The relief pitcher earns a hold through a strategic play. They enter the game in relief when their team is in the lead, skillfully maintain it for the closing pitcher, record at least one out, and leave before the end of the game with their team leading, all while the pitcher does not record a save.
A hold is an unofficial MLB statistic that credits the middle relief pitcher. It was introduced in 1986 by John Dewan and Mike O’Donnell for statistical measurement of the relief pithers effectiveness. Between the starting pitcher and the closing pitcher, who get wins and saves, the late pitcher (not the closer) “holds” the lead.
In 1994, the PA SportsTicker removed the rule that states that the pitcher must close one out, creating an alternative definition of a hold. However, it was voided in 2009, when STATS LLC purchased PA SportsTicker, so the original definition is still in use today.
While we are familiar with yellow and red cards, used as a means of warning and punishing players, the White Card, introduced by The National Plan for Ethics in Sport (NPES), takes a different approach. It serves as a positive reinforcement, recognizing players who uphold the spirit of fair play and sportsmanship.
It was a historic moment when referee Catarina Campos, on January 21, 2023, became the first to use the white card during a women’s cup clash between Sporting Lisbon and Benfica in Lisbon in a Cup of Portugal. The showing of the card, as naturally as it was red or yellow, was well received by the public at the Estadio da Luz.
After the initial showing of the so-called “Fairplay card,” United Nations reports have shown that over 2,000 white cards have been flashed in Portugal’s domestic competitions. These cards are especially popular among youth-level footballers, who started implementing this system from the early days to enhance moral standards.
The International Football Association Board (IFAB) has yet to accept the white card concept as a law in the game. Still, the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) already uses it in its domestic competitions, including Liga Portugal.
Both yellow and red cards have been used regularly in football matches, so it isn’t surprising that players are used to them, counting on purposefully making fouls until they receive the red one. Many think it is time to start recognizing sportsmanship and fair play as normal and desirable sights in professional play, not making the whole game about pushing to the limits for polite behavior to turn into obscene.
Former UEFA president Michel Platini initially suggested the white card to combat the epidemic by, again, punishing the offending player by requiring his absence from the pitch for 10 minutes.
2008 NBA Finals, Game 1. It’s the middle of the tight third quarter, as the Boston Celtics and LA Lakers are battling hard for the opening Finals game. With 6:51 on the clock, Kobe Bryant drives and fades on Paul Pierce to extend the lead to four.
But after contact, Pierce falls down with a pained expression, grabbing his right leg. The crowd cramps in silence, and teammates quickly surround Pierce. He is promptly wheeled off to the locker room. Fortunately, after less than two minutes of game time, Dr. Rivers clears Pierce, and he checks back in, accompanied by a huge ovation.
His return relieved the crowd as Pierce set his aim on the rim and unloaded two massive shots to give Boston the lead. In the end, he scored 22 points (ed. a double-deuce) as the Celtics took game one.
In a series of close games to follow, the Celtics managed to overpower the Lakers and win the 2008 Finals 4-2. However, one of the biggest prevailing narratives that couldn’t be dumped was the puzzling Paul Pierce injury incident. How did Pierce recover from such a seemingly serious injury so quickly?
Soon after, theories came up on how Pierce actually had pooped his shorts and had to leave the game ASAP. But, as years passed, this phenomenon that amused the fans never came close to fully resolving.
To make this story even more bizarre, we might never find out the real truth from the basketball legend appropriately nicknamed “The Truth”. In 2019, Pierce implied that he had, in fact, had “the incident” the fans speculated about. However, a few years later, he rebutted this and said that he actually sprained his MCL.
In an interview a few years ago, Pierce even explained how he didn’t soil himself, as it wouldn’t make any sense to sit in a wheelchair if he did. While we certainly didn’t need Pierce’s detailed play-by-play on this, it is unusual for someone who didn’t do something to elaborate on it so much—just saying.
We’ve heard about Shaq’s 61-point, 23-rebound Birthday Game and Jordan’s 38-point Flu Game. But true NBA fans will also forever remember the legendary Paul Pierce Wheelchair Game.
