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Why do so many baseball fans still believe in the myth of the "Clutch" hitter?

Update:

OK, Tony!

So go ahead and post his all of his post seasons so-called "Clutch" hitting totals so we can all enjoy your discomfiture.

You will find it non existent, and probably within .025 points of his Career average. Hardly "Clutch".

Update 2:

I guess Tony was too busy or maybe embarrassed to post Jeter's post season stats. So here they are.

First Jeter's career batting average is .313.

Postseason his batting average is .307 and all of his other post season stats are also within .025 of his career average, including Slugging and OBP and OPS.

All these figures are posted online by Baseball Reference and ESPN.

4 Answers

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  • 9 years ago
    Favorite Answer

    It's a story. Humans like stories. Veracity is a bonus; and the "clutch hitter" story has just enough whiff of truthiness that it hangs on tenaciously.

    That announcers and writers tend not to denounce it -- they are, after all, essentially storytellers, and it's easier to retell an old story than develop a new (and far less mythological) one -- doesn't help the cause.

  • 9 years ago

    Take a look at Derek Jeter in the post season... some players thrive in pressure situations, it is not a myth!

  • 9 years ago

    Mostly because it makes them feel good to think their favorite players somehow rise to the occasion. It's the brother of "Big game pitcher".

  • 9 years ago

    Some people are better in hitting with a lot of pressure

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