Comments on: Is Javy Vazquez a Headcase? http://umpbump.com/press/2009/04/08/is-javy-vazquez-a-headcase/ In-your-face baseball commentary Mon, 22 Mar 2010 15:09:31 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: kensai http://umpbump.com/press/2009/04/08/is-javy-vazquez-a-headcase/comment-page-1/#comment-58919 kensai Sat, 11 Apr 2009 14:17:07 +0000 http://umpbump.com/press/?p=3545#comment-58919 I think there's something to be said for guys who, over the course of thousands of at-bats, bat 30 points higher than normal or have 100 more points in OPS in high leverage situations. Same for those who cannot seem to come through. This is beating a dead horse, but Jeter's postseason hitting is exactly the same as his career numbers, yet he gets touted as clutch simply because he's a good hitter and he (shockingly, apparently) remains a good hitter in October. That doesn't count at all to me. However, over a thousand plate appearances, why does Alfonso Soriano have an OPS of 100 points lower in high leverage situations than medium and low? Why is his postseason OPS 300 points lower than his regular season? I think those things are statistically significant enough to question. Similarly, why does somebody like Ortiz bat 70 points higher in the postseason? Why does Ichiro get labeled clutch when he simply remains a good hitter (though he shows evidence of doing better with RISP) in all situations while Hideki Matsui OPS's .972 (career 848 OPS) in Late and Close situations but doesn't get any acclaim? I think it's more than coincidence, and it makes sense. Everybody knows chokers. In sports, in real life, whatever. They can't operate under extreme duress. My only problem with the "clutch" label is that people throw it around too liberally and use it incorrectly. The concept though, I buy into. I think there’s something to be said for guys who, over the course of thousands of at-bats, bat 30 points higher than normal or have 100 more points in OPS in high leverage situations. Same for those who cannot seem to come through.

This is beating a dead horse, but Jeter’s postseason hitting is exactly the same as his career numbers, yet he gets touted as clutch simply because he’s a good hitter and he (shockingly, apparently) remains a good hitter in October. That doesn’t count at all to me.

However, over a thousand plate appearances, why does Alfonso Soriano have an OPS of 100 points lower in high leverage situations than medium and low? Why is his postseason OPS 300 points lower than his regular season? I think those things are statistically significant enough to question. Similarly, why does somebody like Ortiz bat 70 points higher in the postseason?

Why does Ichiro get labeled clutch when he simply remains a good hitter (though he shows evidence of doing better with RISP) in all situations while Hideki Matsui OPS’s .972 (career 848 OPS) in Late and Close situations but doesn’t get any acclaim?

I think it’s more than coincidence, and it makes sense. Everybody knows chokers. In sports, in real life, whatever. They can’t operate under extreme duress. My only problem with the “clutch” label is that people throw it around too liberally and use it incorrectly. The concept though, I buy into.

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]]> By: Nick Kapur http://umpbump.com/press/2009/04/08/is-javy-vazquez-a-headcase/comment-page-1/#comment-58897 Nick Kapur Thu, 09 Apr 2009 13:40:37 +0000 http://umpbump.com/press/?p=3545#comment-58897 Actually, I want Paul to do Andy's brother Adam LaRoche next. Andy doesn't have enough data points yet, and with Adam, Paul could make a chart showing OPS vs. amount of Ritalin taken each year. Actually, I want Paul to do Andy’s brother Adam LaRoche next. Andy doesn’t have enough data points yet, and with Adam, Paul could make a chart showing OPS vs. amount of Ritalin taken each year.

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]]> By: Coley Ward http://umpbump.com/press/2009/04/08/is-javy-vazquez-a-headcase/comment-page-1/#comment-58889 Coley Ward Wed, 08 Apr 2009 23:38:39 +0000 http://umpbump.com/press/?p=3545#comment-58889 Hey Paul, next I wanna see a post examining Andy LaRoche. Is he a basket of nerves? Hey Paul, next I wanna see a post examining Andy LaRoche. Is he a basket of nerves?

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