Best Clutch Hitter Now?

qtlaw · 07-30-2002, 12:12 PM

Who is currently the best "clutch" hitter? That means runner on 2nd/3rd, two down, bottom of ninth, down 2-1. The favorite would seem to be Bonds given his astronomical intentional walk total. Since Bonds probably gets no chance to bat in that situation, my pick would be Ichiro, .448 (last year MISP) does not lie. My second choice would be Jeter, simply because he has come through in the playoffs.

Max Power · 07-30-2002, 12:19 PM

Robby Alomar?
I'd go with Jeter.

Gosfgiants · 07-30-2002, 12:29 PM

I'm going to go with Helton. I think it's because I've seen him be so dangerous in those sitituations. He approaches every at abat the same. Get a hit. He works the count very well. He will adjust his swing when he's down in the count. Too bad he's on such an awful team.

tortured angel · 07-30-2002, 01:06 PM

If you want the tie, go with Ichiro because nobody puts the ball in play more often on practically any pitch. If you want to score both runners go with Helton because there is no way any manager in baseball pitches to Bonds with first base open and 2 outs.

JamesI · 07-30-2002, 01:16 PM

Ichiro. He's too dangerous every pitch. He may not knock the ball out of the park, but he can set up a big inning.

Duque · 07-30-2002, 01:43 PM

I'm going to say other, and go with Jason Giambi.

soxfan121 · 07-30-2002, 02:39 PM

Simply not enough choices in this poll. While all the guys mentioned should be on the list, I wouldn't pick Helton because of his lack of "big game" experience. Ichiro is a good choice, so is Jeter, Bonds, Giambi, Larry Walker, Manny Ramirez, Alex Rodriguez, Mike Piazza, Gary Sheffield, Pat Burrell, Lance Berkman, Paul Konerko, Luis Gonzalez, Magglio Ordonez, Torii Hunter, Garrett Anderson, or many others.

Given the situation you proposed, I'll make my answer Luis Gonzalez or Craig Counsell - both have done it in the WS, the biggest stage of all.

It isn't the "best" player who succeeds in such a situation; it is the guy who battles hardest.

moose · 07-30-2002, 03:53 PM

my only problem with ichiro is that he will naturally have fewer PAs with RISP. he certainly does well when faced with that situation, but i'd be more inclined to go with a jeter (who suffers a bit less from that ailment) or manny ramirez

after all, SLG can matter for RISP too...

poorme · 07-30-2002, 04:09 PM

Who would you want in a clutch situation? whoever you think is the best hitter, period. bonds, helton, ichiro, etc. (no thank you to jeter). If jeter can bring his game to a higher level when the game is on the line, why can't he play at that level all the time? He can't maintain perfect focus for 4 five-minute sessions a day?

moose · 07-30-2002, 11:18 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by poorme
Who would you want in a clutch situation? whoever you think is the best hitter, period. bonds, helton, ichiro, etc. (no thank you to jeter). If jeter can bring his game to a higher level when the game is on the line, why can't he play at that level all the time? He can't maintain perfect focus for 4 five-minute sessions a day?

i agree that helton, bonds, and ichiro* are better hitters than jeter... but what's wrong with an 860 lifetime OPS?!

*in non-power situations

VNV Nation · 07-30-2002, 11:22 PM

I went with Ichiro, but I think Alomar is probably the best -- he hits w/RISP, has hit .313 in the postseason, including a huge ninth-inning, Kirk Gibsonesque homer against Eck in the 1992 ALCS.

padresfan19 · 07-31-2002, 12:18 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Duque
I'm going to say other, and go with Jason Giambi.

I agree. Giambi was the first one I thought of. I was surprised he wasn't in the poll.

pwdennis · 07-31-2002, 03:05 AM

No one individual jumps out at you as being ccnsistantly clutch - historically Juan Gonzalez has been good as has Manny Ramirez.

Picking Ichiro is no better or worse a bet than picking Boggs or Gwynn during their peak years. A .350 hitter tends to hit .350 over an extended course of time although one year it might be .250 and the next year .450. I have always felt that clutch hitting is a statistical anomoly in that the sample of "clutch at bats" in the course of a single season is too small to represent a credible sample

VNV Nation · 07-31-2002, 03:23 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by pwdennis
No one individual jumps out at you as being ccnsistantly clutch - historically Juan Gonzalez has been good as has Manny Ramirez.

I agree -- it was easy to pick George Brett and Paul Molitor during the 1980s/early 1990s, with Don Mattingly and Jack Clark also right there.

WiredTiger · 07-31-2002, 09:27 AM

I would go with Jason Giambi or Vlad Guerrero. Giambi because of his plate discipline and ability to drive in runs. Vlad because he can hit just about everything and unless you walk him he is going to put the ball in play.

I wouldn't go with Ichiro because even though he hits well in "Runners in Scoring Position" situations he doesn't always get that runner in from second. He hits a ton of infield hits and short hits that wouldn't score that second run.

View Poll Results: BEST CLUTCH HITTER NOW
Bonds	2	14.29%
Ichiro	2	14.29%
Jeter	1	7.14%
Helton	1	7.14%
None of the above	8	57.14%
Voters: 14. You may not vote on this poll

07-30-2002, 12:12 PM	#1
qtlaw Guest Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: El Cerrito, CA Posts: 668	Best Clutch Hitter Now? Who is currently the best "clutch" hitter? That means runner on 2nd/3rd, two down, bottom of ninth, down 2-1. The favorite would seem to be Bonds given his astronomical intentional walk total. Since Bonds probably gets no chance to bat in that situation, my pick would be Ichiro, .448 (last year MISP) does not lie. My second choice would be Jeter, simply because he has come through in the playoffs.

07-30-2002, 12:19 PM	#2
Max Power NetShrine Creator & Curator Join Date: May 2002 Location: NetShrine WHQ Posts: 5,548	Robby Alomar? I'd go with Jeter. __________________ Steve, Forum Administrator "They come and they go, Hobbs. They come and they go." That's why there's NetShrine.com

07-30-2002, 12:29 PM	#3
Gosfgiants NetShrine All-Century Team Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: San Francisco, CA Posts: 1,136	I'm going to go with Helton. I think it's because I've seen him be so dangerous in those sitituations. He approaches every at abat the same. Get a hit. He works the count very well. He will adjust his swing when he's down in the count. Too bad he's on such an awful team. __________________ It'll always be Pacbell Park Beat LA!!!

07-30-2002, 01:43 PM	#6
Duque NetShrine's Desperado Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Southern CA Posts: 2,638	I'm going to say other, and go with Jason Giambi. __________________ Bad Andy It's such a fine line between stupid and clever.

07-30-2002, 01:06 PM	#4
tortured angel Guest Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: middle east Posts: 573	If you want the tie, go with Ichiro because nobody puts the ball in play more often on practically any pitch. If you want to score both runners go with Helton because there is no way any manager in baseball pitches to Bonds with first base open and 2 outs.

07-30-2002, 01:16 PM	#5
JamesI Netshrine Vacuum Cleaner Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Potsdam, N.Y. Posts: 3,723	Ichiro. He's too dangerous every pitch. He may not knock the ball out of the park, but he can set up a big inning.

07-30-2002, 02:39 PM	#7
soxfan121 Renounced Membership 7/9/03 Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Live Free Or Die, USA Posts: 1,335	Simply not enough choices in this poll. While all the guys mentioned should be on the list, I wouldn't pick Helton because of his lack of "big game" experience. Ichiro is a good choice, so is Jeter, Bonds, Giambi, Larry Walker, Manny Ramirez, Alex Rodriguez, Mike Piazza, Gary Sheffield, Pat Burrell, Lance Berkman, Paul Konerko, Luis Gonzalez, Magglio Ordonez, Torii Hunter, Garrett Anderson, or many others. Given the situation you proposed, I'll make my answer Luis Gonzalez or Craig Counsell - both have done it in the WS, the biggest stage of all. It isn't the "best" player who succeeds in such a situation; it is the guy who battles hardest.

07-30-2002, 03:53 PM	#8
moose Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Socs Posts: 3,400	my only problem with ichiro is that he will naturally have fewer PAs with RISP. he certainly does well when faced with that situation, but i'd be more inclined to go with a jeter (who suffers a bit less from that ailment) or manny ramirez after all, SLG can matter for RISP too...

07-30-2002, 04:09 PM	#9
poorme Guest Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: washington dc Posts: 2,625	Who would you want in a clutch situation? whoever you think is the best hitter, period. bonds, helton, ichiro, etc. (no thank you to jeter). If jeter can bring his game to a higher level when the game is on the line, why can't he play at that level all the time? He can't maintain perfect focus for 4 five-minute sessions a day?

07-30-2002, 11:22 PM	#11
VNV Nation Membership Suspended 11/19/02 Join Date: May 2002 Location: VNV Nation Posts: 2,952	I went with Ichiro, but I think Alomar is probably the best -- he hits w/RISP, has hit .313 in the postseason, including a huge ninth-inning, Kirk Gibsonesque homer against Eck in the 1992 ALCS.

07-31-2002, 03:05 AM	#13
pwdennis NetShrine All-Century Team Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Winter Springs, FL Posts: 2,503	No one individual jumps out at you as being ccnsistantly clutch - historically Juan Gonzalez has been good as has Manny Ramirez. Picking Ichiro is no better or worse a bet than picking Boggs or Gwynn during their peak years. A .350 hitter tends to hit .350 over an extended course of time although one year it might be .250 and the next year .450. I have always felt that clutch hitting is a statistical anomoly in that the sample of "clutch at bats" in the course of a single season is too small to represent a credible sample __________________ "I would submit that if the world survives for a million years, perhaps its finest hour may be that in the last half of the 20th century, when the power to blow up the world rested in the hands of a few men in two very unsophisticated and suspicious countries, we didn't do it, and one American, Richard Nixon, moved the cold war away from permanent confrontation toward victory. How could any wrong that he did compare with that?" - John Sears

07-31-2002, 09:27 AM	#15
WiredTiger Guest Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: The city of Kaline, Cobb and Greenberg Posts: 3,395	I would go with Jason Giambi or Vlad Guerrero. Giambi because of his plate discipline and ability to drive in runs. Vlad because he can hit just about everything and unless you walk him he is going to put the ball in play. I wouldn't go with Ichiro because even though he hits well in "Runners in Scoring Position" situations he doesn't always get that runner in from second. He hits a ton of infield hits and short hits that wouldn't score that second run.

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search
Display Modes	Rate This Thread
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode	Rate This Thread:

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Advent of Designated Hitter	rk_michael	2003 Baseball History Archives	5	10-30-2003 12:51 PM
Greatest season by a hitter	Ytown Tribe fan	2003 Baseball History Archives	9	03-17-2003 09:30 AM
Say Hey To The New Devil Rey! [merged threads]	Max Power	2002 Active Player News, Analysis, & Commentary Archives	29	12-20-2002 10:09 AM
Bizarre Near No Hitter	SmedIndy	2002 Hot Baseball Chatter Archives	17	09-04-2002 10:13 PM
Greatest home run hitter ever??	timconnelly	2002 Baseball History Archives	26	01-07-2002 11:09 AM