ERA

76 5.5

A number showing how many earned runs a pitcher gives up on average per nine innings

noun
/ˈiːr.ə/

Jargon

: efectividad

With a career ERA of 3.50, he is considered one of the best in the league.
ERA for pitchers

Examples

They got two pitchers with ERAs with 2.12.

Here Come the Tigers (1978)
Teams often look for pitchers with a low ERA to improve their chances of winning.
Yes, his lifetime ERA was 36.

Bad News Bears (2005)
This guy's ERA is 1.47, all right?

Boyhood (2014)
He's young, he has an ERA of 1.68.

Every Day (2018)
He's leading the American league with a 2.34 ERA and 24 strikeouts.

The Mirror Has Two Faces (1996)
The team is showing signs of life, but his ERA's over six and he hasn't got a clue on how to get it back on track.

Major League II (1994)
In 1951, you won nine games, lost six, had 170 strikeouts, and had an ERA of 2.86.

The Bad News Bears (1976)
The pitcher had an impressive ERA of 2.10, showing his skill on the mound.

Synonyms

earned run average

vsERA

Specialized

3 6.5

Average number of runs a pitcher allows in nine innings, not counting runs after fielding mistakes

is an abbreviated form used instead of the full phrase

Idioms

to herald a new era

1 6.7

To show or announce the start of a big change

Compounds

modern era

15 3.1

The recent period of history from the Industrial Revolution to today

end of an era

13 4.3

An important time that finishes and many people remember

Victorian era

4 6.0

The period in Britain when Queen Victoria ruled, 1837 to 1901

Prohibition era

3 7.4

A time in the United States from 1920 to 1933 when alcohol was illegal

Christian era

1 3.0

A time starting at Jesus's birth that people use for AD or CE dates

Mesozoic era

Specialized

1 7.2

A time about 230 to 63 million years ago when dinosaurs lived and early mammals and birds appeared

Regency era

1 6.6

The years 1811 to 1820 in Britain when the prince ruled because the king was ill

Common Era

1 4.6

The years of history starting at year one of the calendar now used in many countries

Elizabethan era

1 6.8

A period in English history under Queen Elizabeth I when writing and plays become very famous

Baroque era

1 8.1

A period in Europe from 1600 to 1750 when art, buildings, and music are dramatic and very decorated

Reconstruction Era

1 6.8

Period after the Civil War when southern states rejoin the United States and laws protect former slaves

Cenozoic era

Specialized

7.9

A recent time in Earth's history since about 66 million years ago when mammals and birds became the main animals

assholocene era

Offensive

9.9

A rude slang name for the present time that shows how people harm the planet

geological era

Specialized

6.1

A long time in Earth's history that lasts many millions of years

Paleozoic era

Specialized

8.4

A long time in Earth's past when many new animals and plants first appear

Surface Forms

ERA singular

ERAs plural

Morphology

ERA = earned + run + average (opaque) = E + R + A

The term is an initialism (E.R.A. = Earned Run Average) used as a technical baseball statistic; the letters do not transparently convey the statistical meaning to an average learner.

Etymology

ERA comes from the phrase earned run average, where earned means 'the runs the pitcher is responsible for', run is a 'point' in baseball, and average means the 'usual amount'. So ERA is a short name that shows the 'average' number of 'earned' runs a pitcher allows per nine innings, which is exactly what the stat measures.