Figuring ERA with inconsistent number of innings

[cpmsms]

MARK -- Great question! I have never seen a team run-rule all of it's opponents in a single season. Sure you have stronger teams than others, however, in most cases, teams play out the full six innings and some coaches will actually tell their players to HOLD UP so they can get hitters their plate appearances.

The same goes with time limit, in a normal situation, games should get played in the time limit unless there is either a ton of scoring on both sides or pitchers work real slow.

[team mom]

This was based on 10U. Most games are no new innings after 65 or 70 minutes, with no run limit. At 10U, a very high majority were 4 inning, a few 5, fewer still 3. Mercy rules apply after 3, but not many games called for that. After the move to 12U last fall, it is probably closer to 50/50 between 4 inning and 5 inning games. Don't get me started on drop dead games.

This particular stat is not used by our coaches, so I am indifferent. He is mainly concerned with percentage of strikes versus balls pitched.

[mprusak]

This was based on 10U. Most games are no new innings after 65 or 70 minutes, with no run limit. At 10U, a very high majority were 4 inning, a few 5, fewer still 3. Mercy rules apply after 3, but not many games called for that. After the move to 12U last fall, it is probably closer to 50/50 between 4 inning and 5 inning games. Don't get me started on drop dead games.

This particular stat is not used by our coaches, so I am indifferent. He is mainly concerned with percentage of strikes versus balls pitched.

Wow, 65-70 mins...that would do it. We are 1:45.

[team mom]

This is fastpitch vs. baseball. Don't know if that makes a difference.

[mprusak]

This is fastpitch vs. baseball. Don't know if that makes a difference.

Good point...I'm sure it does. I'm sure thats normal...just struck me as odd that you cant ever get a full game in.

[PetroGuy]

team mom,

I'm curious, do you change the number of innings you play for each game? So, for instance, in a game you go 5 innings, you change the number of innings to 5 and a 3 inning game you change to 3? If so, that changes the ERA calculation on a per game basis. I'm not a big fan of the ERA stat in general in terms of usefulness, but I have to say that doing it that way would make it even more meaningless. The purpose of the ERA is to give an indication of the earned runs a pitcher would give up over a set number of innings. Changing the number of innings in each game would negate that.

We play 1:30 or 1:40 minute games at 11U baseball. We usually get through 4-5 innings depending on the pitchers and amount of scoring. We can get through 6 in the 1:40 games in low scoring games. At least championship games go the full 6 innings except for run rules.

[team mom]

I think I now have it set to 5 innings and don't consistently change it to 4 when the game ends due to time, but probably usually I do. As I mentioned I don't think anyone is using that stat, but I will ask the head coach what he wants to do and can always retro-actively change the game innings if he wants me to.

[danmcc]

Not to belabor the point now that you have mentioned it is not currently a valuable stat by your coaches. However, I'm in agreement to have a set number of innings and sticking with it for the season. In youth baseball/softball teams don't typically exchange stat info like a league/tournament. If they did and each team did ERA per innings actually played vs scheduled innings, the stat comparison between players would be skewed.
At 12u I doubt it matters but for HS ball the stat matters. When a player who has college aspirations sends stats to a recruiting coach the coach is expecting stats to reflect ERA properly. As cpmsms commented, using less innings poorly effects the actual stat.