What does the H stand for in relation to relief pitchers?
Hold?
How are they awarded?
A Hold is credited any time a relief pitcher enters a game in a Save Situation, records at least one out, and leaves the game never having relinquished the lead.
Note: a pitcher cannot finish the game and receive credit for a Hold, nor can he earn a hold and a save.
Check the link if you would like more details regarding what constitutes a save situation.
H stands for a hold. A hold is awarded when a reliever enters a game in a “save situation”, is not eligible to be the winning pitcher, succeeds in holding on to the lead, but does not finish the game.
A pitcher is considered to have entered in a save situation when his team has a lead of 3 runs or less, or when the opposing team has the winning run at the plate or on deck.
For example, let’s say the Braves are leading the Padres 5-3. Bobby Cox pinch hits for starting pitcher John Burkett in the bottom of the sixth, requiring a pitching change. Jose Cabrera comes in to pitch in the top of the seventh, and pitches through the seventh and eighth without giving up any runs. The Braves also fail to score. Steve Karsay comes in to pitch in the ninth, and retires the side in order. Karsay is awarded a save, since he finished the game, entering with a lead of three runs or less. Cabrera is awarded a hold.
It’s a pretty meaningless stat, but it’s an attempt to provide some statistical recognition for setup men who do their job in preventing the other team from taking the lead, but don’t finish the game and thus can’t get the save.
(FWIW, a save is also awarded when a pitcher completes three or more innings, pitches “effectively” in the opinion of the official scorer, and completes the game, even if his team’s lead was greater than three runs when he entered the game. I don’t think a hold is awarded when a pitcher completes three innings without surrendering the lead but doesn’t finish the game, for example coming in at the beginning of the sixth with a five run lead and pitching the sixth, seventh, and eighth, giving way to a closer in the ninth, but I’m not sure about that).