2011 Relief Odds and Ends

It is difficult to evaluate relievers with isolated classic statistics, but even so it is interesting to note that several relievers made all-time top ten lists in 2011. Obviously the modern usage on bullpens and the situations faced by the pitchers effect the meaning of these numbers, but I'll leave it up to you do decide the value of these stats, if any.

Marlin's reliever Brian Sanches pitched 39 games for the Marlins in 2011, and in 10 of those games he entered with runners already on base. None of those 19 runners scored and Sanches earned himself 2nd place for the most runners inherited without allowing a run to score. (The usual PI event finder disclaimers apply. Although with relief pitching it is likely that we have a complete list.)

Rk	Player	IR	IS	Year	Tm	G	GS	CG	SHO	GF	W	L	W-L%	SV	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	ERA	ERA+
1	Randy Myers	22	0	1998	TOT	62	0	0	0	42	4	7	.364	28	56.2	59	31	31	26	41	4.92	91
2	Brian Sanches	19	0	2011	FLA	39	2	0	0	8	4	1	.800	0	61.2	52	32	27	36	53	3.94	100
3	Eric Gagne	18	0	2004	LAD	70	0	0	0	59	7	3	.700	45	82.1	53	24	20	22	114	2.19	188
4	Jason Vargas	16	0	2009	SEA	23	14	0	0	4	3	6	.333	0	91.2	98	53	50	24	54	4.91	88
5	Phil Norton	16	0	2003	TOT	21	0	0	0	4	0	0		0	18.0	9	6	6	9	7	3.00	144
6	Gregg Olson	16	0	1998	ARI	64	0	0	0	49	3	4	.429	30	68.2	56	25	23	25	55	3.01	140
7	Ray Lamb	16	0	1972	CLE	34	9	0	0	3	5	6	.455	0	107.2	101	42	37	29	64	3.09	106
8	Rick Krivda	15	0	1998	TOT	27	2	0	0	6	2	2	.500	0	51.1	65	44	42	35	29	7.36	62
9	Koji Uehara	14	0	2010	BAL	43	0	0	0	22	1	2	.333	13	44.0	37	15	14	5	55	2.86	149
10	Skip Lockwood	14	0	1979	NYM	27	0	0	0	22	2	5	.286	9	42.1	33	7	7	14	42	1.49	246
11	Vern Handrahan	14	0	1966	KCA	16	1	0	0	5	0	1	.000	1	25.1	20	12	12	15	18	4.26	81

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 11/20/2011.

Another reliever who prevented inherited runners from scoring was Dodgers rookie Kenley Jansen. Jansen inherited 21 runners and only allowed 1 to score. This is tied for the 10th most inherited runners with only one scoring. (PI event disclaimer...)

Rk	Player	IS%	IR	IS	Year	Tm	G	GS	CG	SHO	GF	W	L	W-L%	SV	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	ERA	ERA+
1	Wilton Lopez	3.03%	33	1	2010	HOU	68	0	0	0	14	5	2	.714	1	67.0	66	23	22	5	50	2.96	132
2	B.J. Ryan	3.45%	29	1	2006	TOR	65	0	0	0	57	2	2	.500	38	72.1	42	12	11	20	86	1.37	335
3	Robb Nen	3.57%	28	1	1994	FLA	44	0	0	0	28	5	5	.500	15	58.0	46	20	19	17	60	2.95	148
4	Jeff Reardon	3.57%	28	1	1993	CIN	58	0	0	0	32	4	6	.400	8	61.2	66	34	28	10	35	4.09	100
5	Juan Berenguer	3.70%	27	1	1991	ATL	49	0	0	0	35	0	3	.000	17	64.1	43	18	16	20	53	2.24	176
6	Jose Veras	3.85%	26	1	2010	FLA	48	0	0	0	11	3	3	.500	0	48.0	32	20	20	29	54	3.75	112
7	Ricardo Rincon	4.00%	25	1	2000	CLE	35	0	0	0	4	2	0	1.000	0	20.0	17	7	6	13	20	2.70	185
8	Rick Aguilera	4.55%	22	1	1998	MIN	68	0	0	0	64	4	9	.308	38	74.1	75	35	35	15	57	4.24	113
9	Pedro Borbon	4.55%	22	1	1996	ATL	43	0	0	0	19	3	0	1.000	1	36.0	26	12	11	7	31	2.75	161
10	Kenley Jansen	4.76%	21	1	2011	LAD	51	0	0	0	13	2	1	.667	5	53.2	30	17	17	26	96	2.85	131
11	Macay McBride	4.76%	21	1	2005	ATL	23	0	0	0	4	1	0	1.000	1	14.0	18	11	9	7	22	5.79	75
12	Roger Mason	4.76%	21	1	1991	PIT	24	0	0	0	6	3	2	.600	3	29.2	21	11	10	6	21	3.03	121
13	Ray Narleski	4.76%	21	1	1956	CLE	32	0	0	0	21	3	2	.600	4	59.1	36	11	10	19	42	1.52	279

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 11/20/2011.

ERA is often knocked as a statistic when it comes to relievers. However, when combined with IS% , it can be very telling. In the list above BJ Ryan's 2006 season jumps out as a wonderful combination.

In 2011 there were 2 pitchers who sported an ERA+ that made the all time top 10 for pitchers with at least 50 innings. And while their IS% were not nearly as sparkling as the ones on the list above, their achievements are notable, nonetheless.

Rk	Player	ERA+	IR	IS	IS%	IP	Year	Tm	G	W	L	W-L%	SV	H	R	ER	BB	SO	ERA
1	Dennis Eckersley	610	29	4	13.79%	73.1	1990	OAK	63	4	2	.667	48	41	9	5	4	73	0.61
2	Rob Murphy	546	19	7	36.84%	50.1	1986	CIN	34	6	0	1.000	1	26	4	4	21	36	0.72
3	Jonathan Papelbon	517	24	4	16.67%	68.1	2006	BOS	59	4	2	.667	35	40	8	7	13	75	0.92
4	Dennys Reyes	507	45	6	13.33%	50.2	2006	MIN	66	5	0	1.000	0	35	8	5	15	49	0.89
5	Chris Hammond	441	33	6	18.18%	76.0	2002	ATL	63	7	2	.778	0	53	15	8	31	63	0.95
6	Bill Henry	420	33	14	42.42%	52.0	1964	CIN	37	2	2	.500	6	31	9	5	12	28	0.87
7	Jose Mesa	418	12	3	25.00%	64.0	1995	CLE	62	3	0	1.000	46	49	9	8	17	58	1.12
8	David Robertson	410	44	10	22.73%	66.2	2011	NYY	70	4	0	1.000	1	40	9	8	35	100	1.08
9	Brad Ziegler	394	22	5	22.73%	59.2	2008	OAK	47	3	0	1.000	11	47	8	7	22	30	1.06
10	Eric O'Flaherty	389	31	9	29.03%	73.2	2011	ATL	78	2	4	.333	0	59	9	8	21	67	0.98

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 11/20/2011.