How to Determine When a Baseball Pitcher Records a Hold

The Hold is a relatively nuanced baseball statistic that is determined differently by different baseball statistical services. It is commonly thought to have entered the baseball lexicon in 1986, and is one of many ways to determine the effectiveness of a middle-relief pitcher.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Baseball game

1. Know that the most common definition of a Hold is: A pitcher earns a hold when he enters the game in a "save-situation," records at least one out, and does not relinquish the lead. (A save situation occurs when a pitcher enters the game with his team leading by less than three runs, or with the tying run on-base, at-bat or on-deck.)

2. Consider a second (and newer) definition of a Hold, the pitcher does not have to record an out, but must leave the game with the save situation intact. Thus a pitcher could enter a game, with a two-run lead, walk one batter, get pulled and still be credited with a Hold.

3. Know that in either case, the pitcher must not finish the game.

4. Know that in either case, though more often in the first example, a player can earn both a Hold and a Win, if the starting pitcher failed to go 5 innings and the game's scorekeeper determined this pitcher to have been the most effective. Unlike the Save and the Win, multiple Holds can be earned by one team during a specific game.