Big Game Presence, Nature or Nurture?

Up front, I'm a huge Brady fan. But to the idea that players are inherently "clutch," I have to say "bullshit." Self-aggrandizing players (and, especially, ex-players) and hero-worshipping fans/journalists have perpetuated this idea that a player's "character" somehow comes out in the "key moments," as though these players -- these humans, no different than you or I -- are somehow made of much sterner stuff than the rest of us. It's insulting. Are we seriously supposed to believe that great athletes are great not only because of the years of dedication they've put into honing their skills, or the rigorous training they go through, or even their intelligence, but also because they have some kind of special "character" that comes to the fore in pressure situations? We're supposed to believe that they're great because they're better people than us normal folk?

Great players get labeled "clutch" because they -- get this -- usually play great. Yeah, I know, it's shocking. Their greatness just happens to carry over into the "clutch moments", as well as the "non-clutch moments". For instance, Tom Brady is a great quarterback no matter what quarter it is. Derek Jeter, for all of his overratedness, is still one of the best hitters in baseball, and (big surprise!) that skill level shows up in any inning. Oh, but what of A-Rod, that choker, that terrible, Jeffrey Dahmer-esque human being who simply lacks the fortitude necessary to perform in the clutch? Much has been made of A-Rod's alleged postseason struggles, but we're basing these high-handed judgments on 132 at-bats! Pick any 132 at-bats, and even Babe Ruth would have a poor stretch; yet, just because these at-bats happen in the playoffs, he's crucified as a "choker". And A-Rod hasn't even had a bad playoff career -- his career postseason OPS is .847! When you think about it, it's truly insane. Think about it: if certain players were chokers, wouldn't they have been weeded out long before making the highest level of professional sports on the planet?

And don't get me started on the mediocre players who get hailed as "clutch" for fluke playoff performances... Here's what Bill James had to say on the matter: "How is it that a player who possesses the reflexes and the batting stroke and the knowledge and the experience to be a .260 hitter in other circumstances magically becomes a .300 hitter when the game is on the line? How does that happen? What is the process? What are the effects? Until we can answer those questions, I see little point in talking about clutch ability."

Are there clutch hits, or clutch plays? Of course. But do some players have the ability to "raise their game" in pressure situations? If you think about it, how could this possibly be true? First of all: technically, shouldn't every moment of every game be considered a "pressure situation"? And, furthermore, even if certain players had the magical ability to become great at will, why don't they just "flip the switch" all the time? Are they the great procrastinators of sports, only waiting until the last possible minute to play spectacularly? Every run, every point -- they all count the same, regardless of the clock, right? Why not be great early, avoiding the need for late-game heroics entirely? If there is such a thing as an inherently clutch player, shouldn't we actually chastise him for putting off his greatness until the end of the game?

We think clutchness is a personality trait because we hear announcers (usually former players themselves) extol the virtues of the clutch player, the guy who has heart and grit and fortitude. When I played baseball and basketball, I made clutch plays from time to time, and I patted myself on the back for "rising to the occasion". I've even been "in the zone." But now I realize that it was just me being arrogant, believing that I had some kind of special mental toughness that allowed me to be clutch. It was also superstitious, and it sold short the hours of work I put into the game -- the real source of my success. In short, "big game presence" comes from being really good at your sport. It is not some kind of character trait. Athletes like Brady are great because they've worked their asses off to become great, and every time we chalk up their success to some mystical "clutch factor," we sell short all that hard work.

Great players aren't clutch ones, great players are players who aren't necessarly clutch but take their lumps in a loss and then come back even stronger next time around. I hate Brady just as much as the next guy, but don't you think the taste of last year's loss in denver might have been regurgitated during that last drive on sunday? This is why I don't hate Peyton Manning, he's going to go out there again and again until he gets it, he's another great player...

wylies- there is such a thing as clutch. sorry you can't see it or don't want to believe in it. frankly, it doesn't matter if you see or believe it exists.

you bring up some points, but fail to understand that your argument does not hold water. every player who is a professional athlete is good, we know that. among the players in mlb for example, all of them are good, but some are great. likewise some players perform on their avg. in pressure situations, some below avg. and others above avg.

why does this happen? for many reasons, mostly it is a condition of the human body. some people cannot control this as well as others. some people have a sense calm about them and are able to concentrate better than others. some press to hard, in baseball, maybe they are squeezing the bat too much and becoming tense. maybe they are not as loose as they were in the 2nd inning.

and that my friend is why some players are clutch and some are not.

show me a clutch player and I'll show you a guy who stays late after practice. evry day.

name somebody. jordan, bird, who?

manny you don't know anything about clutch. go read moneyball again. haha. hits in the ninth mean much more than hits in the third. hits with risp means much more than hits with nobody on base. bunting someone over does make sense.

for those of you who don't understand what clutch is, here are some players that are clutch. jordan, messier, montana, brady, mariano, paulie, bradshaw, etc.

everyone knows what clutch is and if you say you don't, you're lying.

you know in any sport there are certain players you would like to see have the ball, puck at the end of the game. because under pressure, these are the guys that come through. and they are not necessarily the stars of the game.

Logging in is "clutch"

clutch is being able to perform at or above potential in a pressure situation. a pressure situation can be defined in baseball as late in the game of a close game. it could be in the playoffs when runs might be more scarce. it could be with two runners on base and two outs. it could be making a routine play in the field late in the game or in the playoffs.

i'll say it again, all those guys work at being clutch. they've practiced the situations so many times, when they're in it, they know exactly what to do. Do you need talent? sure. is there some innate quality in there? probably. but don't think for a minute that most clutch guys aren't the hardest workers. the most prepared.

the one thing i will say about a-rod, would it hurt jeter to publicly back that guy. just once? i mean, he is your teammate.

so then i would agree a player needs both raw talent and some dedication (hard work) to become a clutch player. where i think we disagree is that being clutch can be nurtured? maybe i would agree part of it, because if you practice something enough, then you would expect the player to feel more comfortable in pressure situations. i just don't know if that always works out. i think some players no matter how much repition, they just will not become clutch in such short careers?

yes, manny luck does play a role as well. good point. i think being lucky in clutch situations early in your career is probably most helpful. this would probably relax you and give you more confidence in future pressure situations.

this is a very interesting topic, i mean there is an entire industry of sports psychs out there now to care for professional athletes.

It can't be such a great thing... Francisco Cabrera was "Clutch" once...

you are bringing up outstanding points manny. a player who once was clutch, later in their career can become anti-clutch. because the basic principle of clutch is that the player has talent, works hard and prepares. as a player gets older, the talent diminishes, maybe they don't work as hard.

that's why i said clutch is playing at or above your average ability in pressure situations. as you get older your average ability will diminish.

there are players though, who have the talent, hard work and preparation and still do not perform in teh clutch. these folks here we call anti-clutch or non-clutch players.

look at montana, he worked the 2min drill in the fourth quarter to perfection. yeah, he was great all game long, but inthat two minute drill at the end under pressure - he excelled!!! the opposing defense cracked under pressure you could say, but montana did not- he drove the field made the plays and won the game-period. did he do this every single time? no, but he did it more often than not. and as a betting man, i would not bet against him at the end of the game with two minutes and the ball down by 6!!!! that is the definition of clutch.

and it is just like the other debate we had about closers in baseball. if you don't believe that a closer is more important than a middle reliever than you don't understand clutch or pressure. a closer has his back to the wall and nobody to protect him and it's always late inteh game and a close game. that is pressure that is why many pitchers cannot be closers. it takes a certain temperament to do that and many can not handle that pressure consistently!!

You'd have to be clutch enough to get yourself into a clutch position to begin with, or else you'd choke your way to the bench (unless your coach chokes and leaves you in).

manny- what you are not understanding is that a player can be clutch even if the team doesn't win. in baseball, you can make a clutch hit and the team still loses. in football, you can drive the team down the field and a player drops the ball, but i'm sure there will be more chances. if that one play causes them to lose the game and the wr should have caught the ball, i would still say the qb was clutch and put them in position to win the game. therefore still clutch.

i love how manwags and the rest of you don't understand what clutch means. haha. it's comical that people have to explain it to you over and OVER again. not everything is a stat, not everything is luck. there are intangibles. jeter is clutch and also has other intangibles that makes him one of the best players in the league. he is of course the captain of the most storied franchise in all of sports. and for you limey bastards and you aussie crappers that includes the entire world.

NO, Jeter is great because of all of his stats AND the intangibles. the guy is the heart and soul of this club. What is the most powerful force in all of this world Manny? Can you touch it? see it? C'mon give me a break. you know damn well that Jeter is a great player and sure as hell know what clutch means and which players are actually clutch and which ones weren't.

the fact is that Jeter is GREAT. he has the stats during the season, he has the stats in the playoffs, he has the great plays MADE in the playoffs, he has the intangibles, he IS the CAPTAIN of the NY Yankees-the most coveted position in all of MLB. i mean the guy is great and performs under tremendous pressure playing for the Yankees. he has a nice career already-10+ years. to say he's not GREAT would be lying. is he the best Yankee ever to play? no of course not. but he is a GREAT player.

Go, Captain Clutch! Let's Win a World Series this Century! Woo!

root, root, root for the YANKEES, if they don't win it's a shame. for it's one, two, three strikes your out. at the ole ball game.

just looked at your fan boxes manny- who is your favorite baseball team?