After the Second World War, full-time support gradually became more acceptable and standard. [9] Relievers were generally pitchers who weren`t good enough to be starters. [10] Lifters began developing strange heights in the 1950s to distinguish them from beginners. [10] For example, Hoyt Wilhelm threw a punch and Elroy Face threw a fork ball. [11] In 2018, some MLB teams began experimenting with an opener — a pitcher who is usually a reliever who starts the game for one or two innings before giving in to someone who would normally be a starter. Sometimes the manager replaces an opener with a series of other relievers who pitch only one or two innings in a game, usually due to injury or fatigue affecting the team`s starters, or other strategic reasons. This approach became known as the bullpen game. An advantage of this approach is that the opener, who is often a hard hit specialist, can be called upon to compete with the most dangerous hitters, who are usually near the top of the batting order when they come to hit for the first time. [33] Although the opener was not officially considered a relief role until 2018, managers sporadically used a relic in front of a starter. A good example is Game 6 of the 1990 National League Championship Series, when Pittsburgh Pirates manager Jim Leyland pitched a pitcher, Ted Power, to prevent the Cincinnati Reds from using their successful movement (Power pitched 2+1⁄3 innings before giving way to left starter Zane Smith in the third inning) and the strategy worked to keep the Reds on just two innings; To deceive his opponent, Leyland had announced the start of Game 6 at a press conference so that the Reds could determine their order around Smith. When Mike Marshall set the all-time record in 1974 with 106 pitches, he pitched 208.1 innings.[34] [18] Although some relievers still appear in a large number of games per season, the workload of each pitcher has been significantly reduced. Since 2008, Pedro Feliciano has pitched three of the top four seasons in games, with 92, 88 and 86. Feliciano pitched an average of only 58 innings during those seasons.
The last pitcher to pitch 100 or more innings in a season without starting a game was Scott Proctor in 2006.[19] [20] Between their scheduled rotational starts, a starting pitcher may be used for short breaks for the bullpen. They are sometimes used as helpers when the stakes are higher, such as a match that could decide the division title or a winner who takes everything. Currently, starters are typically deployed to relief situations either at the start of the playoffs before their scheduled rotation begins, or late in the playoffs after their last scheduled start (often with “a playoff winner`s ultimatum”). However, the 2018 Boston Red Sox under Alex Cora managed their pitching rotation in such a way that a starter was available in the bullpen every playoff game. In 1969, the pitcher`s hill was lowered and umpires were encouraged to call fewer hits to give batters an advantage.[35] Support specialists have been deployed to address the increase in crime. [12] Two parking spaces. Two drummers. And an unpredictable pitcher who had no idea where the ball was headed.
Lately, being a relief pitcher has become more of a career than a reduced position. Many of today`s top prospects are primarily considered for their skills as relief pitchers. [16] In search of a leadership advantage, managers carried more jugs into the pen over time and used them in more specialized situations. The recognition of platoon advantage has led managers to ensure that opposing left-handed hitters encounter as many left-handed pitchers as possible, and that the same is true for right-handed hitters and pitchers. Tony La Russa was particularly known for making frequent pitch changes on this basis. [17] Faced with a shortened season due to the pandemic in 2020, MLB was forced to deal with other questions and then rules to answer them. Among the rule changes announced in February 2020 to deal with the much-maligned pace of space issues, i.e. MLB`s Time Between Changes to Fix, a certain rule was announced, and that was the “minimum of three strokes.” With the new minimum rule of three hitters in MLB, baseball could continue to see a decline in the use of left-handed specialists. Left-handers now have to deal with staying longer in the game and possibly facing right-handers.
Left-handed specialists, who are usually lost in boxing scores, are overlooked by fans and miss out on winning or making saves during matches — important stats that fans like to compare among pitchers.