Forgive San Diego State's Stephen Strasburg for being fed up with the hype.
Better yet, don't blame him.
The gushing infatuation with the 103-mph right hander is downright ridiculous.
Strasburg doesn't seem tailored to fit in his own shoes. It sounds odd considering that you buy shoes that fit you.
But Strasburg didn't purchase his. Rather, he has been forced to slip into an uncomfortable glass slipper by the mainstream media, something he said he doesn't relish. He's been paraded around and hailed as the consensus No. 1 pick in next year's MLB Draft, but beyond all the compliments, Strasburg said he remains wary of people's intentions.
"All that hype isn't going to help you at all," he said. "They're just waiting for us to falter. All of them."
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SDSU head coach Tony Gwynn told USA Today that Strasburg "can't even get a burger. The guy can't sit in the library. He's got collectors hanging outside the ballpark trying to get his autograph so they can put it on eBay."
Strasburg admits the mini-celebrity status he has been force-fed cramps his style.
"Oh yeah (it does)," he said. "My No. 1 goal is to focus on the team, win a conference tournament and get to a regional."
At the same time, Strasburg, forgive us, for we know not what we do. It's hard for the greater public not to turn you into a media darling. If what they say about baseball is true - how the reputation of America's pastime is being dragged through the mud, compliments of a filthy steroid era - baseball fans live vicariously through Strasburg because he's pure.
To our knowledge, Strasburg hasn't fallen victim to the syringe. And that's worth praising, even more so when you throw 103-mph pitches.
Rafael Neda, who saw his share of pitchers last year, was just as floored as everybody else.
"It was the first time we've ever seen a pitcher like that," Neda said.
It might be some Lobos' first and last times - unless UNM faces the Aztecs again in the Mountain West Conference Tournament.
John Hesketh, who went toe-to-toe with Strasburg on Friday night, was most impressed with the mechanics of the Aztecs' pitcher.
"When I saw him throw - I'm sure you noticed it - it looked effortless," Hesketh said. "He has the same arm action on his curveball and kept us off-balance all night."
And he knows how to throw - to everybody.
On Friday, normally Strasburg would get ahead in the count by blowing away the Lobos' batter with fastballs, giving him an 0-2 count. Then, he would have the luxury of having UNM off-balance, meaning the Lobos' batters wouldn't know what to expect - fastball, slider or curveball.
But against Brian Cavazos-Galvez, who would jack any fastball left high in the strike zone, Strasburg threw nothing but curves and sliders, many of them appearing like they would end up directly over the plate but landing in the catcher's mitt several bat-lengths to the left.
"He's swinging either way every single time," Strasburg said about the right-handed batter. "If you leave it over the plate, he's going to hit it a mile. If you don't, you'll be OK."
For all those who kiss Strasburg's feet, there are those who still see him as a work in progress.
"He pitched his tail off," UNM head coach Ray Birmingham said. "I tip my hat to the way the kid pitches, but I think he needs to work on his demeanor a little bit."
What Strasburg did to irritate Birmingham remains a mystery. After pitching his first complete game of the season, Strasburg animatedly pumped his fist - but that's about it.
"You saw it, so I don't have to tell you," Birmingham said.
Hesketh said Strasburg doesn't mask his emotions.
"You can understand he has a lot of emotions going on during the game," he said. "At the same time, where he's going, he's got to be able to control those emotions. He might as well try and start controlling them now."
One thing's for sure: He's got great control of his pitches. Self-control, too, and his coaches have something to do with both of those qualities.
"The coaches isolate me for the most part," Strasburg said. "They don't let me talk to nobody, which is good because it helps me focus on the game."
