i will 100% state that certain players will raise their game during bright lights moments. does "raising their game" always equate to a walkoff HR? no. but they have a unique ability to feed off the big moment, increase their focus, enter the zone, clear the mechanism.....
other names i have posted under: none
I have stated many times that mental and emotional factors do affect performance. I can't prove it, but I firmly believe it. It might be a fine line, but IF Price is pitching poorly in the post season due to psychological reasons, I don't see it as choking. IMO, it's more along the lines of a batter who starts pressing when he's in a slump.
Sabermetrics has done more than anything to diminish the game to mere numbers and happenstance. This is not only wrong, but also self-defeating as a fan. The joy of following pro sports is to be able to experience the games dramatic moments and root for the player of their choosing. Knowledgeable fans understand the strengths and weaknesses of any given situation. When someone rises above it, do we really want to attribute it to mere probability? I'd rather go inside that players head and heart and watch him deliver under pressure. This is the very definition of clutch. Hitting a baseball is the toughest thing to do in sports. Those who do it well, and in big games, are not just lucky. For example WADE BOGGS. He was a hitting machine, right? I have a friend that couldn't stand him for that very reason. His post season averages were just ordinary. That guy wasn't unlucky in big games. He just shrunk during tense moments. Then there's Big Papi...case closed
Last edited by georom4; 04-18-2017 at 08:41 AM.
People who love stats, numbers and metrics can also greatly enjoy the game for what it is: the greatest game on earth!
I'm not sure why some think being a stat geek and being able to enjoy the game are not compatible.