning, and the first two pitchers on the winning team each pitched four innings, the starter would get the win rather than giving discretion to the official scorer. Peter Gaposchkin

By: Peter Gaposchkin

Peter Gaposchkin — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 21:56:26 +0000

I think the present rules are unfairly in favor of relief pitchers who can get wins by pitching only a third of an inning, even though they don’t last past the fifth inning. I would suggest the following change to 10.17 (a)(b)(c)(e) by the following wording:
10.17(a) Credit the win to the pitcher closing the half-inning just prior to the scoring of the winning run if he is a relief pitcher, otherwise credit the win to the first pitcher getting the most outs (innings pitched). This change would give reasonable results in five-inning games, exhibition games, and games when the winning run is scored in the first half of the first inning. This would assure that the winning pitcher would either be the closer of a half-inning or have the most innings pitched in a game.

Comments on: Mr. Johnson, Pitchers’ ‘Wins’ Are Misleading

By: Peter Gaposchkin

By: Peter Gaposchkin