Quick Saber question

[RunDownHouse]

So during the Yankees-DR game just now, they showed BA/HR/RBI stats for Giambi with RISP. Does that really matter? Do any players really have statistically significant variations in stats with RISP? Or is this exactly the same as the "clutch hitting" debate, which, to my understanding, is pretty much considered a fable by Sabermetrics guys?

[Jack of Arcades]

There is likely to be SOME significance, but not much. There may be reasons for why some players hit better in RISP that isn't due to clutch - they hit better off of pitchers in the stretch or they hit very well against "bad" pitchers, etc.

Think of David Ortiz. Is there any reasons, other than clutch ability, he might perform so well in close and late situations? Ortiz is a LH fastball hitter, and most closers are hard-throwing righties.

[RunDownHouse]

Right, I thought about that, and also something like, if there's a RSIP, then the pitchers can't throw from the stretch, so maybe that changes things.

Still, good to be a little more informed on how big of a deal it is.

As an aside, I thought about signing up for a month of BP just to get their article on playors in the minors to watch. The reason I haven't yet is that Nashville's team is the Pirate's club, and I don't know if the Pirates are worth the $5. Sad.

[Eagles]

RDH,
Sabermetrics guys don't consider clutch hitting to be a fable. But what they say is that there are so few "clutch" spots so there is never a big enough sample to give an accurate measure of "clutchness". As well "clutchness" is often related to only one play. To give an example

Bill Buckner = choke artist
Joe carter = clutch

[hedxcold]

i guess this is a good place to ask this question.

for vorp, do they compare center fielders to other center fielders? and right fielders to other right fielders? or is it all outfielders?

i figured it was center fielders to center fielders, but want to be sure

[THAY3R]

Also, many players will have high "Bases Loaded" averages because many of their would be outs will now be sacrifices.

[Pudge714]

RDH,
Batting average with RISP is often inflated because a sacrifice fly is just a routine flyout with no RISP.

[THAY3R]

I beat ya, na na na na boo boo

[zer0]

the problem, i imagine (i'm not going to actually check my assumption), is that from year to year there will be a lot of variation because of small samples, but over the long haul, the numbers will be comparable to regular numbers (except, of course, rbi's)