Antedating "the yips" OED 1963-->1943

[Joel S. Berson]

At 10/2/2010 03:12 PM, Laurence Horn wrote:
>I could have sworn that it was also applied to baseball players, e.g.
>to Steve Sax, a second baseman who suddenly for no obvious reason
>began to find it impossible to make the short throw to first.  I'll
>try googling "Steve Sax" + "the yips"...yup, 270 hits, including
>references to another Yankees second baseman, Chuck Knoblauch,

Yup.  (At least, I remember the day, although not the word.  He was notorious.)

>and
>various other non-golfers.  I think it's significant that it usually
>(always?) comes up in a baseball context either for a second baseman
>(who makes the shortest throw to first, as opposed to shortstops or
>third-basemen) or the catcher tossing the ball back to the pitcher.

Larry, did you find it also applied to a pitcher mis-throwing to
first (attempted pickoff, or on a bunt)?

Joel

>A catcher who just can't throw base stealers out at second just has a
>bad arm, not the yips.  And it's often "a case of the yips", which
>comes on suddenly and without explanation like cases of other
>afflictions.

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