WHIP and Errors

[moose32]

I don't know if this has been discussed, but if there is an error with two outs, shouldn't any hits or walks after that not be charged to the pitcher. No runs would be charged. Has MLB given a reason for this?

[mweir145]

Well they have to be charged to somebody. There are no unearned hits or walks, only runs.

[dclark0699]

Well they have to be charged to somebody. There are no unearned hits or walks, only runs.

Right. The situation really doesn't effect whether it is a hit or not. Who's to say the same guys wouldn't have gotten hits of walks the next inning had there been no errors? Whereas if there had been no errors, those particular runners would have definitely not scored.

[A Fleshner Fantasy]

An error with 2 outs does not effect hits and walks later that inning. All it does is make future runs unearned.

[Field]

Defense plays a bigger factor in pitcher performance than most realize. Especially the upper-middle tier fantasy pitchers who are just a few hits away from being considered elite on a start-to-start basis. Regardless, strikeouts and K/BB are key to minimizing the "bad luck" factors.

[Matthias]

Well they have to be charged to somebody. There are no unearned hits or walks, only runs.

Right. The situation really doesn't effect whether it is a hit or not. Who's to say the same guys wouldn't have gotten hits of walks the next inning had there been no errors? Whereas if there had been no errors, those particular runners would have definitely not scored.

This doesn't make any sense.

If there's 2 outs, and then an error, and then the next 7 guys get hits, all those runs (except the first) are as speculatively earned as the hits were.

I think it's just a scoring mechanic. Each at bat generates an outcome... otherwise you would be not counting negatives (hits, walks) but counting positives (getting an out).

[walkoffblast]

This has bugged me for a while. I understand why it is but think there should be more emphasis on the equivalent of an earned whip. In general it seems baseball places too heavy an emphasis on sticking someone with the outcome of an event regardless of if it makes much sense or not. It is comical watching a reliever lose a game in spite of not giving up an earned run.