All of Delmon Young’s worst fears are realized while fielding this ball

Baseball is considered a game of failures. A hitter who experiences a bad outcome at the plate seven out of 10 times is still thought to be a pretty good player. 

The pressure to succeed in a game riddled with failure can lead to fear. Players become afraid of being sent down, or losing their jobs. They start to press, and, suddenly, their numbers drop. 

Baltimore Orioles outfielder Delmon Young has been through all of that. Once a top prospect, Young hasn’t really lived up to expectations. While he’s still hanging around the majors, he’s been reduced to a part-time player in recent years.

All of that should make Young invulnerable to the frightening nature of the game. Yet, like all of us, Delmon Young is human. He is not immune to fear.

Some people are afraid of spiders or heights. Delmon Young’s greatest fear is the in-between hop.

That’s the face of a man who has seen some stuff. He’s looked into the void and stared death in the face. This is Delmon Young’s boggart. All of his greatest fears have been sprung upon him in this moment.

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Instead of succumbing to crippling paralysis, Young is able to overcome. He cleanly fields the ball without making an error. 

Let this serve as an example for all of us. Due to Delmon Young, we’ve all seen that we can be pushed to the precipice of despair and come away unscathed.

(BLS H/N: /r/baseball)

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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik