# Question about Baseball, pitchers and when (or if) a game can be called **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 24, 2010, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-baseball-pitchers-and-when-or-if-a-game-can-be-called/540571 "2010-05-24T14:51:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Livardo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/43a26b/32.png) [@Livardo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Livardo)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-baseball-pitchers-and-when-or-if-a-game-can-be-called/540571/1 "2010-05-24T14:51:16Z")
Say it’s the 7th inning and your team, the KC Royals has suddently gone into a nosedive with the pitching. Your starting pitcher has blown a 5 run lead and his arm is now useless. So you bring in the next stiff up to the mound and he throws his arm out. Every members of your pitching staff either injures himself or is pulled due to awful performance. So the score is now 35 - 5 and you’re still in the 7th inning. You have no more pitchers left. What happens? Do you go to your regular line up? Are you able to throw in the towel at all? ---
**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:** [May 24, 2010, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-baseball-pitchers-and-when-or-if-a-game-can-be-called/540571/2 "2010-05-24T14:56:20Z")
In this case, I’d think the Royals would have to tell the ump they can’t put 9 players on the field. Rule 4.17: A game shall be forfeited to the opposing team when a team is unable or refuses to place nine players on the field. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-baseball-pitchers-and-when-or-if-a-game-can-be-called/540571/3 "2010-05-24T14:58:09Z")
Yes, a team can forfeit. **Rule 4.17** A game shall be forfeited to the opposing team when a team is unable or refuses to place nine players on the field. ---
**Author:** ![Livardo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/43a26b/32.png) [@Livardo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Livardo)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-baseball-pitchers-and-when-or-if-a-game-can-be-called/540571/4 "2010-05-24T15:02:34Z")
Bonus question: How many times has this happend, if ever? ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-baseball-pitchers-and-when-or-if-a-game-can-be-called/540571/5 "2010-05-24T15:07:13Z")
> [@Livardo](#): > > Bonus question: How many times has this happend, if ever? Never. > **[Forfeits](https://www.retrosheet.org/forfeits.htm)** ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-baseball-pitchers-and-when-or-if-a-game-can-be-called/540571/6 "2010-05-24T15:09:30Z")
Well, forfeits are possible, but awfully rare in modern Major League Baseball, and unprecedented for _this_ reason. Pitching appearances by non-pitchers are in fact much more common. [Just last month](http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100417&content_id=9384828&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb), > [@Matthew Leach / MLB.com](#): > > The Cardinals used all seven of their relief pitchers in the first 17 innings of Saturday’s 2-1 loss against the Mets, so utility man Lopez came in to pitch the 18th. And then Mather, something of a Swiss Army Knife type of player himself, pitched the 19th – switching places with Lopez, who took Mather’s previous spot at third base. > > Lopez said he hadn’t pitched in a game since Little League. For Mather, it was high school – but still plenty long enough. See the box score from this crazy game [here](http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2010_04_17_nynmlb_slnmlb_1&mode=wrap). ---
**Author:** ![sugar\_and\_spice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e8c25b/32.png) [@sugar\_and\_spice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sugar_and_spice)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-baseball-pitchers-and-when-or-if-a-game-can-be-called/540571/7 "2010-05-24T15:19:43Z")
_wrong account_ ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-baseball-pitchers-and-when-or-if-a-game-can-be-called/540571/8 "2010-05-24T15:21:57Z")
> [@Livardo](#): > > Bonus question: How many times has this happend, if ever? Do you mean running out of pitchers or not enough players to field a team or just forfeits in general? At any rate, [here’s a list of all the forfeits recorded in baseball since 1871.](http://www.retrosheet.org/forfeits.htm) There are a few with teams not showing up or leaving early. There’s one (8/1/1883, Boston at Cleveland) with the pitcher being worn down and replaced by another pitcher, who was not on the grounds when the game started, so they forfeited. Nothing _exactly_ like the OP, though. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-baseball-pitchers-and-when-or-if-a-game-can-be-called/540571/9 "2010-05-24T15:23:45Z")
> [@spark240](#): > > Well, forfeits are possible, but awfully rare in modern Major League Baseball, and unprecedented for _this_ reason. Pitching appearances by non-pitchers are in fact much more common. [Just last month](http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100417&content_id=9384828&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb), It should be noted that after he pitched, Lopez wound up on the Disabled List for 15 days with a [strained elbow](http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/yb/144217838), which is why you don’t see this done more often than it is. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-baseball-pitchers-and-when-or-if-a-game-can-be-called/540571/10 "2010-05-24T15:24:02Z")
Many teams will have an “everyday player” (i.e., a non-pitcher) who is reasonable enough at pitching that they can put him in there to finish up pitching in a blowout, just so that they don’t completely blow up their bullpen in a hopeless game. That’s how you see the Doug Dascenzos of the world getting a few innings as pitchers. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-baseball-pitchers-and-when-or-if-a-game-can-be-called/540571/11 "2010-05-24T15:26:42Z")
One of baseball’s unwritten rules is that in a blowout situation the team that is ahead will ease up a little. When a position player is pitching, the opposing players will still try to get hits but they won’t do things like steal bases and foul off lots of pitches. ---
**Author:** ![Ace309](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ace309/32/1050_2.png) [@Ace309](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ace309)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-baseball-pitchers-and-when-or-if-a-game-can-be-called/540571/12 "2010-05-24T15:26:44Z")
> [@spark240](#): > > Well, forfeits are possible, but awfully rare in modern Major League Baseball, and unprecedented for _this_ reason. Pitching appearances by non-pitchers are in fact much more common. [Just last month](http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100417&content_id=9384828&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb), > > See the box score from this crazy game [here](http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2010_04_17_nynmlb_slnmlb_1&mode=wrap). The funny thing was how horrible Lopez was and how competent Mather was. Usually teams have their emergency relievers picked out well ahead of time. Nick Swisher was quite good last season for the Yankees, and of course Wade Boggs was an excellent knuckleballer, but Lopez couldn’t get his rainbow anywhere near the plate most of the time. ---
**Author:** ![Livardo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/43a26b/32.png) [@Livardo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Livardo)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-baseball-pitchers-and-when-or-if-a-game-can-be-called/540571/13 "2010-05-24T15:30:59Z")
I’m also reminded about the time Jose Canseco pitched. Was that because they ran out of pitchers as well or was he given a chance to fulfill a wish of his? ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-baseball-pitchers-and-when-or-if-a-game-can-be-called/540571/14 "2010-05-24T15:37:56Z")
There was also the [2002 All-Star Game](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2002_Major_League_Baseball_All-Star_Game), which was called after 11 innings with the score tied because both teams had used all their pitchers. Of course, the All-Star Game is an exhibition that doesn’t count in the standings. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-baseball-pitchers-and-when-or-if-a-game-can-be-called/540571/15 "2010-05-24T15:38:02Z")
> [@Livardo](#): > > I’m also reminded about the time Jose Canseco pitched. Was that because they ran out of pitchers as well or was he given a chance to fulfill a wish of his? Wish fulfillment. He also blew out his elbow after pitching. ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-baseball-pitchers-and-when-or-if-a-game-can-be-called/540571/16 "2010-05-24T15:48:56Z")
> [@spark240](#): > > Well, forfeits are possible, but awfully rare in modern Major League Baseball, and unprecedented for _this_ reason. Pitching appearances by non-pitchers are in fact much more common. [Just last month](http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100417&content_id=9384828&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb), > > See the box score from this crazy game [here](http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2010_04_17_nynmlb_slnmlb_1&mode=wrap). Another odd tidbit; the game ended with Kyle Lohse, a pitcher, playing left field. > [@Ace309](#): > > The funny thing was how horrible Lopez was and how competent Mather was. Usually teams have their emergency relievers picked out well ahead of time. Nick Swisher was quite good last season for the Yankees, and of course Wade Boggs was an excellent knuckleballer, but Lopez couldn’t get his rainbow anywhere near the plate most of the time. I think you’ve got that backwards. Lopez pitched a scoreless inning, while Mather gave up the game’s only runs (for the Mets; the Cards also had one). I was at the game (all 20 innings), and believe me, Mather had no control at all. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-baseball-pitchers-and-when-or-if-a-game-can-be-called/540571/17 "2010-05-24T16:31:08Z")
> [@fachverwirrt](#): > > I think you’ve got that backwards. Lopez pitched a scoreless inning, while Mather gave up the game’s only runs (for the Mets; the Cards also had one). Yeah, I was wondering why **Ace** said that. The reason Lopez didn’t pitch another inning was because his elbow was bothering him (IIRC it wasn’t quite right even before the game, but he hadn’t told anybody that there was anything wrong before he was called on to pitch that one inning), not because he wasn’t effective. > [@](#): > > I was at the game (all 20 innings) Sir, I salute you. ---
**Author:** ![Jayrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Jayrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayrot)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-baseball-pitchers-and-when-or-if-a-game-can-be-called/540571/18 "2010-05-24T16:32:33Z")
[Youtube – Outfielders pitching in blowout games](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPIlfiVZMbI) ---
**Author:** ![Ace309](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ace309/32/1050_2.png) [@Ace309](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ace309)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-baseball-pitchers-and-when-or-if-a-game-can-be-called/540571/19 "2010-05-24T18:39:41Z")
> [@fachverwirrt](#): > > I think you’ve got that backwards. Lopez pitched a scoreless inning, while Mather gave up the game’s only runs (for the Mets; the Cards also had one). > > I was at the game (all 20 innings), and believe me, Mather had no control at all. Yep, you’re right. Sorry about that! ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-baseball-pitchers-and-when-or-if-a-game-can-be-called/540571/20 "2010-05-24T21:04:46Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Sir, I salute you. I was rather surprised that my wife agreed to stick it out, especially after she told me she was starving in the 11th (concessions do not remain open in extra inning games). When I offered to leave after the 15th, she shrugged and said “we’ve made it this long, why not stay?” We probably would have left after the 20th. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-baseball-pitchers-and-when-or-if-a-game-can-be-called/540571.md?page=2)