What does clutch mean in baseball? (2023)

What does clutch mean in baseball?

A clutch hitter is a baseball player who is seemingly adept at getting a hit in high-pressure situations, i.e. in the clutch.

What does clutch mean? In slang, clutch refers to something done (well) in crucial situation, such as clutch play in sports that pushes a team into victory. More broadly, clutch can characterize something as “excellent” or “effective.”

Clutch players are defined by consistently performing well when there's a lot on the line. They thrive in situations where the pressure is high and the consequences of their performance are great. Hitting a shot when your team is winning by double digits is easier than hitting a game-winning shot at the buzzer.

It has become impossible to watch a baseball game without hearing the term “clutch” uttered by an announcer or baseball expert. While never defined, being clutch is understood as a player who performs well under pressure.

In 1977, in "Baseball Research Journal," Dick Cramer concluded that clutch hitters definitely do not exist. Bill James and Pete Palmer supported this conclusion, although more cautiously, calling clutch hitting a "shadow" and an "optical illusion," respectively.

The noun clutch, as in a clutch of eggs, derives from an old word 'clekken' meaning 'to hatch. ' In this sense, it has nothing to do with 'holding on to' although as a folk derivation that idea is convincing enough.

We define a clutch performance as any better-than-usual performance that occurs under pressure, and our research suggests that anyone can be clutch – provided they're in the right mental state. For example, feeling like you're in control of the situation – in sports or anything else – can help a lot.

A clutch performance is essentially the opposite of choking -- the dramatic improvement of performance under pressure. According to psychologist Tim Woodman, "when people are low in cognitive anxiety, or low in worry, the difference between their best performance and their worst performance is not very big.

What is a clutch win?

In most games, players refer to winning these situations as a clutch. For example, eliminating an entire enemy team while you are the last player alive from your squad means you clutched the round. It can also apply to smaller moments where something you've done makes it easier for your team to win a round or game.

Clutch shooting is basically when a player or team hits a shot at an important time of the game. Let's say that your favorite team is down a few points with only 2 minutes left to go. Your star player nails a jumper to get the team within 1 point.

Being clutch isn't an inherited trait that we are either blessed with or not, it's a trainable skill. One that can be developed and refined. We can train to experience clutch states by cultivating the aforementioned characteristics.

Double clutch, a baseball term for a fielder drawing his arm back twice before throwing.

Clutch time is defined as minutes when the scoring margin is within 5 points with five or fewer minutes remaining in a game, and clutch record is a team's win-loss record in games that include clutch minutes.

Definition. WPA quantifies the percent change in a team's chances of winning from one event to the next. It does so by measuring the importance of a given plate appearance in the context of the game. For instance: a homer in a one-run game is worth more than a homer in a blowout.

"Poor LeBron was born without a clutch gene," Bayless said. "LeBron is simply the worst superstar late-game free-throw shooter we have ever seen. He notoriously runs from the late-game free-throw line because he is a notoriously poor free-throw shooter at any stage of the game, especially late.

Getting into the zone – also known as “being in a state of flow” – usually happens when we are: energised; in a good mood and doing things we enjoy; and have some level of skill that meets the demands of the task.

Entering the zone requires total commitment your game plan and the process of winning. Many athletes have mental barriers that limit their ability to enter the zone, such as fear of failure, doubts, lack of trust, and over thinking.

What does the zone feel like?

They feel totally in control of themselves, without self-consciousness or worries. Time may seem to move faster or slower. And there is a sense of reward — what Csikszentmihalyi calls an “autotelic experience,” sometimes arriving after they've left the zone.

So, can we teach clutch? It's still not that simple, but we can assuredly put our players in pressure-filled situations that develop their fight or flight skills. We can force them to focus, with specific plans for their work.

Rich Paul is an American sports agent who has a net worth of $120 million. He founded Klutch Sports Group and has represented some of the biggest names in basketball, most notably his longtime friend, LeBron James.

“Clutch” as used on FanGraphs is defined as the following: Clutch – How much better or worse a player does in high leverage situations than he would have done in a context neutral environment.

A clutch kick is a steering maneuver popular amongst racecar drivers in which the driver steers the car while it skids sideways with the front wheels pointed in the opposite direction of the turn.

Ace is a term used in multiplayer gaming to refer to a single player that kills all enemy players by himself. It is often used in first-person shooters (FPS) such as Call of Duty and Halo.

In conclusion, LeBron is much more clutch than Jordan. When the two smelled blood and had a chance to eliminate their opponents, LeBron wins 1.6% more often. When their backs are against the wall, LeBron wins 16.7% more often. Jordan only improved slightly in a few categories when facing elimination.

According to 82games.com since the 2003-2004 season, Kobe Bryant has hit 14 game winning shots while LeBron has hit 17. LeBron's 17 leads the pack while Kobe's 14 is fourth. In addition Kobe has missed 42 possible game winners! James has missed 33.

Double clutch, a baseball term for a fielder drawing his arm back twice before throwing.

Clutch time is defined as minutes when the scoring margin is within 5 points with five or fewer minutes remaining in a game, and clutch record is a team's win-loss record in games that include clutch minutes.

How do you play small ball in baseball?

In the sport of baseball, small ball is an informal term for an offensive strategy in which the batting team emphasizes placing runners on base and then advancing them into scoring position for a run in a deliberate, methodical way.