Wild pitch

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A wild pitch goes past the catcher. Wild pitch (9331552726).jpg
A wild pitch goes past the catcher.

In baseball, a wild pitch (WP) is charged against a pitcher when his pitch is too high, too short, or too wide of home plate for the catcher to control with ordinary effort, thereby allowing a baserunner, or the batter (on an uncaught third strike), to advance. [1]

Contents

A wild pitch usually passes the catcher behind home plate, often allowing runners on base an easy chance to advance while the catcher chases the ball down. Sometimes the catcher may block a pitch, and the ball may be nearby, but the catcher has trouble finding the ball, allowing runners to advance.

A closely related statistic is the passed ball. As with many baseball statistics, whether a pitch that gets away from a catcher is counted as a wild pitch or a passed ball is at the discretion of the official scorer. The benefit of the doubt is usually given to the catcher if there is uncertainty; therefore, most of these situations are scored as wild pitches. If the pitch was so low as to touch the ground, or so high that the catcher has to jump to get to it, or so wide that the catcher has to lunge for it, it is usually ruled a wild pitch and not a passed ball. [1] Because the pitcher and catcher handle the ball much more than other fielders, certain misplays on pitched balls are defined in Rule 10.13 as wild pitches and passed balls. No error shall be charged when a wild pitch or passed ball is scored.

A wild pitch may only be scored if one or more runners advance. If the bases are empty, or if the catcher retrieves the ball quickly and no runner is able to advance, a wild pitch is not charged. A run scored on a wild pitch is recorded as an earned run. A runner who advances on a wild pitch is not credited with a stolen base unless he breaks before the pitcher begins his delivery.

Records

Bill Stemmyer threw a National League record 63 wild pitches in one season. Cannon Ball Stemmeyer.jpg
Bill Stemmyer threw a National League record 63 wild pitches in one season.

Nolan Ryan is the modern-era leader in the wild pitches, throwing 277 over his 27 years in Major League Baseball (MLB). [2] He also led his league in the category in six different seasons. [3] However, the all-time record belongs to Tony Mullane, who threw 343 in the early years of the game from 1881 to 1894. After Ryan's 277, the next pitcher on the list is Mickey Welch with 274, followed by Bobby Matthews, who threw 253. [2]

The single-season record for wild pitches is held by Mark Baldwin, who threw 83 in 1889 while pitching in the American Association. Second place on the season list is held jointly by Tony Mullane and Bill Stemmyer, who threw 63 wild pitches in 1884 and 1886, respectively. Since 1900, the highest total in a season has been 30, by Red Ames in 1905. [4]

The modern-era MLB record for wild pitches in a single game is six, shared by three pitchers: Bill Gullickson, Phil Niekro, and J. R. Richard. [5] The modern-era MLB record for wild pitches in a single inning during the regular season is four, shared by six pitchers: Walter Johnson, Kevin Gregg, R. A. Dickey, Phil Niekro, Ryan Madson, [5] and Brooks Kriske. [6] Bert Cunningham of the Players' League (considered a major league) threw five wild pitches in an inning in 1890. [5] On June 26, 2017, Adam Ottavino allowed five runs on four wild pitches, the most runs allowed on wild pitches in a single game in at least 50 years. [7]

As of July 2021, the active career leaders for wild pitches thrown in MLB are Trevor Cahill and Ervin Santana, with 100 each. [8]

Postseason

Rick Ankiel of the St. Louis Cardinals threw five wild pitches in the third inning of the first game of the 2000 National League Division Series against the Atlanta Braves. [9]

Only one World Series has ended on a wild pitch—the 1927 edition. [10] An errant delivery by Pittsburgh Pirates reliever Johnny Miljus in the ninth inning of Game 4 allowed Earle Combs of the New York Yankees to score the winning run. [11]

In the bottom of the 10th inning of Game 6 of the 1986 World Series, with the Boston Red Sox leading 5–4, the New York Mets had runners on first and third with two outs. Boston relief pitcher Bob Stanley threw a wild pitch which allowed Kevin Mitchell to score the tying run from third and Ray Knight to move from first to second base. With Knight in scoring position, he was able to score the winning run on first baseman Bill Buckner's now infamous error. [12]

Related Research Articles

In baseball, an earned run is any run that was fully enabled by the offensive team's production in the face of competent play from the defensive team. Conversely, an unearned run is a run that would not have been scored without the aid of an error or a passed ball committed by the defense.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stolen base</span> In baseball, when a runner advances one or more bases before the ball has been batted

In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a runner advances to a base unaided by other actions and the official scorer rules that the advance should be credited to the action of the runner. The umpires determine whether the runner is safe or out at the next base, but the official scorer rules on the question of credit or blame for the advance under Rule 10 of the MLB's Official Rules.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Passed ball</span> Baseball statistic

In baseball, a catcher is charged with a passed ball when he fails to hold or control a legally pitched ball that, with ordinary effort, should have been maintained under his control, and, as a result of this loss of control, the batter or a runner on base advances. A runner who advances due to a passed ball is not credited with a stolen base unless he breaks for the base before the pitcher begins his delivery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Knuckleball</span> Baseball pitch

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Strikeout</span> In baseball, a batter called out due to three strikes

In baseball or softball, a strikeout occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It usually means that the batter is out. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters, and is denoted by K in scorekeeping and statistics. A "strikeout looking"—in which the batter does not swing and the third strike is called by the umpire—is usually denoted by a ꓘ.

In baseball, a triple play is the act of making three outs during the same play. There have only been 735 triple plays in Major League Baseball (MLB) since 1876, an average of just over five per season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Error (baseball)</span> Baseball statistic

In baseball and softball statistics, an error is an act, in the judgment of the official scorer, of a fielder misplaying a ball in a manner that allows a batter or baserunner to advance one or more bases or allows a plate appearance to continue after the batter should have been put out. The term error is sometimes used to refer to the play during which an error was committed.

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In baseball, a no-hitter is a game in which a team was not able to record a hit. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in at least nine complete innings recorded no hits. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter". In most cases, no-hitters are recorded by a single pitcher who throws a complete game; one thrown by two or more pitchers is a combined no-hitter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Official scorer</span> Person who records the official record of events in a baseball game

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In baseball, an intentional base on balls, usually referred to as an intentional walk and denoted in baseball scorekeeping by IBB, is a walk issued to a batter by a pitcher with the intent of removing the batter's opportunity to swing at the pitched ball. A pitch that is intentionally thrown far outside the strike zone for this purpose is referred to as an intentional ball.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Balk</span> Illegal action in baseball

In baseball, a pitcher can commit a number of illegal motions or actions that constitute a balk. Most of these violations involve pitchers pretending to pitch when they have no intention of doing so. In games played under the Official Baseball Rules that govern professional play in the United States and Canada, a balk results in a dead ball or delayed dead ball. In certain other circumstances, a balk may be wholly or partially disregarded. Under other rule sets, notably in the United States under the National Federation of State High School Associations, a balk results in an immediate dead ball. In the event a balk is enforced, the pitch is generally nullified, each runner is awarded one base, and the batter (generally) remains at bat, and with the previous count. The balk rule in Major League Baseball was introduced in 1898.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 National League Championship Series</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Cone's perfect game</span> 1999 Major League Baseball game

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brooks Kriske</span> American baseball player (born 1994)

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References

  1. 1 2 "Wild Pitch (WP)". MLB.com . Archived from the original on 23 June 2021. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  2. 1 2 "Career Leaders & Records for Wild Pitches". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  3. ↑ "Nolan Ryan Stats". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  4. ↑ "Single-Season Leaders & Records for Wild Pitches". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  5. 1 2 3 "Wild Pitch Records". Baseball Almanac . Retrieved July 23, 2021.
  6. ↑ Goodman, Max (July 23, 2021). "Brooks Kriske's Disastrous Night Was Historically Wild". Sports Illustrated . Retrieved July 23, 2021– via MSN.com.
  7. ↑ Harding, Thomas (June 26, 2017). "Ottavino uncorks four wild pitches". MLB.com. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
  8. ↑ "Active Leaders & Records for Wild Pitches". Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved July 23, 2021.
  9. ↑ "Ankiel's five wild pitches". MLB.com. October 3, 2000. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
  10. ↑ "World Series Final Outs". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  11. ↑ "1927 World Series". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  12. ↑ Brown, Garry (30 October 2016). "Don't judge Bill Buckner so harshly for '86 World Series". Mass Live. Archived from the original on 25 July 2021. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
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