Relief Pitching Rules

[Marky Mark]

Is there a rule in baseball, that a relief pitcher must face at least one batter before another reliever enters the game?

[knightni]

Is there a rule in baseball, that a relief pitcher must face at least one batter before another reliever enters the game?

I don't believe so.

 

If the pitcher comes into the game, then picks off the guy at first, ending the inning, he never faced a batter, yet can be replaced. I assume that if Randy Williams came in to face a lefty in the 7th and they pinch hit for the lefty, Guillen could go get him and bring in another reliever.

 

 

[Marky Mark]

I don't believe so.

 

If the pitcher comes into the game, then picks off the guy at first, ending the inning, he never faced a batter, yet can be replaced. I assume that if Randy Williams came in to face a lefty in the 7th and they pinch hit for the lefty, Guillen could go get him and bring in another reliever.

 

 

If this was possible, then in situations when you needed a certain reliever to come in but wasn't ready yet, lets say Thornton in a crucial lefty situation, couldn't you have Omar Vizquel come in to the game as a pitcher, take his warm up tosses, check the runner at first a couple times (providing Thornton with an extra 4 minutes of warmups) , then take him out for Thornton?

[knightni]

I'd assume that at least one pitch or out would have to be recorded.

 

This sounds like something that you should email the people at the baseball-reference.com blog about.