Is 'clutch hitting' overrated?

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Posted By: Ted Zanidakis

It's difficult looking at stats and trying to draw any conclusions regarding the
clutch-hitting ability of a BB player.

Strictly speaking as a kid, who closely followed the Yankees in the late 1940's
and through the 1950's, there are 5 players come to mind that I personally saw
deliver the clutch hits when it really counted......


Johnny Mize....1952..won 3 of the 4 games for NY vs Dodgers with clutch HR's.

"Old Reliable" Tommy Henrich won many regular season and W.S. games for NY
with his clutch hits.

Mickey Mantle with his 18 HR's in W.S. play, many were game winning ones. And
most notably 50 years ago in the Don Larsen perfect game.

Bobby Brown, who in W.S. play holds the highest BA (.439 for 41 AB) and many
of them being in clutch situations.

Yogi Berra, whose regular season and W.S. play produced many clutch hits, too
numerous to list here.

My point is that you had to follow a BB player over a long career to judge his
ability to deliver in a "clutch" situation. Numbers cannot tell the real story.

Just ask "SABRE-geek" Jay Behrens, I am sure he will elaborate more on this.