Quiz – Division Champion Relievers (stumped)

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All of these pitchers played for a division champion. But, they also did something else to distinguish themselves from all other relief pitchers since divisional play began in 1969. What is this unusual pitching accomplishment?

The pitchers are:

  1. Wade Davis,
  2. Santiago Casilla,
  3. Zach Britton,
  4. Koji Uehara,
  5. Joaquin Benoit,
  6. Rafael Betancourt,
  7. Cla Meredith,
  8. Michael Jackson,
  9. Dennis Eckersley, and
  10. Dick Hall.

Click MORE for links to these players’ Baseball-Reference pages.

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 3/15/2016.

The solution to the quiz is that these are the only relief pitchers on a division-winning team to face fewer than 3.75 batters per IP in a 50 IP season with zero starts. More on efficient relief seasons after the jump.

Here are those seasons.

Rk ▴ Player Year GS IP Age Tm G GF W L W-L% SV BB SO ERA FIP ERA+ BF
1 Wade Davis 2015 0 67.1 29 KCR 69 24 8 1 .889 17 20 78 0.94 2.29 444 251
2 Santiago Casilla 2014 0 58.1 33 SFG 54 31 3 3 .500 19 15 45 1.70 3.18 204 218
3 Zach Britton 2014 0 76.1 26 BAL 71 49 3 2 .600 37 23 62 1.65 3.13 240 285
4 Koji Uehara 2013 0 74.1 38 BOS 73 40 4 1 .800 21 9 101 1.09 1.61 379 265
5 Koji Uehara 2011 0 65.0 36 BAL–TEX 65 22 2 3 .400 0 9 85 2.35 3.03 183 243
6 Joaquin Benoit 2010 0 60.1 32 TBR 63 16 1 2 .333 1 11 75 1.34 2.43 292 217
7 Rafael Betancourt 2007 0 79.1 32 CLE 68 15 5 1 .833 3 9 80 1.47 2.22 307 289
8 Cla Meredith 2006 0 50.2 23 SDP 45 11 5 1 .833 0 6 37 1.07 2.93 382 185
9 Michael Jackson 1998 0 64.0 33 CLE 69 57 1 1 .500 40 13 55 1.55 3.03 309 239
10 Dennis Eckersley 1990 0 73.1 35 OAK 63 61 4 2 .667 48 4 73 0.61 1.34 603 262
11 Dennis Eckersley 1989 0 57.2 34 OAK 51 46 4 0 1.000 33 3 55 1.56 2.19 239 206
12 Dick Hall 1969 0 65.2 38 BAL 39 17 5 2 .714 6 9 31 1.92 2.62 186 246
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 3/21/2016.

What’s particularly noteworthy about these seasons is how well having such a pitcher correlates with team success, as these 12 seasons represent 46% of only 26 such seasons since 1901. If we relax the criteria and just look at pitchers doing this in 50 relief innings regardless of number of starts, only two more seasons are added, including one by Rollie Fingers for the division-winning 1971 A’s. Removing the distinction between starting and relieving entirely and just looking at pitchers doing this in any 50 IP season adds another two live ball era seasons, by Greg Maddux in 1995 and Bill Hallahan in 1926, both playing for World Series champions (Hallahan, whose nickname was “Wild”, evidently had a goodly number of outs made on baserunners, as he inexplicably made this list despite posting a 5.1 BB/9).

If you were thinking that the original criteria is just another way of looking at relief pitchers on division-winning teams with the lowest WHIP in a 50 IP season with zero starts, you’re mostly right. Here’s that list, with eight of the twelve quiz seasons represented.

Rk Player WHIP GS IP Year Age Tm G GF W L W-L% SV BB SO ERA FIP ERA+
1 Koji Uehara 0.565 0 74.1 2013 38 BOS 73 40 4 1 .800 21 9 101 1.09 1.61 379
2 Dennis Eckersley 0.607 0 57.2 1989 34 OAK 51 46 4 0 1.000 33 3 55 1.56 2.19 239
3 Dennis Eckersley 0.614 0 73.1 1990 35 OAK 63 61 4 2 .667 48 4 73 0.61 1.34 603
4 Joaquin Benoit 0.680 0 60.1 2010 32 TBR 63 16 1 2 .333 1 11 75 1.34 2.43 292
5 Cla Meredith 0.711 0 50.2 2006 23 SDP 45 11 5 1 .833 0 6 37 1.07 2.93 382
6 Koji Uehara 0.723 0 65.0 2011 36 BAL–TEX 65 22 2 3 .400 0 9 85 2.35 3.03 183
7 Rafael Betancourt 0.756 0 79.1 2007 32 CLE 68 15 5 1 .833 3 9 80 1.47 2.22 307
8 Jonathan Papelbon 0.771 0 58.1 2007 26 BOS 59 53 1 3 .250 37 15 84 1.85 2.45 257
9 Billy Wagner 0.777 0 74.2 1999 27 HOU 66 55 4 1 .800 39 23 124 1.57 1.65 287
10 Kenley Jansen 0.783 0 52.1 2015 27 LAD 54 50 2 1 .667 36 8 80 2.41 2.14 156
11 Wade Davis 0.787 0 67.1 2015 29 KCR 69 24 8 1 .889 17 20 78 0.94 2.29 444
12 Pat Neshek 0.787 0 67.1 2014 33 STL 71 17 7 2 .778 6 9 68 1.87 2.37 195
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 3/17/2016.

5 thoughts on “Quiz – Division Champion Relievers (stumped)”

  1. no statistician but

    This isn’t the answer, but it IS an unusual accomplishment. In his rookie season and only year as a starter, 2011, Zach Britton came to bat 8 times, presumably in inter-league play, and got five hits, one a double and one a home run, for an OPS+ of 365. He hasn’t been to the plate since, which makes me wonder about the intelligence of of his teams’ managers, keeping a .625 lifetime hitter on the bench in pinch hit situations.

    Reply ↓
    1. Doug Post author

      That’s the highest BA by a pitcher in a 5 PA season with a home run. Another quiz player makes the top 10.
      Best BA by Pitcher with Home Run (min. 5 PA)

      Reply ↓
  2. brp

    The Division Champion note narrows the season down to 2006 for Cla Meredith. Koji Uehara’s is likely the 2013 Sox instead of 2011 Rangers. Britton’s season would be 2014.

    Based on the stat lines I would say it’s a positive accomplishment.

    Was looking at H/9IP but doesn’t seem to work for everyone.

    Reply ↓
  3. CursedClevelander

    I thought it might be K/BB related based on some of the names on the list (Betancourt, Eck, Meredith, and especially Uehara), but Casilla throws a wrench into that, as his K/BB numbers are pretty pedestrian. His best seasonal K/BB is 3.00, which isn’t anything special. All but Casilla have seasons of K/BB greater than 4.00 with WHIP less than 1.000, but so do about 100 other guys according to the PI.

    Reply ↓

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