Baseball's 'SAVE' statistic ....?

Question

It's a joke! A player can enter a game, top of the ninth with his team ahead by a score of 4-1, and complete the inning, and get credit for a save! .....what did he save??? It was a game clearly in hand. I've even seen a pitcher in such a situation give up a run or two and still be credited for a save! .....

Francisco Rodriguez of the Angels is about to shatter the save record this year.....A save should only be credited, if a pitcher enters a game with the tying or winning run on the base paths or at the plate. The alternate way to get credit, would be for a pitcher to complete, effectively, pitching the last 3 innings of a game!

Answer 1

That's the way the rule was written.  Bobby Thigpen, who has the current save record, probably got a lot of his saves the same way.  And not all of Francisco Rodriguez's saves have been 3 run games.

The do keep track of "tough saves" which is when the potential tying run is on base when the reliever comes in.  This is just one of a few criteria in determining the Rolaids Relief Man Award.

Answer 2

for it to be a save, the pitcher has to pitch enough of the game that he would have to face the tying run. if the team is up 4-1, to get the save, he has to face 3 batters. and, he can't come in with a 5-1 lead and give up a run so that he then faces the tying batter. that limits when a pitcher can get the save, but the truth is, a pitcher can get a 1 or even a no pitch save, but that pitcher has to be ready to come in and enter a pressure situation and succeed day in, day out. a starter can pitch 4.5 innings, and leave losing 10-0 and have his team score 11 runs in the bottom of the 5th and get the win when the reliever then pitches 4 more innings. does that make more sense?