By default, that would have to mean that some guys perform better. but not that the better peformance is due to them being a special kind of player or something like that. i believe a player can become worse if he's in his head too much or can't handle the pressure. i'm not even necessarily talking about a specific player. it could just be a team in a really bad slump If some pitchers get worse in clutch situations, and some batters don't, then those batters would by default have the appearance of clutch hitting, and it would show up in statistical analysis. you're really making this more complicated than it really is. all i'm saying is that pressure can negatively effect hitters at times. the fact that the cubs have been so atrocious with risp this season is partly luck, yeah. but you cant say that part of it isn't that they're pressing (or whatever you want to call it) it's kind of like the people who keep saying "the cubs just got cold at the wrong time the past 2 seasons" and stuff like that, when it's clear that they flat out choked. they couldn't handle the moment. it was obvious. they crumbled under the pressure.