Posted by Eric SanInocencio on Friday, April 17, 2009 at 12:45 pm

By now many baseball fans have spent too much time debating the merits of a “clutch” player or “clutch” situation and how that factors into analyzing major leaguers. Some have earned the moniker in the media, and it has enraged others who don’t feel this skill really exists. There’s no right answer to the question, but I’ve began to wonder if perhaps we are using the wrong word in terms of what we really are questioning.

The word clutch, as defined by Webster’s dictionary, is describing an action made in a crucial situation. Makes perfect sense, because those who argue in favor of “clutch” think that some spots are more important throughout the course of a game. However, the other side argues that hits and pitches made in the early innings weigh in games just as much, and that it doesn’t matter when an action takes place, it has the same effect on the game.

Perhaps I didn’t explain that 100 correct, but that’s pretty much the gist of it. When BDD did live blogs for the World Series, it didn’t take 30 minutes before all the analysts on the site broke out into a spirited debate on whether this phenomenon actually existed. Poster boys like Derek Jeter and David Ortiz have the media’s love for this supposed ability, and it infuriates some who focus more closely on the numbers and variance of a particular time period.

I used the word focus in the last sentence because is the perfect segway to what I’m trying to explain. I’m not as statistically inclined as others, with my past as a collegiate player weighing more into my views on how I understand the game. You can never explain some moments to those that haven’t been there, but it doesn’t mean they can’t understand how that situation can change based on what is happening around them.

All at bats aren’t the same, and even though we can predict outcomes based on past experience, what happens within each individual appearance is variable. How someone feels physically, their mental state and a pitcher’s sequence all change from batter to batter. The key to success is focus during that short time span, and depending on the situation that can be more difficult.

Try to think of it in terms of your job everyday. Some days are low key and laid back, and on those you can coast without really having your “A” game in that profession. On those particular days when the pressure is ratcheted up, when the meetings are more intense, it requires more focus. This is a very crude analogy, but can give you a small idea of how at bats can work as well.

In the beginning of the game, pitchers and hitters go through a feeling out process, just to see what each has in the tank during that particular contest. Does the hurler have his best curveball? Does the hitter have the extra bat speed to turn on the inside pitch? These questions are answered in the early stages, and set it all up for those “crucial” moments later.

I can tell you having been in the box, that some times it is easier than others to maintain focus. That can have to do with the crowd, the team you are playing and your past success against the pitcher you face. Whether you can believe it or not, you just feel more comfortable during some at bats. Ask anyone that’s ever played golf and they can tell some days their swing is great and feels perfect. Other’s not so much. This isn’t quantifiable, but it doesn’t mean it isn’t true.

When there are runners in scoring position and the game is on the line, that all can change. Maintaining focus becomes harder, because there are more distractions at hand and that at bat appears to have more influence to someone in that spot. It doesn’t mean a hitter doesn’t try as hard, it just means it is harder to get the job done. Is that clutch ability? I would say no, it is maintaining focus.

I know this isn’t something you can justify with numbers, because even looking at averages with runners in scoring position doesn’t really answer the question. Feel is tough to explain, but again I wonder if we are using the wrong word. Focus is mental, but has complete control over the physical action performed.

During the popular flick “For the Love of The Game”, the pitcher played by Kevin Costner “clears the mechanism” before he delivers to home plate. Movies exaggerate on many occasions, but that quick illustration of drowning out the fans and noises of the moment reminds me of what I’m trying to explain.

If you are facing Jonathan Papelbon with 40,000 fans screaming at the top of their lungs, how do you slow down the situation to get the job done? The hitter’s ability is still the same, and his other at bats do factor into what could happen, but this situation is different. If Evan Longoria lines a single to center to plate the winning run, was he “clutch” in that spot? I say he was focused.