# Oddball baseball rules **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [August 11, 2010, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oddball-baseball-rules/549907 "2010-08-11T03:13:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2010, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oddball-baseball-rules/549907/61 "2010-08-13T17:11:26Z")
That’s gotta be it, Wheelz. I like the strike-shortened season solution, but that’s much better. And yeah - the Wild Card now negates that. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Presidente](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c2a13f/32.png) [@El\_Presidente](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Presidente)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oddball-baseball-rules/549907/62 "2010-08-14T04:31:49Z")
> [@fachverwirrt](#): > > > [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > > > I don’t see how that guy would get the win if he only got one out. The scorer would give it to another reliever. The only exception I could see would be if it was the last out of the top of the 9th and then his team came back to win it. Even then, though, it’d probably go to the guy that pitched the first 2 outs of the 9th: > > > > A one-out showing is definitely a “brief and inneffective” appearance. > > I disagree. That comment refers to two rules. Rule 10.17(b) refers to a situation where the starter has pitched less than five innings, and is therefore ineligible for the win. That’s a fairly rare situation, and not, I think, what we’re talking about. > > I think you’re mis-parsing the comment on 10.17(c). It says “The official scorer generally should, but is not required to, consider the appearance of a relief pitcher to be ineffective and brief if such relief pitcher pitches less than one inning **and** allows two or more earned runs to score…” It’s not “pitches less than one inning **or** allows two or more runs to score”. That’s a pretty specific criterion. Note that it also gives the scorer discretion in the case anyway. Since this whole discussion centers around esoteric and often implausible “possibilities” I think that discretion renders it moot anyway. > > > [@El\_Presidente](#): > > > > Good then that proves my point. > > No it doesn’t. In your scenario, Oakland no longer has the most wins in the regular season; Kansas City does. Ah I see what you are saying. Good point. But wouldnt it be kind of lame for the guy to be referring to just one strike season, or lower level minor league baseball as an example of a team winning the most games in a season but missing the playoffs? ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oddball-baseball-rules/549907/63 "2010-08-14T17:43:54Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > > [@mattomic](#): > > > > 1. Most games don’t go 9 innings (?!) > > This is obviously a nitpick, bar bet question. Most games don’t go EXACTLY nine innings. > > 1. Home team ahead after the top of the ninth. I’ll reiterate my belief that a game which ends at the conclusion of regulation play, after the visitor ups in the ninth, _has gone exactly nine innings_. With the home team ahead, the _ninth inning is complete_ after the visitors’ turn. If the outcome is _certain_, nothing else can be required to “complete” it. > [@El\_Presidente](#): > > But wouldnt it be kind of lame for the guy to be referring to just one strike season, or lower level minor league baseball as an example of a team winning the most games in a season but missing the playoffs? Well, the whole exercise (of the original presentation) might be seen as lame, since its apparent purpose is to make baseball appear stranger than it really is–to make people not versed in details of minor rules and unusual circumstances feel alienated. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oddball-baseball-rules/549907/64 "2010-08-14T20:11:34Z")
> [@spark240](#): > > I’ll reiterate my belief that a game which ends at the conclusion of regulation play, after the visitor ups in the ninth, _has gone exactly nine innings_. With the home team ahead, the _ninth inning is complete_ after the visitors’ turn. > > If the outcome is _certain_, nothing else can be required to “complete” it. By that reasoning, a four-game sweep in the World Series would count as seven games. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oddball-baseball-rules/549907/65 "2010-08-14T20:14:40Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > By that reasoning, a four-game sweep in the World Series would count as seven games. :dubious: No, but it does count as a complete World Series. It’s not “less,” in its internal logic, than a seven-game Series. ---
**Author:** ![Bernieyeball](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c89c15/32.png) [@Bernieyeball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bernieyeball)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2010, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oddball-baseball-rules/549907/66 "2010-08-15T04:03:41Z")
#10. Most games don’t go 9 innings!?! That’s right. Most games stop at 9 innings! ---
**Author:** ![Tanbarkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a698b9/32.png) [@Tanbarkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tanbarkie)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2010, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oddball-baseball-rules/549907/67 "2010-08-15T05:07:13Z")
> [@spark240](#): > > > [@Colibri](#): > > > > By that reasoning, a four-game sweep in the World Series would count as seven games. :dubious: > > No, but it does count as a complete World Series. It’s not “less,” in its internal logic, than a seven-game Series. But by _that_ reasoning, playing 8.5 innings would count only as a “complete game” in its own internal logic. Which, of course, it actually does. But just as sweeping the World Series doesn’t mean you won seven games, winning in 8.5 innings doesn’t mean you completed 9.0 innings. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oddball-baseball-rules/549907.md?page=3)