There's only one thing you can say about the Cardinals

[Zeus]

Every last strike you get on them is vital. Last year, they were down to their last strike twice against the Rangers to lose the World Series before they won. Tonight they scored 4 runs after being down to their last strike. And this was after they were down 6-0 after the 3rd inning. These guys are just insane in the clutch.

[Don]

I don't see what's so special about the comeback because it sure didn't look like any particular person was hitting way above what he's supposed to do. It's not like we're having guys who hits for 5 home runs in a reason suddenly hitting back to back home runs. Ibanez hitting two home runs in two at-bats seems far more improbable than what the Cardinals did. Maybe they're just a strong team in general (hard to prove it one way or another, but certainly possible).

[Flip]

I was at the game. Thats all i got.

[Zeus]

Don,these guys have an uncanny ability to make comebacks with only one strike left before elimination. The last couple years they've been unreal.

Flip, that would kinda sick. But it was a helluva game to watch

[Flip]

Yeah at least it was historic, but not for the reasons i would have preferred!

[Don]

I think the whole 'down to last strike' is kind of overrated. It's not like you normally see a major league batter with 2 strikes and say "OMG how is he going to get out of TWO STRIKES?" I mean yeah it's obviously not a favorable position and the odds are against you, I get that, but it's nothing inherently inexplicable to hit out of a 2 strike situation.

I don't see their ability to get out of a tough situation that can't be explained by the fact that perhaps they're just a very strong team to begin with. It's nothing like Ibanez hitting 2 home runs back to back. That'd be a worthy manga moment. I remember watching him bat and they talk about how he hit a home run last at bat to tie it and I was thinking: "If this is a manga he's going to home run again" and he did!

[Flip]

I think pretty much every manga also has the 2 outs, bases loaded, 2 strikes, last inning situation like the Cards were in and in the manga they always pull it out, too.

If you cant figure out why being down to your last strike to end your season is not mentally or logically harder than at any other point of the game, this argument is a lost cause. To have that situation happen to a team numerous times and watch them fight out of it again and again in playoff situations is nothing short of a miracle. Not to mention the ridiculous call that went their way against the Braves in the one game play in last week. The Cardinals are fucking touched by god himself.

[Don]

In a manga the guy facing the full count on the last out is also facing a pitcher that'd make Mariana Rivera look like a newbie.

In the studies on clutch at least on basketball there's really no conclusive evidence that 'clutch' exists from a statistical point of view, and studies on free throws tend to suggest there's no such thing as pressure or home court advantage when it comes to making free throws (i.e. pros shoot while away just as well as at home on free throws, which is pretty much a controlled shot). While that's not proof I see a theory that says if pros are so easily intimidated/pressured then that kind of defeats the point of doing this for a living at the professional level. It's not unreasonable to expect your pro level players to be able to deal with stress. This isn't like say people freak out in March Madness and since Pros are more intensive than college so the pressure is even worse. If you look at NBA they pretty much almost never make newbie mistakes like they do in college because they're pros. Also keep in mind none of the closers used on either team are anywhere near say Rivera's level of intimidation. It's not like these guys are getting a run off Eric Gagne while he was on his whatever consecutive save streak. You're not going to be afraid of some guy who saved 42 out of 47 times. Of course that guy is still a great closer but there's no particular reason to fear him.

[Zeus]

It's not overrated, particularly when it occurs as often as it has the last couple of years with these guys.