Steve Sax
A fiery second baseman who overcame a notorious case of the yips to become a World Series champion and five-time All-Star.
Born 1960 (age 66)·American baseball player·Birthday: January 29·Baby Boomers
Biography
Steve Sax burst onto the scene with the Los Angeles Dodgers, a key part of the team's youthful infield known for its speed and scrappy play. His rookie year culminated in a World Series ring in 1981, and he followed it up with Rookie of the Year honors. Then came 'Steve Sax Syndrome'—a sudden, inexplicable inability to make routine throws to first base that plagued him for most of the 1983 season. Sax's true mark was his relentless work to conquer the mental block, returning to form as a consistent .280 hitter and defensive stalwart. He won another championship with the Dodgers in 1988, later bringing his gritty style to the New York Yankees. Sax's career is a testament to baseball's psychological demands and the resilience required to overcome its most public struggles.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Steve was born in 1960, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Steve Was Born
The biggest hits of 1960
#1 Movie
Swiss Family Robinson
Best Picture
The Apartment
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Steve's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1960Born
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1965Started school
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1973Became a teenager
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1976Could drive
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1978Could vote
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1981Turned 21
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1990Turned 30
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 40
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 50
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 60
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 66 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won World Series championships with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1981 and 1988.
- Named National League Rookie of the Year in 1982 after batting .282 with 49 stolen bases.
- Selected as an All-Star five times (1982, 1983, 1986, 1989, 1990).
- Won the Silver Slugger Award in 1986 as the best offensive second baseman in the National League.
Did You Know?
The psychological term 'Steve Sax Syndrome' is used in sports for a sudden loss of skill in performing simple tasks.
He and his brother Dave Sax were teammates on the 1989 New York Yankees.
He served as first base coach for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2024.
He was known for his distinctive high-socked uniform style.
“You have to forget the last play and win the next pitch.”
