Whether you believe in “clutch” hitting or not, it’s hard to argue with the fact that Craig Monroe had some big hits last year. With that said, I think Monroe’s clutch ability is a bit overstated. He hit only .259 last year with runnners in scoring position and he was only a .225 hitter with two outs and with runners in scoring position. His late and close average is a bit better (.294) but hardly spectacular. It was the seven homeruns he hit in late and close games that Tiger fans remember. Will he be able to repeat this in 2007?
Regardless, this MLB.com profiles Craig Monroe and talks about how he hopes to become a more well rounded player. This includes getting it done in non-clutch situations. My opinion is, if he just works on becoming a better hitter, things will fall into place a bit better in every aspect of his game.
I believe this clutch hitting isn’t only getting a hit but more a factor of slugging. His slugging percentage was .647 on the ‘late and close’ stat. So these aren’t just any hits, they are big hits.
--Posted by Eric Jackson on March 21st, 2007 at 6:44 am