A short while back, we engaged in a commenting discussion with Jon and Brandon that eventually spilled over into e-mail (and almost spilled onto the streets, it was so heated … OK, not really). The gist of the conversation: is there such thing as being “clutch” in baseball. Brandon and Jon argued that there isn’t, and we argued that there is (at least that’s the short version). We will give all three chief points right now, as direct quotes:

Brandon: There is no such thing as “clutch” performing. Maybe in other sports, but not in baseball. That’s just not how the sport works. Your grizzled vets can suck and your fresh-faced rookies can prosper in big games. Nerves are evident, and some get more nervous than others, but it has no impact on performance. That’s why Josh Beckett can pitch a gem in the hallowed grounds of Yankee Stadium, why Derek Jeter can have crappy games in must-wins, why Liriano can shove against Clemens. I believe the numbers will back me up here, but I can also point to my experience playing. It was just D-II, but there games when I was crazy nervous, [redacted] my pants, totally on edge, feeling like my nerves were getting the best of me, and I pitched great. And there were other games when I had all the confidence in the world, felt like I was going to be great, and I sucked. Doesn’t matter if you’re nerved up; if your slider is working, you’ll do well. If you get a pitch to hit, your body doesn’t have time to process the shakes as it’s on its way to the plate to make you miss.

Jon: All I know about clutch is that many stat-heads have gone looking for it … and so far nobody can prove that it exists. They can’t prove that it doesn’t exist, of course, just that they can’t find any evidence of it. Here’s a good summary of some of the studies: (NOTE: Link contains mathematical terms and, as such, should not be viewed by anyone.) … I wouldn’t mind participating in a running “Numbers vs. Gut” feature.

RandBall: You make some good points there, but I still disagree on the general premise that there is no clutch performing in baseball. Sometimes it’s dumb luck (Frankie Cabrera got a hanging slider in 1992 and roped it into left, leading the Braves into the World Series), but a lot of other times it comes down to a player’s ability to function in a pressure situation, regardless of how they feel on the inside. It’s about bearing down, concentrating more and executing in spite of the circumstances. That’s clutch.

And that brings us to last night. Two hits by the offense. A great performance by Nick Blackburn. Jim Thome’s home run. Old Man Griffey’s throw. Were these functions of clutch performance or muscle reactions that would have been no different if the game had been played May 15 or if one team was 20 games ahead of the other? We ask that in all seriousness because we really wonder what other people think. Did Mauer and Morneau, who have had big hits galore in big situations this year, look terrible because it happened to be Danks’ night, because they were wound tighter than a drum, or something in between? Was it Blackburn’s turn to have a good start regardless of circumstance?

Does “clutch” exist in reality, or is it just something we like to believe in?

Fasola-link! Time-lapse drives through the Twin Cities.

P.S. The Redactular invite will go out this morning. If you don’t get one, let us know.

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