"I just try to do what I have to do and let the people out there do what they have to do, which is have fun, scream, yell and jump around. I try to do what I have to do, which is play baseball, and I can only play in that piece of area there, so that's what I try to do"
About this Quote
The intent is modesty, but the subtext is control. Martinez grants fans total permission to be chaotic - “scream, yell and jump around” - while drawing a hard line around his own responsibility. That division of labor matters. It’s not contempt for the crowd; it’s an insistence that their energy can’t be the driver of his performance. He won’t negotiate with the stadium. He’ll execute inside the smallest jurisdiction on the field, the mound, the strike zone, the few square feet where a game actually turns.
Contextually, it reads like a response to the circus of big moments: playoff atmospheres, hostile parks, the constant narrativizing of pressure. Martinez refuses the mythology. The repetition also functions as self-talk, the kind pitchers use to keep mechanics clean when adrenaline wants to take over. He’s not shrinking his role; he’s protecting it. The quote works because it demystifies greatness without diminishing it: focus isn’t a vibe, it’s a boundary.
Quote Details
| Topic | Sports |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite | Cite this Quote |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Martinez, Pedro. (2026, January 15). I just try to do what I have to do and let the people out there do what they have to do, which is have fun, scream, yell and jump around. I try to do what I have to do, which is play baseball, and I can only play in that piece of area there, so that's what I try to do. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-just-try-to-do-what-i-have-to-do-and-let-the-170610/
Chicago Style
Martinez, Pedro. "I just try to do what I have to do and let the people out there do what they have to do, which is have fun, scream, yell and jump around. I try to do what I have to do, which is play baseball, and I can only play in that piece of area there, so that's what I try to do." FixQuotes. January 15, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-just-try-to-do-what-i-have-to-do-and-let-the-170610/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"I just try to do what I have to do and let the people out there do what they have to do, which is have fun, scream, yell and jump around. I try to do what I have to do, which is play baseball, and I can only play in that piece of area there, so that's what I try to do." FixQuotes, 15 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-just-try-to-do-what-i-have-to-do-and-let-the-170610/. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.






