RealGM

I just started watching baseball games and reading boxscores and I have been wondering why a team doesn't start its best pitcher every game or for most games. I saw a great pitcher like C C Sabathia starting for only a dozen games or so so far this season where the yankees have played over 100 games. I am a basketball fan and in basketball the starters, usually the best players on the team, start every game unless there are injuries. Can somebody please explain to me why a team needs so many pitchers and how which pitcher starts or not for a game is determined?

starters pitch every 5 days in general....no pitcher can pitch in every game, or else their arm will get hurt real fast

Unless someone can reincarnate Wilbur Wood.....who started every 3 games for a while.

Thanks guys. I just got another question on pitching. I was reading the recap of a game and it says
"he has compiled a 6-0 record and a 2.17 ERA in nine starts." and "The right-hander is now 4-0 with a 1.19 ERA in six career appearances against the Royals"
The records don't equate the number of starts, what's going on here? How are these stats made?

A pitcher sometimes gets a NO DECISION when he pitches, which is why they aren't always credited with a win or a loss.

For instance; If a pitcher leaves the game after 5 innings and the game is tied, he gets a no decision. It doesn't affect his record.

Or, if a pitcher leaves the game with his own team losing and they come back to tie the game, he also gets a no decision. Same thing if the pitcher leaves with his own team winning and the other club comes back to tie the game (or take the lead).

It all depends on what happens when the pitcher leaves and after the inning is over. Also, if a starter leaves the game before the 5th inning, he cannot recieve a win, but he can still get a loss if his team is losing.

Bay_Areas_Finest wrote:It all depends on what happens when the pitcher leaves and after the inning is over. Also, if a starter leaves the game before the 5th inning, he cannot recieve a win, but he can still get a loss if his team is losing.

I wasn't aware of that last bit. Does the pitcher who pitches across the 5th get the win then? (assuming they were leading before the starting pitcher left)

Hypothetical:

Top of the fourth, home team is up 5-1. The starting pitcher takes a comebacker to the shin, is out for the rest of the game. Reliver comes in to finish up the fourth and pitch the fifth.. game eventually ends 5-3.

Does the reliever get the win, or is it a no-win situation?

This is why it is amazing when a pitcher reaches 20 wins in a season. You figure that is 100 games for the season right there, meaning he is bringing his best stuff every single game he pitches in.

Parataxis wrote:Hypothetical:

Top of the fourth, home team is up 5-1. The starting pitcher takes a comebacker to the shin, is out for the rest of the game. Reliver comes in to finish up the fourth and pitch the fifth.. game eventually ends 5-3.

Does the reliever get the win, or is it a no-win situation?

That first reliever who came in after the starter would get the win. Once it gets into the bullpen, there isn't an innings limit required to reach before you can get a decision.

Well let's say a team has a good starting pitcher. Why doesn't he start every game? Same for closing pitchers. If one guy does the job, why doesn't he close every game instead of rotating?

Huuminh wrote:Well let's say a team has a good starting pitcher. Why doesn't he start every game? Same for closing pitchers. If one guy does the job, why doesn't he close every game instead of rotating?

I don't know if you guys are putting us on or what, but in case you genuinely don't know and want to...

Throwing a baseball at 90mph 100 times in a row leaves a pitcher's arm feeling like angry jello. It takes a 3-4 days to recuperate enough to do it again.

Closers who pitch only 10-20 pitches a night can go back-to-back and sometimes 3-4 games in a row, but a) this takes a toll too and b) they only come in in specific situations and those situations don't happen every game, so usually they only pitch every couple nights on average. Also, some pitchers pitch left-handed and some right, and some do better against some hitters, and for these and many other reasons managers choose different guys for different situations.

Bay_Areas_Finest wrote:It all depends on what happens when the pitcher leaves and after the inning is over. Also, if a starter leaves the game before the 5th inning, he cannot recieve a win, but he can still get a loss if his team is losing.

Technically, he can receive a win if departing before the fifth inning while leading; it's a decision left to the official scorer. The general convention is to give it to whoever finished out the 5th (assuming that the lead doesn't change hands), but they could award it to the starter if they so chose.