The Diseased Baseball Minds

Steve Blass, Steve Sax, Rick Ankiel, Chuck Knoblauch, and Mark Wohlers.

Little common ground is to be found among this list of players: one reliever, one starter, one starter-turned-outfielder, and two second basemen. But certain baseball thinkers believe these five men to be sufferers of "The Steve Blass Disease," a condition ascribed to those baseball players who mysteriously become incapable of performing tasks which they used to succeed at, likely due to psychological effects.

How it all began...

Steve Blass, a Pittsburgh Pirate, nearly won the Cy Young in 1972 at age 30, was an All-Star, and had pitched brilliantly in the playoffs, pitching 15.2 innings and giving up three runs. In 1973, his WHIP reached 2.17 and his ERA nearly quadrupled, rising to 9.85. He walked 84 men in 88.2 innings in 1973; he had walked the same amount in 249.2 innings the year before. He was sent down to the minors, would return briefly in 1974 to make a relief appearance, and then retired in March 1975 after failing to make it out of spring training.

Not even position players are safe!

(It says a lot about his career that the only usable image of him I could find was from The Simpsons)
Steve Sax, second baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers, would be the next man diagnosed with Blass' disease, after suddenly becoming incapable of making throws to first base in 1983. He committed 30 errors in that year, up from 19 in 1982. He would be one of the few to be "cured," so to speak, when he rebounded and no longer frightened the fans behind first base.

The Virus returns to the mound

Mark Wohlers was the first reliever hit, in two ways. Jim Leyritz in game four of the 1996 World Series hit a game tying 3-run home run, shifting the power and giving the Yankees a World Series title after defeating the Atlanta Braves in six. All seemed well in the year following, but in 1998, his control was no longer there. In 1996, he issued 21 walks in 77.1 innings. In 1997, he issued 38 walks in 69.1 innings. In 1998, he would nearly equal that, with 33 walks in only 20.1 innings. This one hit much closer to home in terms of Steve Blass Disease, as the loss of control was exactly what Blass had experienced. Wohlers would rebound, however, and return to the majors to throw another 167 average innings before leaving baseball.

How to throw baseballs at people's heads and get away with it

(I could not find a picture of Chuck's bad feeling shaming him, so I found one that was an uncalled shame)
Chuck Knoblauch, second baseman for the Minnesota Twins, the Yankees, and the Kansas City Royals, was Steve Sax redux. In his time in Minnesota, he gained a reputation as a sure-handed fielder, one of the best in the game at second. He came to the Bronx in 1998; a year later, he could not make a throw to first. Another year later, the Yankees would actually play Knoblauch as a DH just to keep him off of the field. He even went to psychiatrists and psychologists for help, but still fired many a throw into the crowd. Joe Torre threw him in left field, where an errant throw meant less hassle than a lawsuit from an angry fan with the imprint of a baseball on his forehead and lost outs.

What's this guy got against backstops?

Perhaps the most famous case for a fan of the game today is St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Rick Ankiel. He struck out batters at an absurd pace in high school, maintained his stuff in the minors, and would finish second in the NL Rookie of the Year vote for 2000 while posting a 3.50 ERA and 194 strikeouts, striking out nearly ten batters per nine innings. The playoffs, however, would be a different tale for the rookie. In the third inning of game 1 against the Atlanta Braves, Ankiel saw his career as a starter die. He walked four men (one of whom was fellow starter Greg Maddux) and threw five wild pitches. The Cardinals weathered the storm, and Ankiel got a chance to redeem himself in game 2 of the NLCS. The recovery and return to dominance was not to be, unfortunately, as he threw two wild pitches and another three pitches had reached the backstop in the first inning. He had thrown 20 pitches at the time of his removal. He showed up in relief in game five, walking two and throwing two more wild pitches.

His issues persisted in 2001, and he was returned to the minors. His control was completely gone at this point, and he walked 17 batters and threw 12 wild pitches in only 4.1 innings. Later that year, he would see time as a designated hitter, which would help him start his recovery - not as a starter, but now as an outfielder. Today, he is on the Triple-A Memphis disabled list, waiting for a call-up.

But in truth, this article is about none of the players mentioned above. While most fans find their stories depressing, none of them matter today. Even in Ankiel's case, he is clawing his way back to the majors, and most seem to have forgotten about his experiences. Brad Lidge, however, is still quite present to us, and he is who I want to put the focus on.

Victim Number Six?

(No player has ever wanted to throw up in his own face more than Brad here)
While not viewed as a sufferer of Steve Blass disease, Lidge seems well on his way to that path. Most people reading this can remember the moment where Lidge's downfall began. It was the 2005 NLCS, game five, and the Houston Astros were one out away from going to their first ever World Series. David Eckstein and Jim Edmonds reached base, and then Albert Pujols stepped up and decimated a pitch, sending it on to the railroad tracks of Minute Maid Park. The Astros would win game six and head to the World Series, but Lidge has yet to rebound. Lidge was one of the best closers in the majors in 2004 and 2005, predicted to remain in the elite class for several years to come, but in 2006, he struggled mightily.

Season	ERA	WHIP	K/BB	IP
2004	1.90	0.92	5.23	94.2
2005	2.29	1.15	4.48	70.2
2006	5.28	1.40	2.89	75.0
2007*	3.57	1.70	2.67	17.2

*as of 10:00 PM EST on May 15, 2007

He has been juggled in and out of the closer's role in 2006 and 2007, being demoted but then pitching well in middle relief and being given it back by Phil Garner. All it took to knock Lidge off-course from his expected multi-year career as a top closer was a single home run, one that did not even cost his team in the end. He still has a chance, but likely not one that involves closing games.

Is Lidge really a sufferer of the disease that has ruined careers? Is he just reaching the end of his (short) prime? Is this even a disease? No matter the answers to these questions, there is one undeniable point here. Witness what may be the strongest force in baseball: the mind.

[McKain]

If I had the capabilities, I would embed scary 1960s horror movie sound effects in this article so that every time you'd open it up you'd hear people yelling "OH MY GOD! I'M INFECTED!" accompanied by the shrieks of fainting women.

But I don't, so just imagine that as you read. Do it for me.

[redsrbetter]

Too bad I read the article before I read your post. But I can still imagine the effect.

Nice article man. I was listening to XM today or yesterday (whenever) and a guy called in on The Show. He was talking to Buck Martinez and Rob Dibble about his kid's recent struggles with throwing the baseball. The guy's son is a catcher and got hit in the facemask a few times by a foul ball. Since then, he was unable to even release theball when he was trying to throw back to the pitcher. I believe the disease is real, but is definitely a mental thing.

I cannot imagine how bad it would be to find something that used to be second nature as something that is impossible to do any longer.

As for Lidge, I am not quite sure what has happened to him. I don't think he has the disease though. If he did, he would never find the strikezone (See Blass, Wholers, Ankiel) and wouldn't have a job in the big leagues anymore. I think he has just lost his ability to be awesome. If that makes any sense at all.

Great read man!

+rep, DIGG, delicious, YB

[missionhockey21]

Originally Posted by McKain If I had the capabilities, I would embed scary 1960s horror movie sound effects in this article so that every time you'd open it up you'd hear people yelling "OH MY GOD! I'M INFECTED!" accompanied by the shrieks of fainting women. But I don't, so just imagine that as you read. Do it for me.

I really should look into that functionality, for use of a sound clip like that alone.

Anyway, interesting stuff here McKain. I am not terribly aware of Steve Blass, other than the general info and stats, but were there any injury problems lingering with him? I don't know if even a total mental breakdown could bring down a pitcher who looked that promising to the kinds of seasons he had after it. I know the psychological aspect is what gets blamed, but I've always wondered with today's medical field if they would of found something funky with his arm. A small chance I know, but I think like that. Perhaps years from now, when the Pirates make it to the World Series and Blass does such a good job that there are murmors with him getting a national gig offered to him, he'll totally choke in the following game. If I was part of the announcing team with him for the Pirates, it would be really hard not to drop comparisons to a pitcher losing it on the mound and his career from 1972 onward.

Lidge is an interesting case though, because unlike most who fall victim to the disease it seems, his is defined by a moment. Not a situation where the pressure was too immense (ala Blass returning from such a promising season or Knoblauch and Bronx pressure), but someone turning the game around and that someone being Albert Pujols. With many it seems that they let their mind get the better of them and that leads to their downfall; and ultimately while that has happened to Lidge, it makes you wonder where he would be had Pujols never crushed that pitch.

[McKain]

From what I know and read, Blass had no injury problems, no problems with his mechanics. There are two explanations that are used: age (which makes no sense, since it happened so quickly) or goin' nutso.

[missionhockey21]

Yeah, I've never read anything to the contrary, just thinking out loud more than anything. But I have heard the age explanation by a few and I just don't buy it, first off the man was not that old and secondly (like you mentioned) he would of needed to basically go from 0 to 60 in a split second in aging with pitching like a athlete at the top of his game one year to maybe the guy you bring in on relief for a Sunday beer league softball game.

[redsrbetter]

I have a question. I honestly have not watched Lidge pitch too much the last few years. Maybe an outing or two. But has this been linked to him at all? Or is this your thoughts on his current miscues on the mound?

I really think it could be an idea. Again, I haven't really seen him throw lately. But is he missing the strike zone terribly?

[McKain]

This hasn't been linked to him by any "prominent baseball minds" or anything, but it has enough similarities to the Wohlers situation that I think it's possible that he's experiencing the psychological block.

If I could remember a damn thing about baseball last year I'd try to tell you what Lidge was doing but my memory's not that good.

[redsrbetter]

Well I consider you a "prominent baseball mind" so it is linked in that manner I guess.

Had a little too much partying last season? Wait, the Nats didn't do anything but rob the Reds of a few talented players. But winning didn't come with the theft from what I can remember. So basically, you have just blocked it all out?

[McKain]

nah, I just have a terrible recent memory. I can remember moments from like 8 years ago with the most ridiculous ease and detail, but ask me about the past month and I'm like "hahaha how the hell should I know"

[Providence A's]

interesting...it is weird how all of the sudden some guys can fall apart for no reason at all. Perhaps some of these guys got lucky in the 1st place with everything falling into place for them. I do think it's all mental with Lidge...he hasn't seemed to have recovered from that moment yet.

[Porter99]

The interesting thing is how Bryung-Hyun Kim hasn't fallen to this disease. He had a horrifying expierence similar to Lidge (ok maybe worse, I know he's a hero in Yankee Nation).