Big Papi

There was a recent discussion by the Sports Guy about who's more clutch: Big Papi or the Basketball Jesus?

This might seem like blasphemy to some, but he raised interesting points. I wanted to summarize some of it here and add my own 2 cents.

There's been a debate about last year's MVP selection for a year now. A-Rod is seen as not as clutch and only got it because he plays 3rd base and is not a DH.
A-Rod allies will point that his average and OPS with runners in scoring position and 2 outs is better than Papi over the past 2 years.

But this is flawed because Ortiz comes up big in big moments.
Dusty Baker has the most walk-off hits in Major League History (25). Now consider that to get one of those you need to be at home, and have an opportunity to be at bat.
In the past 16 months (Since the start of 2005), he's come up 13 times with the chance for a game-ending plate appearance and made an out only once (and he ended up winning that game in the 12th inning).
He has 15 walk-off hits in 3 years (less than that really) with the Red Sox. 10 behind the all-time record.

This does not take into account the 3 in the 2004 ALCS (a record) or all the times he won it on the road or in the 7th or 8th inning.
That is ridiculous. You expect him to get a hit now.

One more walk-off hit this year (he has 5) and he breaks the all-time single season record.
Since he joined the Red Sox in 2003, he has 15 walk-off hits and the rest of the team has 19 total.
Since Aug. 1, 2004, Ortiz has hit 21 home runs in 138 at-bats in Late-Inning Pressure Situations (no other player has more than 13).

That's domination. I don't care if he doesn't play first base more often ... Who's more valuable?
Even Yankee fans would agree now that A-Rod is not the MVP.

One last thing - Ortiz is so clutch that he has a signature move for when his team crowds the plate after another winning HR. He tosses the helmet rounding third and leaps onto home plate.



Another glaring mistake in my greatest actors list:
Phillip Seymour Hoffman.

He has the most memorable roles in terms of quantity - Boogie Nights, Happiness, Flawless, Talented Mr. Ripley, Capote, Punch Drunk Love (which spawned it's own video for his character), Owning Mahoney, 25th Hour, State & Main ...
My top 5 are probably Flawless, Happiness, Almost Famous, Love Liza & The Big Lebowski.
Add Twister, Magnolia, Red Dragon, Scent of a woman ... and others

What a list!