Quality starts a standard of judgment

It is a phrase thrown around a lot in baseball -- the "quality start," which occurs when a pitcher allows three earned runs or fewer over at least six innings.

It has become a standard by which starting hurlers are now judged.

Paul Maholm, who leads these Pirates with 14 quality starts this season, said he has been hearing about quality starts since before he was in high school.

Steve Blass, who claimed 103 major-league victories while with the Pirates from 1964-74, never during his playing days defined quality as three runs over six innings.

"Three runs over six innings is a 4.50 ERA," said Blass, a color analyst on Pirates games since 1983.

"In this day and age, a 4.50 ERA is fine. I don't mean to sound like the guy comparing his days to today, but when I pitched, a 4.50 ERA would get you sent back to Triple-A."

Blass said his goal was to work at least seven innings and allow fewer than two runs.

For the record, Blass pitched during an era in which offense didn't dominate the game as it does today.

"But the bottom line hasn't changed since then. The bottom line for any starting pitcher is that you want to keep your team in the game," Blass said. "In today's game, a quality start, as it is considered, will on most nights keep your team in the game."

Zach Duke will toe the mound tonight for the Pirates having made 12 quality starts on the season.

Ian Snell also has made 12 quality starts.

Both pitchers said they believe in the concept of a quality start because it signifies a measurable standard for them giving their team a chance to score a victory.

"Most of the time it is a good way to measure how you've done," Duke said. "It depends on the score when you leave the game and the situation -- like, how much of a battle has it been to get through those six innings. But your goal is to keep your team in the game and a quality start is an average assessment of doing that."

Snell said he doesn't pay much attention to the statistics because he "just (wants) to go out and dominate every time."

However, he added that earning a quality start is "awesome."

"It's always in the back of your mind as a goal," Snell said.

Against the Houston Astros on Thursday, Maholm allowed three earned runs over 6 2/3 innings.

In other words, he was quality. And in that particular case, quality was an accurate way to describe Maholm's performance.

"I'd say so," Maholm said. "I gave up those three runs early, but other than that I had 5 2/3 innings where I didn't give up a run and when I left the game we only trailed by a couple of runs. So, we had a legitimate chance to win that game.

"Even though it's used, I don't put a lot into quality starts. I'd rather go seven or eight innings, give up five runs and get a win than worry about only allowing three or less over six. Wins are the only stat I'm concerned with because those have a direct way of helping the team."

Blass would prefer to have the numbers vanish from the baseball definition of a quality start.

"I'd be just as comfortable if a quality start was defined as just keeping your team in the game over six innings, period," Blass said. "To me, that's quality."

Additional Information:

Complete coverage

Baseball Stories

Top Sports Stories