Of course. It's just not as simple as some people would like to have it. Maybe some guys are a little more clutch than others. It's a mystery because it's about how the human mind works under stress and things like that. None of us have definitive answers.
The random sample thing does not disprove clutch's existence. It indicates that a sample like Schilling's MIGHT BE a result of randomness. But that's a whole different thing. It's generally impossible to prove a negative.
But that's what I'm saying: there's no difference between a crucial hit and a clutch hit, so there's no need for the word clutch.
Schilling's record was virtually unblemished. Beckett's became blemished but was still pretty damn good. I don't see why it wouldn't be about the preponderance of data, just as it is with everything else.
Cora is very selective about that, too. Last night Wong stayed in the game after Houck was done, faced 2 RH relievers, one with the Sox behind a run, one with the game tied, and of course he improbably homered both times.