The rules for determining winning pitchers: *Credit the starting pitcher with a game won only if he has pitched at least five complete innings and his team not only is in the lead when he is replaced but remains in the lead the remainder of the game. *The "must pitch five complete innings" rule in respect to the starting pitcher shall be in effect for all games of six or more innings. In a five inning game, credit the starting pitcher with a game won if he has pitched at least four complete innings and his team not only is in the lead when he is replaced but remains in the lead the remainder of the game. *When the starting pitcher cannot be credited with the victory because of the above provisions and more than one relief pitcher is used, the victory shall be awarded on the following basis: - When, during the tenure of the starting pitcher, the winning team assumes the lead and maintains it to the finish of the game, credit the victory to the relief pitcher judged by the scorer to have been the most effective -The winning relief pitcher shall be the one who is the pitcher of record when his team assumes the lead and maintains it to the finish of the game. -Exception: Do not credit a victory to a relief pitcher who is ineffective in a brief appearance, when a succeeding relief pitcher pitches effectively in helping his team maintain the lead. This pitcher will be credited with a 'save, the original succeeding relief pitcher with the victory.

The starting pitcher must complete five inns to be consider the pithcher of record. If the starting pithcher is removed before the third out of the fifth inn whoever relieved the starting pitcher and recorded the last out of the fifth inning is the winning pitcher.

I would suggest the following change: If the starting pitcher leaves the game in the lead after pitching less than five innings and the lead is never relinquished, award the win to the first pitcher who gets the most outs in the entire game. This would be fairer than the present rule which gives too much discretion to the official scorer and allows a reliever in certain cases to get a win with only one third of an inning pitched. Peter