A hold (abbreviated HLD, H or HD) is awarded to a relief pitcher who:
1) enters the game in a save situation; (that is, when all of the following three conditions apply: (a) He appears in relief (i.e., is not the starting pitcher); and (b) He is not the winning pitcher; and (c) He qualifies under one of the following conditions: (i) He enters the game with a lead of no more than three runs and pitches for at least one inning; or (ii) He enters the game, regardless of the count, with the potential tying run either on base, or at bat, or on deck; or (iii) He pitches effectively for at least three innings.), AND;
2) Records at least one out, AND;
3) Leaves the game before it has ended without his team having relinquished the lead at any point and does not record a save.
Note that since the hold is not an official Major League Baseball statistic, the definition above can vary. One noticeable difference is that while STATS, Inc. requires the pitcher to record at least one out for a hold, SportsTicker does not have this requirement. This can result in discrepancies in hold totals between different sources.[1]
Description
A hold should not be confused with its more famous cousin, the save, even though technically all pitchers who earn holds have (by definition) entered the game with an opportunity to save the game.
Holds are widely considered to be a problematic statistic, as a player can receive a hold for even a relatively ineffective performance. For instance, if a player enters with a 1-run lead, records one out, loads the bases, and is pulled, that player would still be credited with a hold. In fact, it is even possible for a player to receive a hold and a loss in the same game (in the preceding example, if the next pitcher then gave up a home run, the original pitcher would take the loss, as he was responsible for the runners on base). Using the SportsTicker definition makes it even worse -- for instance, a pitcher can come in with a 2-run lead, give up a home run to the only batter he faces, leave, and still be credited with a hold.
Unlike saves, wins, and losses, more than one pitcher per team can earn a hold for a game, though it is not possible for a pitcher to receive more than one hold in a given game. A pitcher can receive a hold by protecting a lead even if that lead is lost by a later pitcher after his exit.
The hold was invented in 1986 by John Dewan and Mike O'Donnell to give a statistical measure of the effectiveness of the vast majority of relief pitchers who are afforded few opportunities to close a game. While middle relievers earn their share, holds are most often credited to setup pitchers.
While holds are not an official MLB statistic, they are increasingly visible in many box scores, including MLB.com[2]. Many fantasy baseball providers also include holds as an optional category which can be included in customized leagues.
See also
References
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