It’s not impossible to recover from a bad first impression, but it does raise the difficulty level to “expert.” Knock over a glass of water when the waiter is halfway through reciting the specials, run into your new boss while on a sweats-and-unbrushed-hair grocery store run, confess your distaste of anime on a first date only to have your companion raise their shirtsleeve to show a lovingly detailed Goku tattoo; all these things can likely be overcome, with sufficient time and effort. The problem for a major league reliever is you’re not always given the time you need to come correct, and sometimes no matter how much effort you expend, it’s not always enough.
40 in 25: Erik Swanson
