Slumps and Sports

The Slump: A sudden drop or fall.

The stock market slumps; people get into a slump. And so do Baseball teams.

According to the Baseball Library, since 1900, the team with the longest losing streak in baseball was the Philadelphia Phillies, who lost 23 consecutive games from July 26 to August 20 in 1961.

HUGE slump.

A lot of local teams have also been in slumps. For example as of May 2^nd the Yankees just got swept by the Detroit Tigers in three games. We’re not even 1/4^thof the way through the season and people are already freaking out over it. These days many people know that the game sweeps are blown way out of proportion. Sports talk radio shows like Sportscenter and Baseball Tonight is what makes people crazy about slumps.

Also the fans have a lot to do with slumps too. When a player starts to lose rhythm, fans lose faith in that player and it puts more pressure on that player to pull through for their team. Now just imagine the Mets and or Yankees with a 23 game losing streak. Riots in Times Square, people burning David Wright and Derek Jeter jerseys.

Speaking of Jeter, his batting average is .275. Fans though are going nuts because “Captain Clutch” normally is in the low .300’s. That’s a slump???????

Here’s a real slump for you. Bob Buhl failed to record a single hit in 70 at-bats in 1962, the worst single-season batting performance in major league history. 

Ichiro Suzuki, one of baseball’s most successful players was in a terrible spring training slump but in an interview with the Japan Times Ichiro was quoted saying “To tell you the truth, some of this is kind of fun, to be in a situation this early, in spring training, and have this kind of a little bit intense environment is something I couldn't experience before. Basically, it's a situation where I need to battle within myself mentally. That's something I haven't experienced this time of the year. . . . This is great for me.” Ichiro as of last night, May 2nd, went 2 for 4 and his average is a mere .273. But believe me Jeter and Suzuki will be in the .300’s by the All- Star break at Yankee Stadium.

All slumps will eventually end. Bob Buhl finally got a hit, the Phillies finally won on August 21^st 1961, and a lot of people know that the Yankees and Mets will find a rhythm and start winning games. The stock market will eventually go back to normal. So the bottom line is slumps are no big deal. Everyone will eventually overcome them in sports or in real life (or both).