Is Un-Clutch Arod Learning to be Clutch?

Derek Jeter's career postseason OPS is .842; Rodriguez's is .927. Why is A-Rod not considered "clutch"? Because the New York Post says so?

He isn't considered clutch, because he doesn't get it done in the big spot. He disappears.

What's Arod's career OPS and Jeter's career OPS?

More importantly, what is their BA with RISP? That will show you clutchness.

A-Rod was clutch again tonight for the Yankees (sort of): Alex Rodriguez drove in the go-ahead run when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the seventh. That came one pitch after Chad Orvella forced in the tying run by walking Jason Giambi.

I'd like to know when OPS became a benchmark for being clutch. All it measures is a player's power and ability to get on base. What REALLY matters is a players average with runners in scoring position, and prior to the hits he got in Tampa, A-Rod's average in those situations was hovering around .230. THAT'S clutch? As Mike Francesa on "Mike and the Mad Dog" put it so well - ARod knows how to put the cherry on top, but rarely does he bake the cake. As a Yankees fan that sees him everyday, A-Rod is FAR from clutch.

Clutch HBP by A-Rod last night.

What's clutch? If you watch a team every night for a whole season you will get a sense of which player on your team has it. It doesn't always show in the stats. BA with RISP is probably the closest. Thurman Munson was "clutch". Bernie Williams was too. You feel it in your gut. Even with your opponent. When David Ortiz gets to bat at a critical point in the game you feel it, the motherfucker is "clutch" no doubt about it.

BA with RISP has been thoroughly debunked as an appropriate measure of "clutchness" by everyone with even a mediocre understanding of statistics. I'd love to know the sample size used for the supposed .230 BA for A-Rod with RISP. If anything, a majority of players with post higher numbers with RISP due to the material shift in advantage that shifts to the hitter (pitcher throwing out of the stretch, the need to throw strikes if there are no open bases, etc.). OPS using a sufficient number of PA's (sample size) is the only sound way to measure offensive production and value over time.

To the most recent Anon Fanatic: I think I love you... Unless you're a dude, and then it's just mad props!

easy there Vito Spatafore!

That's why I added the "unless you're a dude" qualifier. Clutch comment, though.

haha i know, just busting balls

If the hitter has the advantage in situations where runners are in scoring position (i.e. "throwing out of the stretch"), wouldn't that make BA w/ RISP all that more of an efficient measure of "clutchness" because if a guy has an awful batting average when he has all the advantage you could ask for. I'm not sure how you can debunk that statistic but not debunk the fact that A-Rod's homeruns historically come after the game has already been decided.

"If the hitter has the advantage in situations where runners are in scoring position (i.e. "throwing out of the stretch"), wouldn't that make BA w/ RISP all that more of an efficient measure of "clutchness" because if a guy has an awful batting average when he has all the advantage you could ask for. I'm not sure how you can debunk that statistic but not debunk the fact that A-Rod's homeruns historically come after the game has already been decided." - You got it. You can hit homeruns all year and get on base all you want, but that doesn't measure how likely you are to succeed in the heat of the moment. I mean come on, you're going to tell me that A-Rod is more clutch than JETER!? And I can pretty much guarantee that Jeter's OPS is lower than A-Rod's. Jeter doesn't hit homeruns, but with the game on the line, I know I want him up there over A-Rod. As someone said before, you can tell who is clutch by seeing them play a lot, and as a Yankees fan that watches every game, I can say that Jeter has come through many more times than A-Rod. I think that using OPS as a measuring stick for clutchness is blasphemy.