Editing Steve Sax (section)

==Career==
Sax starred at James Marshall High School (now known as River City High School) in [[West Sacramento, California]], from 1975 to 1978. The [[Los Angeles Dodgers]] selected Sax in the ninth round of the [[1978 MLB draft]].<ref name="SABR">{{cite web |last=Cohen |first=Alan |title=Steve Sax |url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/1ebe8065 |website=[[Society for American Baseball Research]] |access-date=August 7, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200805221316/https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/Steve-Sax/ |archive-date=August 5, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref> Sax was a late season call up in 1981, playing 31 games.<ref name=stats>{{cite web |title=Steve Sax Stats |url=http://www.espn.com/mlb/player/stats/_/id/865/steve-sax |website=ESPN  |access-date=August 7, 2019}}</ref> Sax broke into the majors as a regular in 1982, earning the [[National League (baseball)|National League]] [[MLB Rookie of the Year Award|Rookie of the Year]] award.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Moreno |first=Matthew |date=November 22, 2014 |title=This Day In Dodgers History: Steve Sax Wins Rookie Of The Year |url=https://www.dodgersnation.com/this-day-in-dodgers-history-steve-sax-rookie-of-the-year-1982/2014/11/22/ |access-date=August 7, 2019 |website=DodgersNation.com}}</ref> Throughout his career, Sax was on the [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] team five times and had a [[batting average (baseball)|batting average]] over .300 in three seasons. He had great success on the basepaths, [[stolen base|stealing]] over 40 bases in six different seasons, finishing with a career total of 444 stolen bases.<ref name=stats/> His best year arguably came in 1986, when he finished second in the NL with a .332 batting average, 210 base hits, and 43 doubles, and won a [[Silver Slugger Award]].<ref name="SABR" /> Sax earned [[World Series ring]]s with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1981 and 1988.<ref name="SABR" />

Following the end of the 1988 season, Sax signed with the New York Yankees as a free agent after feeling disrespected by the Dodgers during contract negotiations.<ref name="SI-1989">{{Cite magazine |url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1989/08/21/inside-baseball |magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]] |last=Gammons |first=Peter |date=August 21, 1989 |title=Inside: Baseball |publisher=Time |location=New York City |access-date=September 28, 2024 }}</ref><ref name="SABR" /> In 1989, he made the All-Star team due to a strong start with the Yankees.<ref name="SABR" /> He finished the season with a .315 batting average, 205 base hits, 88 runs, and 43 stolen bases.<ref name="SABR" /> Sax made the All-Star team his last time in 1990, finishing the season with 43 stolen bases, though his batting average dropped to .260.<ref name="SABR" /> In 1991, he had another strong year with the Yankees, finishing the season with a .304 batting average, 198 base hits, and 38 doubles.<ref name="BR">{{Cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/saxst01.shtml |website=[[Baseball Reference]] |title=Steve Sax |access-date=September 30, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240303124716/https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/saxst01.shtml |archive-date=March 3, 2024 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Sax was also a higher-up in the [[Major League Baseball Players Association|Players Association]] during his career.<ref>{{cite news |last=Oliver |first=Richard |title=Richard Oliver: Sax hits sour notes over Dodgers' ownership woes |url=https://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/columnists/richard_oliver/article/Richard-Oliver-Sax-hits-sour-notes-over-Dodgers-1450848.php |work=[[San Antonio Express-News]] |date=July 3, 2011 |access-date=August 18, 2019}}</ref>

===Steve Sax syndrome===
Though never regarded as one of the top fielding second basemen in the league, Steve Sax inexplicably became incapable of making routine throws to first base in 1983, committing 30 errors that season.<ref>{{cite web |last=Mead |first=Doug |title=40 Worst Fielders in Baseball History |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1060314-40-worst-fielders-in-baseball-history |website=[[Bleacher Report]] |date=February 10, 2012 |access-date=August 7, 2019}}</ref> This is referred to in baseball terminology as "Steve Sax syndrome", the fielder's variant of "[[Steve Blass]] disease", named after the Pirates pitcher who suffered a similar breakdown of basic mechanics (also known as "the [[yips]]"). As his accuracy suffered, fans sitting behind the first base dugout began wearing batting helmets as mock protection.<ref>{{cite web |last=Braswell |first=Sean |title=The Big Leaguer Who Forgot How to Throw |url=https://www.ozy.com/flashback/the-big-leaguer-who-forgot-how-to-throw/41527 |website=[[Ozy Media]] |date=May 28, 2015 |access-date=August 21, 2019 |archive-date=June 1, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160601120803/http://www.ozy.com/flashback/the-big-leaguer-who-forgot-how-to-throw/41527 |url-status=dead }}</ref> (Teammate [[Pedro Guerrero (baseball, born 1956)|Pedro Guerrero]], an [[outfielder]] pressed into service at [[third base]] in 1983, once reportedly stated that his first thought whenever he was in the field was "I hope they don't hit it to me", while his second thought was "I hope they don't hit it to Sax.")<ref>{{cite news |last1=Vecsey |first1=George |title=Sports of the Times; Pedro Guerrero: Dodgers' Warrior |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/08/28/sports/sports-of-the-times-pedro-guerrero-dodgers-warrior.html |website=[[The New York Times]] |date=August 28, 1985 |page=B5 |access-date=August 21, 2019}}</ref> By 1989, however, Sax seemed to be completely "cured", leading the American League in both [[fielding percentage]]<ref>{{cite news |last1=Boswell |first1=Thomas |title=When You Call the Hall, Sax Certainly Has Appeal |date=April 20, 1992 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1992/04/20/when-you-call-the-hall-sax-certainly-has-appeal/825ecaa2-b32a-4006-ab9b-957e3ad3ca12/ |newspaper=[[Washington Post]] |access-date=August 7, 2019}} {{subscription required}}</ref> and [[double plays]]. <!-- But it should be noted from this poster who was dating him at the time, that the real reason he missed all those throws to first is that his father has recently passed away (heart attack, June 1983), and he was mourning and suffering and kept this personal matter hidden well from the media and the general public. Steve used to get hundreds of letters from fans with "cures" as to how to fix his throwing problem when really he was a young guy who needed to mourn his father.
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