stupid

[GEORGE THOMPSON]

        The current issue of Baseball Weekly quotes a young minor leaguer
speaking of a team-mate, a pitcher:  "He's stupid against
left-handers."  The context shows that this is meant to be a
complimentary remark, and evidently translated into prosaic English
it means "he's very effective against left-handers".  I've not
encountered this transvaluation of values before.  Anyone else
familiar with it?
        I would guess that it is a development of the idea expressed in the
baseball use of the word "unconscious": "He's just unconsious right
now" = "He's playing so extremely well he must be unaware of what he
is doing, because if he were aware, he would know that what he's
doing isn't possible."

        If there is a lexicographer in the house who wants the exact
citation, let me know.

GAT