Cheers!

[Kyberwulf]

So I have been watching Cheers!. And there is something I don't understand. Is being a relief pitcher really such a big deal?

[Daimbert]

So I have been watching Cheers!. And there is something I don't understand. Is being a relief pitcher really such a big deal?

If you're a closer/set-up man, then yes it is. You can win or lose games for the team if you perform well, since you're generally one of the last pitchers to pitch and generally come in in tight situations.

[Kitten Champion]

He was sufficiently popular to have his own nickname, so he clearly had some notoriety as a relief pitcher.

Besides, he is a former Red Sox player in the heart of Boston operating a working-class bar, he's bound to find plenty of recognition.

[Kyberwulf]

Okay, I was just curious. I wasn't sure if it was suppose to be a joke that they. Constantly refer to him as a "relief" pitcher as oppose to a pitcher.

Also kind thought Fraiser was always part of the show. 2 seasons into the series and still haven't seen him.

[Daimbert]

Also kind thought Fraiser was always part of the show. 2 seasons into the series and still haven't seen him.

He shows up at the start of season 3.

[Joran]

Okay, I was just curious. I wasn't sure if it was suppose to be a joke that they. Constantly refer to him as a "relief" pitcher as oppose to a pitcher.

Also kind thought Fraiser was always part of the show. 2 seasons into the series and still haven't seen him.

In baseball, pitchers are divided up into two different categories: starters and relievers.

Starters are pitchers who start the game and try to pitch as long as they can; if they pitch the entire game, it's called a "complete game". They pitch every 5 games and are generally better paid and known than the relievers. As baseball as evolved, starters have started pitching fewer innings, so complete games are less common and they usually pitch between 5-7 of 9 innings.

The remaining innings are pitched by relief pitchers; they're usually called the "bullpen". Modern relief pitchers will generally pitch 1 inning, and in uncommon situations, pitch 2 innings. There are specialist pitchers, usually left-handed pitchers who will come in for only 1 at-bat, if the manager wants to really try to matchup against a feared hitter.

Relief pitchers can pitch on consecutive days and aren't on a schedule like starters. Most teams will have 2-3 relievers that they really trust to do important innings and these are the ones who will be known to fans. If a pitcher pitches mainly the 8th inning, they'll be called the "setup man". If a pitcher regularly pitches the 9th and final inning, they'll be called the "closer"; if they pitch out the rest of a close game, they'll be credited with a "save". Closers will be the most famous and well-paid of the relievers.

During the time that Mayday Malone was playing, the "set-up" and "closer" roles were still being introduced, so it was more common for relievers to pitch 2-3 innings. This was also the time that the "Save" was introduced as a statistic and closing games would make stars out of the likes of Rollie Fingers and Goose Gossage. (also, it was a great time for nicknames it seems).

So, it is possible that even as a relief pitcher that Sam Malone would gain some renown if he pitched well for a few seasons.

[Rogar Demonblud]

There are also 'openers', pitchers who only work the first 2-3 innings of the game, generally used when the bullpen is fairly depleted because of too many extra-inning games. Game 4 of the last World Series featured an opener and the bullpen the rest of the way. Openers are also getting more popular due to the same reason there aren't complete games any more--too many pitches means the pitcher is wrecking their arm.

[tomandtish]

Late to the party, but...

It's also not uncommon for a relief pitcher to be a specialist in a certain pitch. Starters tend to be more rounded, since the idea is (or was, as Joran noted) for them to go a sizable portion of the game.

For example, look at this list (https://bleacherreport.com/articles/671695-aroldis-chapman-and-the-15-fastest-pitches-ever-recorded) of the 15 fastest major league pitches thrown. Note that most of them are closers or bull pen pitchers. Only a few of the truly all-time great starters make the list.

[dps]

Something else to keep in mind--in all of major league baseball history, going all the way back to 1876, there have only been a bit less than 20,000 people who have ever played in the majors, even counting guys who only played one game. So in most places in the country, any local guy who ever made it to the majors is a hometown hero, even if they were never actually a big star and only had a short career. In a big city like Boston, of course it's a bit different, but if someone was with the Red Sox for several years, they're going to be well-known locally. especially if they still live in Boston and own a business there (and having played for the Red Sox for several years could easily be a ticket to making a business you own there a success).

[Traab]

Something else to keep in mind--in all of major league baseball history, going all the way back to 1876, there have only been a bit less than 20,000 people who have ever played in the majors, even counting guys who only played one game. So in most places in the country, any local guy who ever made it to the majors is a hometown hero, even if they were never actually a big star and only had a short career. In a big city like Boston, of course it's a bit different, but if someone was with the Red Sox for several years, they're going to be well-known locally. especially if they still live in Boston and own a business there (and having played for the Red Sox for several years could easily be a ticket to making a business you own there a success).

In addition, some places tend to attract the more "hardcore" of a fanbase when it comes to sports. These are the people who can recite the entire lineup of their favorite team down to the third stringers who only get play time during a blowout and can quote chapter and verse stats for everyone. Boston is a pretty hardcore city for its baseball. So you are more likely to see people recognize any former player for the red sox and even the more casual fans would be pretty elated to run into a former player.

[MarkVIIIMarc]

So I have been watching Cheers!. And there is something I don't understand. Is being a relief pitcher really such a big deal?

I was looking for relief pitcher average salaries per year for the late 70's and came up short. In general I'll say that era of player was undercompensated compardd to what the teams were making, for their worth as free agency was just becoming a thing.

BUT, a few players per team were able to turn it into careers. Mayday Malone and the Mad Hungarian, probably were equally famous or ABLE to do so. On Cheers Sam was consistently able to recover from bad decisions and survive even if he could not thrive.

By coincidence a "better" athlete than the fictional Sam Malone, Fred Dryer was considered for the role but Ted Danson got it. Dryer. Dryer did appear in several episodes giving Mayday Malone a chance to hit it big on tv sports news but Sam "skillfully" avoided success.