Sure, but there are a few things you have to consider to avoid getting a skewed view there:

1) Sample size. You're talking about incredibly small sample sizes where you start looking at playoff series. I think you have to look at how that player performed in clutch spots over the course of his career to get a big enough sample to really be able to get a real picture of how "clutch" (or "choke") that player is.

2) Years. If you compare Brett's career numbers to his playoff performances, you're looking at him in his prime vs. numbers that include the end/decline portion of his career.

You should at least compare performance year to year.

Fair enough.

I don't pay much attention to the NBA, so it doesn't surprise me to hear the idea of "clutch" in that league might be oversold as well.

If a small sample size is all you've got you have to look at that. Slugging % helps mitigate sample size somewhat because it shows when you're hitting the ball hard. Also from watching Brett at the time I know he obviously rose to the moment - unlike say most of our pants-shitting hitters right now.

#2 makes a lot of sense. But again, Brett's playoff slugging % is still at least 40 points higher than any year except 1980.

Let me say this first: George Brett is my favorite baseball player of all time. I'm sad I didn't get a chance to see him in his prime (he was on the tail end when I saw him, and I never saw him in a playoff series). Just felt like I should say that. I'm not coming "at" George - I'm coming "at" the idea of players truly being clutch.

The point about sample size is that it's easy to get a false picture based on it, when it's small. His overall clutch stats - for his entire career - just don't track as much above his normal stats (if at all) as you'd expect if someone was truly "clutch." This is the case for just about every player you can look at. You might see a 15-20 point bump in OPS, but that's pretty minimal.

He has 180 career postseason at-bats. That's not enough to say anything definitive compared to a career with 10,000 ABs.

It's not like Derek Jeter, who has a full season's worth of post-season at-bats.

Great comeback last night.

What is up with Willingham? Hurt?

No more Billy. He's been worthless as a DH this year.

Calling players clutch who actually choke doesn't mean that clutch doesn't exist.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eA28GHMT06w

I don't know to embed youtube links in this place but this is cool as shit. Someone embed this into the next game thread.

I guess I'd have to agree to disagree. If you don't play better, until you absolutely have to at the end of the game, if anything, that means you are lazy IMO.

I'm with the others, I think choking exists (although to not the degree ppl think), not sure that clutch, exists though.

Go to the "Share" link in YouTube. It will give you an embed file link (has "iframe" in it). Just copy and paste.

For as much grief as people have given Glass and Yost, I'm damned impressed at how the Royals have been incrementally building their franchise up. Yes, it's been a slow grind, but just imagine if the Chiefs had taken this approach?
Whatever KCR did, and I don't EVEN claim to know the ins and outs of running a MLB franchise, they CLEARLY didn't sit around shooting themselves in the ass, and making the same mistakes over and over again.

To go from being considered a "farm team" to where they are now( and will probably stay )is impressive and should be celebrated.