What Does Clinch Mean In Baseball?
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If you’re a baseball fan, you’ve probably heard the term “clinch” used a lot. But what does it actually mean?
In baseball, “clinching” refers to the act of securing a playoff spot or winning a division or league title. A team can clinch a spot in the playoffs by having the best record in their division or by being one of the two teams with the best record in their league.
So, when a team is said to
The Clinch
In baseball, to “clinch” means to win a division, pennant, or wild card berth. A team secures a playoff spot when it cannot be mathematically eliminated from contention. When a team clinches a division or league championship, it has also clinched a playoff berth.
What is the clinch?
In baseball, the clinch is when a team secures a berth in the playoffs. A team can clinch a spot in the playoffs by winning their division or by having the best record in their league (or, in the case of the Wild Card teams, by having one of the two best records in their league). When a team clinches, they are said to have “clinched a playoff berth.”
The term “clinch” is also used to describe when a team secures the best record in their league and is thus guaranteed to host playoff games. In this case, the team is said to have “clinched home-field advantage.”
Clinching a playoff spot can happen very late in the season; as late as the final game of the season. So, even though a team may have clinched a spot, they may still be playing for home-field advantage or for seeding (the position they will occupy in the playoff bracket).
When is the clinch used?
The word “clinch” can be used as a verb or a noun, and it has a few different meanings in baseball. As a verb, it generally means to secure a win or a berth in the playoffs. For example, if a team is leading by six runs in the bottom of the ninth inning, the game would be considered “clinched” at that point, because the losing team could not possibly come back to win.
As a noun, “clinch” can refer to either the act of securing a win or playoff berth, or to the division or league title that results from such an act. So, if a team clinchs a playoff berth, they have qualified for the playoffs; if they clinch a division title, they have become the champions of their division.
What is the difference between the clinch and the save?
In baseball, the term “clinch” refers to a team securing a playoff berth. A team clinches a playoff berth by either winning its division or securing one of the league’s Wild Card spots.
The term “save” is also used in baseball, but it has a different meaning. A save is earned by a relief pitcher who completes the game without allowing the tying run to score.
The Save
In baseball, the save is credited to a relief pitcher who finishes a game for the winning team under certain prescribed circumstances. The number of saves, or percentage of save opportunities converted, is a statistic which measures the effectiveness of relief pitchers. A pitcher earns a save by finishing a game for the winning team while meeting any one of the following three conditions: he enters the game with his team leading by three or fewer runs and pitches for at least one inning, or he enters the game with the tying run either on base, at bat, or on deck, or he pitches three or more innings regardless of the score. The statistic is created to measure the effectiveness of relief pitchers and is a record-keeping tool more than anything else.
What is the save?
In baseball, the statistical save is awarded to a relief pitcher who finishes a game for the winning team while preserving a lead. The save has been an official Major League Baseball (MLB) statistic since 1969. A pitcher earns a save by entering in the ninth inning of a game in which his team is winning by three or fewer runs and finishing the game by pitching one inning without giving up the lead. Downloadable MLB scorebooks list saves under a heading labeled as “SV”, “saves”, or “save”.
Assuming that there are three outs remaining when the pitcher enters the game, he must retain his team’s lead until all three outs are recorded. If the tying run is on base when he enters, he cannot allow that runner to score. If the tying run is scoring when he enters, he cannot allow the inherited runner from scoring as well. In short, as long as there are three outs remaining and his team maintains its lead, he will earn a save.
When is the save used?
The save (abbreviated SV or S) is awarded to a relief pitcher who finishes a game for the winning team under certain prescribed circumstances. The number of saves, or percentage of save opportunities converted, is an oft-cited statistic of relief pitchers.
The save became an official Major League Baseball (MLB) statistic in 1969. The rule awarding the save was first proposed by Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Lindy McDaniel during the 1960 Winter Meetings. It was adopted as official MLB policy later that year. Orioles closer Hoyt Wilhelm was the first pitcher to record a save on Opening Day 1969.
What is the difference between the save and the clinch?
In baseball, the statistical save (abbreviated SV or R) is the final out recorded by a pitcher who finishes the game for his team in a save situation. A pitcher earns a save by entering the game with his team leading by no more than three runs, pitching for at least one inning, and finishing the game with his team winning. Finding ways to get crucial outs late in the game has always been an important part of a pitcher’s repertoire, but it wasn’t until 1969 that Major League Baseball (MLB) formally recognized saves as an official statistic.
The concept of the save is credited to Jerome Holtzman, a Chicago sportswriter who proposed it as a way to measure the effectiveness of relief pitchers. Holtzman wrote MLB’s first rulebook on saves in 1970, and the statistic has been official ever since. In order to earn a save, a relief pitcher must meet all of the following criteria:
The save opportunity must arise during a game in which his team is winning by no more than three runs.
The reliever must enter the game with no one on base and at least two innings remaining.
The reliever cannot be asked to protect that lead for more than three innings.
The reliever must finish the game without giving up the lead.
Pitchers can also earn what’s called a “clinch,” which is when they preserve their team’s lead and help them win the game. A reliever earns a clinch when he:
-Enters the game with his team leading by four or more runs and pitches for at least one inning.
-Pitches less than two innings and doesn’t surrender the lead.
-Hits or walks someone with the bases loaded when his team is ahead by three or fewer runs (this is called an “inherited runner save”).