Come to Think of It...Phillies and Rays Prove "Ya Gotta Have Heart!"

They sometimes call them "gamers." Or "money" players. And other attributes that are impossible to calculate using sabermetrics. Still, I feel that there may be some validity to the argument that you need these types of players to go far in the playoffs, despite the fact that you can't really quantify the benefit.

Don't get me wrong, you have to start with talent. There is no substitute for having talented players. But, as this year's Cubs and Angels teams showed, just having a team full of talented players often isn't enough. You need that hustling desire, that "win at all costs" mentality. And it helps if those guys are young, too.

Although there is no statistical evidence for what I'm about to tell you, I'm going to say it anyway: Ya gotta have heart.

Look, all of the remaining teams in the baseball postseason are talented. But in addition to talent, the Rays have youth, and young players often seem impervious to the pressure that surrounds them. And they are hungry.

Likewise, the Phillies have a guy like Shane Victorino. A talented player to be sure, but he also has that something extra. Maybe it's a small man thing, but he hustles all the time and plays like he wants to scratch your eyes out. He has heart.

He had a nice season, playing solid defense with a strong arm and terrific speed. But it's been his performance thus far in the postseason that has really demonstrated his value. And to think the Phils almost traded the Flyin' Hawaiian!

Jimmy Rollins has it too. The Red Sox have those kind of guys, too; guys like Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis. But only one team can win.

One only has to look at my Cubs and the New York Mets for an example of this phenomenon. How can a team win 97 games during the regular season, lead or be close in many statistical categories, yet fold up like an accordion in the playoffs? In my opinion, it's because guys like Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez have talent to produce numbers over the long haul, but they don't have that energy, that spark—they just don't have heart.

I'm not saying they don't want to win. I'm sure all baseball players want to win. But how badly do they want it is the question.

Look at the Mets—an abundance of talent. David Wright, Carlos Delgado, Johan Santana, Jose Reyes, and on and on. Yet, like the Cubs, they're home watching. Oh, sure, injuries were a part of the equation. But I don't believe they are the entire equation.

I'm not saying that the Cubs and Mets don't have heart. The Mets showed heart last season but unfortunately it was too late. For example, that was one gutsy performance by Johan Santana on three days rest in late September, wasn't it? Ironically, it was the Cubs who let the Mets down, by losing to the Brewers in an otherwise meaningless game for Chicago, thus handing the wildcard to Milwaukee.

Well, at least the Mets have some players with proven post-season success like Carlos Beltran on their team. And it is true that the Cubs showed some heart of their own in their four game sweep of the Brewers.

But when the spotlight of postseason shone upon them, the Cubs wilted like the last rose of summer.

Listen, it's hard to find these kinds of players. Often a GM doesn't find out a player has these unquantifiable attributes until the pressure is on. And for every grind-'em-out-type player on the roster, you still have to have those one or two guys that can carry a club at times.

Boston used to have Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz, but Manny is in LA and Ortiz is hurting. The Rays have Evan Longoria. The Phillies have Ryan Howard. You get the idea.

I understand there are some so-called "clutch" stats available. But for one thing, not all of the stat geeks even agree there is such a thing as a clutch player. And anyway, stats such as average with runners in scoring position often don't tell the whole story.

And sometimes the player who wants to win can be a sort of villain to opposing teams. Guys like AJ Pierzynski of the White Sox, for example. Many fans and even some players seem to hate him, but you can't deny he's a winning player and the kind of guy you want in the foxhole with you.

Remember Pete Rose and his collision at the plate with Ray Fosse during the All-Star Game years ago? That was a damn exhibition game, for cryin' out loud. But that just goes to show you how badly the man wanted to win. In fact, you could bet on it. Ahem.

In hockey, there is Chris Chelios and his stickwork when the ref isn't looking. In basketball, the old Detroit Pistons come to mind, guys like Bill Laimbeer who used his elbow like a weapon. In football, it's Dick Butkus poking his finger in your eye.

It's Ty Cobb coming at you with his spikes up. Now, that's what I'm talking about!

If the game was played on paper, you could be like the Yankees and buy the best team and win every year. But that's not how it works, my friends. In fact, the Bronx Bombers are a perfect example. They have perhaps the best player on the planet in A-Rod, but when it comes to performing in the playoffs, he simply can't get 'er done.

Why is that? Is it just plain old luck? I don't think so, not when it keeps happening to the same players again and again.

Which leads me back to the point of my diatribe. That is, there is this non-statistical  facet of the game of baseball that seems to make the difference between a good team and a championship team. We all like our numbers, especially in baseball. Statistics are nice because they help explain things in a logical and orderly manner, which helps us make sense of why things happen the way they do, and help us predict what is going to happen.

Ah, but where is the heart stat? The one element that allows certain players to rise to the challenge and do their best when the heat is on? I admit it, you know it when you see it, but you cannot quantify it. Yet I am convinced it exists. In fact, his name is Shane Victorino, among others. And half of the Rays roster, come to think of it.

Some teams have heart, while other teams could use a heart transplant.