Oct. 07--Clint Hurdle manages a Pittsburgh Pirates team that was ranked third in the National League with a .279 batting average with runners in scoring position.
So Hurdle had a snappy response during his pre-game news conference when a reporter opened his question by stating that's it's been statistically proven that there is no such thing as "clutch."
"You just told me there's no such thing," Hurdle replied. "But I'm trying to work on my kids still putting teeth underneath their pillows, so you're kind of calling me out here. I do think there are men that can slow the game down and find ways to produce and meet the demands of the game at significant times."
Andrew McCutchen, the Pirates' best player, as a .361 batting average with runners in scoring position. The Cubs, who face the Pirates in the National League wild-card game Wednesday night at PNC Park, batted only .236 with runners in scoring position, and manager Joe Maddon was worried about the Cubs' inability to drive runners home from third base late in the season.
"Where from my experience, there's been times the game sped up on me, and there have been times where I've handled the game and gotten it to slow down," Hurdle said.
"So whether that's clutch or not, I don't know. It may all be about terminology. But I do know there are men that I've worked with from a coaching standpoint that have shown the ability to do far more impactful things than many other men in those specific times."
