Save (baseball)

Trevor Hoffman, former closer for the San Diego Padres and current relief pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers, is the all-time saves leader.

In baseball, a save (abbreviated SV or S and save opportunity is "svo") is credited to a pitcher who finishes a game for the winning team under certain prescribed circumstances. The number of saves, or percentage of save opportunities successfully completed, is an oft-cited statistic of relief pitchers. It became an official Major League Baseball statistic in 1969.^[1]

Usage

In baseball statistics, the term save is used to indicate the successful maintenance of a lead by a relief pitcher, usually the closer, until the end of the game. A save is a statistic credited to a relief pitcher, as set forth in Rule 10.19 of the Official Rules of Major League Baseball. That rule states the official scorer shall credit a pitcher with a save when such pitcher meets all four of the following conditions^[2]:

1. He is the finishing pitcher in a game won by his team;
2. He is not the winning pitcher;
3. He is credited with at least ⅓ of an inning pitched; and
4. 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, at bat or on deck
   3. He pitches for at least three innings

If the pitcher surrenders the lead at any point, he cannot get a save, but he may be credited as the winning pitcher if his team comes back to win. No more than one save may be credited in each game.

If a relief pitcher satisfies all of the criteria for a save, except he does not finish the game, he will often be credited with a hold (which is not an officially recognized statistic by Major League Baseball).

Save rules have changed over the years; the above rules are the current as defined in Section 10.19 of Major League Baseball's Official Rules. The statistic was formally introduced in 1969,^[1] although research has identified saves earned prior to that point.

A blown save (abbreviated BS or B) is charged to a pitcher who enters a game in a situation which permits him to earn a save (this does not include entering the game before there is one out in the 7th inning, although pitchers that enter the game before there is an out in the 7th inning and while their team has the lead are in a situation where they could earn a save by pitching the last 3 full innings of the game) (a save situation or save opportunity), but who instead allows the tying run to score. Note that if the tying run was scored by a runner who was already on base when the new pitcher entered the game, that new pitcher will be charged with a blown save even though the run will not be charged to the new pitcher, but rather to the pitcher who allowed that runner to reach base. On the other hand, a tough save occurs when a pitcher enters a save situation with the potential tying run already on base, but still earns the save. Since this is guaranteed to be a high pressure situation, earning tough saves is the mark of the great closer. Although not commonly cited, the tough save statistic is a criterion when determining the winner of the Rolaids Relief Man Award.

If that same pitcher also allows the go-ahead run to reach base and score, and if his team does not come back to tie or gain a lead in the game, said pitcher will be charged with both the loss (as in any other similar situation) and a blown save. The blown save is not an officially recognized statistic, but many sources keep track of them. Once a pitcher blows a save, he is no longer eligible to earn a save in that game (since the lead that he was trying to "save" has disappeared), although he can earn a win if his team regains the lead. For this reason, most closers' records include a few wins. Closers make the majority of their appearances with their team ahead, so a loss usually includes a blown save.

If a pitcher enters a game in a save situation (for a team leading by three runs or fewer) in an inning which is not the last (e.g. in a regulation nine inning home game, pitching the top of the eighth inning), and his team later scores one or more runs to extend their lead beyond three runs, then as long as the same pitcher pitches until the end of the game, he is still credited with the save. As the various roles of relief pitchers have changed since the 1960s, closers who often pitch two or more innings have become increasingly rare; although exceptions remain.

A pitcher also cannot create his own save situation. For instance, if he enters the game with a lead too large for a save, he would not make himself eligible for a save by surrendering enough runs to contract the lead to within save range. It must be a save situation when he enters the game, or he will not be able to earn one.

A notable occurrence of the "three innings pitched" save scenario is the save earned by Wes Littleton in the Texas Rangers' 30–3 win over the Baltimore Orioles on August 22, 2007. Littleton entered the game at the beginning of the bottom of the seventh inning, when the Rangers had a 14–3 lead, and pitched the final three innings. The Rangers subsequently scored an additional 16 runs, resulting in the final 27 run margin. However, despite the final score of the game, Littleton was credited with the save as he met all four criteria: 1) he was the finishing pitcher in the game that the Rangers won, 2) he was not the winning pitcher (the Rangers were leading when he entered the game), 3) he was credited with at least 1/3rd of an inning pitched, and 4) he pitched at least three innings (the 7th, 8th, and 9th).

Leaders in Major League Baseball

Saves

(Bold denotes active players.)

(The statistic was formally introduced in 1969,^[1] although research has identified saves earned prior to that point.)

300-career-saves club

Listed are all Major League Baseball players with at least 300 career saves. Saves recorded in the current season are noted in parentheses for active players. Through September 4, 2010

^L denotes left-handed pitcher.
^H denotes membership in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Most in a single season

^L denotes left-handed pitcher.

Most consecutive

All streaks achieved over the course of two or more seasons.

1. Éric Gagné, Los Angeles Dodgers (2002–2004) – 84
2. Tom Gordon, Boston Red Sox (1998–1999) – 54 (counting regular season saves only)/43 (counting a streak-ending blown save during the 1998 postseason)
3. Brad Lidge, Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies (2007–2009) – 47 (counting regular season saves only)/54 (counting seven postseason saves recorded in 2008)
4. Rod Beck, San Francisco Giants (1992–1995) – 41
5. Trevor Hoffman, San Diego Padres (1997–1998) – 41
6. Dennis Eckersley, Oakland Athletics (1991–1992) – 40

Blown saves

Career

As of August 9, 2006:

1. Rich "Goose" Gossage – 112
2. Rollie Fingers – 109
3. Jeff Reardon – 106
4. Lee Smith – 103
5. Bruce Sutter – 101
6. John Franco^L – 100
7. Sparky Lyle^L – 86
8. Gene Garber – 82
9. Kent Tekulve – 81
10. Gary Lavelle^L – 80

^L denotes left-handed pitcher.

Single season

1. Rollie Fingers, Oakland Athletics (1976) – 14
2. Bruce Sutter, Chicago Cubs (1978) – 14
3. Bob Stanley, Boston Red Sox (1983) – 14
4. Ron Davis, Minnesota Twins (1984) – 14
5. John Hiller^L, Detroit Tigers (1976) – 13
6. Rich "Goose" Gossage, New York Yankees (1983) – 13
7. Jeff Reardon, Montréal Expos (1986) – 13
8. Dan Plesac^L, Milwaukee Brewers (1987) – 13
9. Dave Righetti^L, New York Yankees (1987) – 13

^L denotes left-handed pitcher.

Value

During the 2008 baseball season Francisco Rodriguez of the Los Angeles Angels pursued the single-season saves record, inventor of the save statistic Jerome Holtzman died, and discussion erupted about the value of the save as a statistic. According to statistical measures other than saves, 2008 is not Rodriguez's best single season, and he is not the best relief pitcher in 2008—even on his own team. Instead, he has pitched for a team that provides many save opportunities, and is used almost exclusively in save situations.^[3]

Furthermore, the use of the save statistic has changed the way people perceive the role of a reliever, and some believe this change has been for the worse. ^[4] ESPN.com columnist Jim Caple has even argued that the save statistic has turned the closer position into "the most overrated position in sports". ^[5] Caple and others contend that using one's best reliever in situations such as a three run lead in the ninth—when a team will almost certainly win even with a lesser pitcher—is foolish, and that using a closer in the traditional "fireman" role exemplified by pitchers such as Goose Gossage is far wiser. (A "fireman" situation is men on base in a tied or close game, hence a reliever ending such a threat is "putting out the fire.") Another example of this model being used was Keith Foulke in the 2004 ALCS, who mainly served in his team's most important innings rather than save situations. Managers may be afraid of trying such moves due to them occasionally backfiring and leading to criticism. Closers themselves are also reluctant to enter games in non-save spots because of the huge monetary value of saves in the free agent market. Baseball analyst Jeff Passan argues that relievers "are bred to believe the bullpen is a class system, from mop-up guy to long man to lefty specialist to set-up man to closer."^[6]

See also

• Baseball statistics
• List of Major League Baseball all-time saves leaders
• List of Major League Baseball saves champions

References

External links

• From 1957 to 2007, Saves without a batter faced