That’s when the coach relented and let him play as short stop. Short stops saw some action, and always had to be on their game, but there wasn’t the same sort of pressure on a short stop as there was on a pitcher. People always expect more of those who shine, and they don’t seem to realize that those expectations can be the very thing that makes someone snap. It isn’t so much what you’ve done to them as it is what they’ve come to expect from you. Jonathan even tried to explain it to his dad one Saturday back when he was still a pitcher, about an hour before a game when his father was trying to get him to eat something.
“You don’t understand, Dad. All of those people out there, they expect things from me. And that’s”
“Damn right, they expect things from you now, and well they should. They expect you to not allow a single hit, and that’s what you’re going to do! So come on over here and this sandwich I made for you, and then we’ll go to the game.”
“But Dad, that’s the bit that I’m trying to explain. People expect it from me, but no one seems to realize that it can’t go on forever. I mean”
“Of course it will go on forever, boy! I’ll have none of that defeatist talk in my house. Now, eat the sandwich, so we can get out of here!”
“Dad, I don’t think you’re listening to what I’m trying to say. I’m not perfect, and I’m sure I’m going to screw up eventually. I just wish I knew that people would still like me afterwards, you know. Like, I can’t help feeling like if the other team scores today everyone will hate me.”
“and that’s how it should be, boy. Listen to me, Johnnie, if you let the other team score today, you’ll let down a lot of people, including your old man. Now, you don’t want to let me down, do you?”
“No sir,” Jonathan said, hanging his head.
“Right. And that’s why you’re not going to let anyone from the other team score today. Are you going to eat that sandwich?”
“No dad, I’m not hungry right now. In fact, I think I’m going to be sick.”
“That’s my boy,” his father said, picking up the sandwich and eating it himself. “Now, let’s head on over to the field.