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It might not be as widespread as Gehrig's ALS, but sadly, Steve Blass Disease has taken its fair share of victims. The disease, named after former Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Steve Blass, refers to an athlete's sudden and inexplicable loss of ability. Blass got the unfortunate ignomy of having the disease bear his name after his career derailed when he lost the ability to pitch strikes. Until that point, he'd built quite a resume, acquiring 18- and 19-win seasons, making the All-Star team in 1972 and helping the Pirates win the 1971 World Series. Then, in 1973, the wheels came off. He tripled his ERA, walking 84 batters in 88 innings and striking out only 27. In short, he just couldn't pitch. He was sent to the minors in 1974 and, after a failed attempt to make a return, retired before the 1975 season, becoming a sales representative for a ring company.

What's remarkable about Blass' downfall is that there's no explanation. He didn't have any injury, there was no event that shattered his confidence. he just…stopped. The dreaded Steve Blass disease has struck plenty of other athletes, all without reason. The reigning theory is that it's all mental- one mistake leads the player to start overthinking a simple act, like kicking or throwing a ball. But can a simple brain fart stop an athlete's performance? Well, Yogi Berra did once reportedly say "Ninety percent of this game is half mental." However, baseball genius and sports psychology-non-believer Bill James would chalk up that explanation as a modern-day equivalent to witchcraft. There is, as of yet, no known cure, but I'm sure someone, somewhere, is trying to line up Jerry Lewis to host a telethon.