What is the Steve Sax disease?

"Steve Sax disease," or more commonly "Steve Sax Syndrome," refers to the "yips," a sudden, inexplicable inability of an infielder (especially a second baseman) to make routine throws to first base, often due to overthinking or mental pressure, leading to many errors. It's a variation of "Steve Blass Disease," named after former Dodgers second baseman Steve Sax, who famously struggled with wild, inaccurate throws in 1983, becoming a well-known example of this performance breakdown in baseball.

What was Steve Sax syndrome?

The Steve Sax Syndrome refers to "the yips," a sudden, inexplicable loss of confidence and ability to make routine plays, specifically a second baseman's inability to throw accurately to first base, named after former Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Steve Sax, who experienced this mental block in 1983, making numerous errors before overcoming it. It's a form of the yips, a psychological phenomenon where an athlete loses fine motor control for a specific, learned skill, often linked to overthinking, like the similar "Steve Blass disease".
 

Why do pitchers get thoracic outlet syndrome?

Repetitive, high-intensity overhead exercise exerts pressure on these structures, placing high-performance athletes, including baseball pitchers, at increased risk for developing TOS.

What happened to Steve Sax?

The Diamondbacks fired him on October 8, 2013. As of 2015, Sax returned to the Los Angeles Dodgers organization as an alumnus member of the Dodgers' Community Relations team. Sax currently hosts SiriusXM's MLB Network Radio.

Are the yips a real thing?

It was once thought that the yips were always associated with performance anxiety. However, it now appears that some people have the yips due to a neurological condition affecting specific muscles. This condition is known as focal dystonia.

The Dreaded Steve Blass "Disease" - Players that got the Yips

How do you cure the yips?

Changing your head position and where your eyes focus may help. Try looking at the hole when you putt instead of down at the ball. Mental skills training. Techniques such as relaxation, visualization or positive thinking can help reduce anxiety, increase concentration and ease fear of the yips.

What is the most famous case of the yips?

The most famous case of the yips is widely considered to be pitcher Steve Blass, whose sudden, inexplicable loss of pitching control ended his promising career, leading to the condition sometimes being called "Steve Blass Disease". Other well-known examples include catcher Mackey Sasser's struggle with throwing the ball back to the pitcher and second baseman Steve Sax's inability to make routine throws to first base.
 

Why did Steve Sax retire?

Steve Sax retired from baseball primarily due to a combination of recurring injuries, declining effectiveness, and age, ending his final seasons with limited play for the Chicago White Sox and Oakland Athletics before his release and subsequent retirement in the mid-1990s. His career finished with inconsistent performances after his peak years with the Dodgers, where he famously battled the "yips" (throwing issues) earlier in the 1980s.
 

What happened to the 8 players in the Black Sox scandal?

With a famous edict that began “Regardless of the verdict of juries …,” Landis permanently barred the eight Black Sox players from participation in Organized Baseball. And with that, Joe Jackson, Eddie Cicotte, Buck Weaver, and the rest were consigned to the sporting wilderness.

What is Max Stassi's injury?

Impact Stassi has been out for the entirety of the 2023 season due to both a family issue as well as a hip injury that occurred just before Opening Day.

What is the 80/20 rule in baseball?

The 80/20 rule in baseball (Pareto Principle) means 80% of results come from 20% of efforts, guiding focus to high-impact fundamentals in training, like key pitches for hitters or core mechanics for pitchers, to maximize improvement and avoid burnout. It also refers to the 20-80 scouting scale used in baseball to grade player tools, where 50 is average, 20 is very poor, and 80 is elite, assessing skills like hitting, power, and fielding.
 

What position in baseball gets injured the most?

Positions that tend to be injured the most are pitchers, followed by batters and runners, then middle infielders and third basemen. Professional ballplayers are less likely to be injured overall, but the injuries tend to be more serious, often requiring long rehabilitation or even necessitating retirement.

Do MLB wives travel with their husbands?

Yes, MLB wives often travel with their husbands, especially for shorter trips or during specific times, but it's less common for them to travel full-time due to family responsibilities like children, and they usually pay their own expenses, though teams sometimes offer charter flights for wives on road trips. Many wives coordinate travel, flying separately to join the team for parts of road trips to maintain family time while managing their own busy lives, often balancing family logistics and personal careers alongside their husband's demanding schedule.
 

Which baseball player drank 70 beers?

The baseball player known for drinking a legendary (and likely exaggerated) amount of beer, including a claim of 73 beers on a single cross-country flight, is Hall of Famer Wade Boggs, who later claimed the total for the day reached 107. Boggs, a former third baseman for the Red Sox and Yankees, became famous for this story, which was even featured in an episode of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, though the numbers are widely considered mythical and impossible, with some suggesting he left sips in each bottle.
 

Where do you put your weakest players in baseball?

The "worst" player in baseball typically plays right field in recreational leagues because most hitters pull the ball to that side, meaning fewer plays are made, while in MLB, the weakest hitter often plays catcher, second base, or one of the outfield corners (especially Left Field), positions where defense is less demanding or hitting is less critical than pitching/defense. Teams strategically place less skilled hitters at positions that require less range or less offensive impact, such as the corners of the outfield or catcher, while valuing defense heavily at shortstop and third base.
 

Who rigged the World Series in The Great Gatsby?

According to Gatsby, Meyer Wolfsheim is a 'gambler', '...the man who fixed the World's Series back in 1919.

What was the most famous scandal in baseball history?

The 1919 World Series resulted in the most famous scandal in baseball history, often referred to as the Black Sox Scandal. Eight players from the Chicago White Sox (nicknamed the Black Sox) were accused of throwing the series against the Cincinnati Reds.

Who actually broke the color barrier in baseball?

Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color barrier in the modern era on April 15, 1947, when he played first base for the Brooklyn Dodgers. His debut ended over 50 years of segregation in Major League Baseball (MLB) and paved the way for other African American players, making him a key figure in the Civil Rights Movement.
 

Did Sandy Koufax marry Richard Widmark's daughter?

Baseball great Sandy Koufax married Anne Heath Widmark in in 1969 in Los Angeles. She is the daughter of actor/producer/director Richard Widmark and screenwriter Ora Jean Hazlewood.

What does Steve Sax do now?

Steve Sax, known by many for his phenomenal 14 year career as a major league baseball player where he was a 5-time All-Star, Rookie of the Year and 2-time World Series champion, hosts his podcast with the familiarity and experience that comes from playing on such great teams as the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees ...

What disease did Sandy Koufax have?

Sandy Koufax's major illness was severe, chronic arthritis in his left pitching elbow, diagnosed as traumatic arthritis, which led to his early retirement from baseball at age 30 in 1966 due to intense pain and the risk of permanent disability, despite groundbreaking performances in his final seasons, and he was also later diagnosed with cancer in 2010 but is now a survivor. 

Who threw a 106 mph pitch?

The pitcher most famously associated with throwing 106 mph is Aroldis Chapman, who hit that speed in 2011, setting the record for fastest MLB pitch at the time, though officially recorded slightly lower (around 105.8 mph); however, Ben Joyce also reached 106 mph in a minor league game and 105.5 mph in college, challenging Chapman's record and nearing the 106 mph mark in MLB.
 

Can you wear 69 in baseball?

Yes, you can wear #69 in Major League Baseball (MLB), as there's no specific rule against it, but it's rarely issued due to potential adult connotations, though some players like Bronson Arroyo and A.J. Cole have worn it, with the Pittsburgh Pirates being a frequent issuer of the number. While it's allowed, many teams hesitate to assign it, and players who wear it often don't keep it long or switch numbers. 

Who was the cocky baseball player?

A "cocky baseball player" refers to someone with excessive confidence, swagger, or arrogance on the field, often exemplified by players known for showboating, self-promotion, or confronting opponents/umpires, with historical figures like Ty Cobb, Reggie Jackson, and Rickey Henderson often cited, alongside modern examples like Fernando Tatis Jr. or Juan Soto, but it's subjective, with some seeing it as confidence (like Cal Ripken Jr.) and others as unsportsmanlike (like Carlos Gomez).