Jeff Sullivan, of SB Nation MLB and Lookout Landing, writes about Brooks Conrad here:
↵↵↵You don't want to fail at something the viewing public thinks it could do itself. Ask Bill Buckner. Locally, ask Rob Johnson. And, after today, ask Brooks Conrad. There's nowhere to hide. You can't fall back on the excuse that, hey, baseballs are really hard to throw, or hit, or whatever. You just have to deal with the reality that, in a critical spot, you messed up something that much of the viewing audience literally could've done without trouble.
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You know what's funny? The only true way for Conrad to redeem himself would be by hitting a big, lead-changing or tie-breaking home run in Game 4 or Game 5. That would make people feel better for Conrad. That would make people feel like everything's been righted again. And that big, lead-changing or tie-breaking home run would have had a pitcher. It would have had a guy who screwed up. He just wouldn't have screwed up as visibly. I guess players are less sympathetic when their screw-ups aren't memorable.
The whole thing is very much worth reading.