I posted this here, from a previous thread, as every few threads get into the dreaded 'ARod is Not Clutch' debate, and I don't know if this same debate in a thread 3 threads old is still being read.

Frankly, this, or some better comprehensive stats, should be posted on the top of every thread, until this dead horse is put to bed.

The below stats are CAREER stats, not cherrypicked from this (obviously) bad year or his more recent PS ABs.

These stats represent some of the important situations that can/do lead to runs. NOT accounted for in these stats is solo HRs, which indeed help to win ballgames but don't necessarily fall into any of the below categories.

Career OPS: 0.967
Career RISP: 0.955
Career Leading off: 0.979
Career Runners On: 0.981
Career Bases Loaded: 1.099
Career Hi Leverage: 0.974

It appears to me that ARods OPS in this situations averages a hair better then his overall OPS. The average of those 5 fields is .998, compared to .967, or 3% better then dead average. So he ain't 'Papi Clutch', but I don't see how he can be labeled unclutch.

While these numbers aren't everything, there are are lot of ABs (over his entire career) there, and I think pretty representative of what ARod has done.

I can't understand how people can trash ARod because of 'what they remember' or what the media drivel says. There are the numbers. If you debate the numbers, post some other numbers. But people's 'impression' that ARod is a choker, IMHO, are off base.

Brush up your Banter,
Start quoting here now.
Brush up your Banter
And the women you will wow.
Just declaim a few comments from "Corcoran"
And they think you're a heckuva sportin' man.
If your blonde won't respond when you spout a stat,
Tell her what Monkeypants told Mattpat,
And if still, from the shock, that she seems ill,
Feel free to just "Blame It On Chyll Will"
Brush up your Banter,
And they'll all kowtow.

>;)

3 I was in a production of "Kiss Me Kate" in high school, though I didn't do that tune. I was the second male lead, but spent most of the time furious that I was passed over for the top lead, as that role was several times larger, and I was convinced that not only was I better than the guys cast in that part (we had split casts) but that I was demoted because my hair was a bit too long and so the director could pare me up with her daughter, who was the second female lead in my cast. Instead, I wound up hooking up with my wife, who was the stage director. So I guess it all ended well after all. Still, I cringe at the memories of the play. Looking back, I likely stopped acting after high school out of a distaste for subjective evaluation.

1 If I was you, I'd give up. Every sensible person agrees with you, and everyone who doesn't refuses to accept the facts. Might as well let the unwashed live in ignorance and enjoy Arod's career.

Great come back for the Red Sox, btw, which means I seriously have to consider rooting for the Rays.

Little Dustbin Pedroia just his his 17th and leads the AL in BA. Makes the Cano debacle look even worse. Yankees on ESPN TV tonight.

6 Why, did the Yankees trade Pedroia for Cano? I don't remember that.

7 No, but as someone mentioned in a previous thread, a big part of the difference between the Yankees and Red Sox this season has been the relative performance of each teams' home grown 2B.

6 I just saw the Pedroia HR...it was a Fenway cheapie.

3 Um, sorry about that? >;)

One thing about Banter, sooner or later your past catches up to you, huh? (I know your pain; I gave up elementary statistics and government cheese for the same reason!)