I think the point is that Steve actually did something about their actions. He was the phenom of the fall, a shortstop who could make plays that even made Andy Lopez shake his head.
Nobody can explain what happened once the season started.
Tim Olson can't, couldn't then when it was mystifying and miserable. A hole had developed in his glove. He had gone from a slick fielder to a matador, the baseball charging like a bull right through his red cape of a glove into left field. It wasn't just grounders he was misplaying. He dropped popups, too.