The Slump

The Slump Summary | Detailed Summary

As this story begins, the narrator - a professional baseball player - is searching for a way to explain his current batting slump. While his coach and the newspapers attribute the slump to bad reflexes, the narrator does not believe this to be the case. He tells us that in an attempt to test this theory, his wife recently walked into their bedroom wearing a rubber gorilla mask, which sent him under the bed in six-tenths of a second.

Instead, the narrator attributes his slump to not being able to see the ball clearly. He recalls being able to see nearly every detail on the ball as it moved toward him: the stitches, the pitcher's thumbprint, even the manufacturer's guarantee. Now, however, the ball appears to have a cloud surrounding it, making it more difficult to see. The narrator also wonders if he is taking his eye off the ball at the last minute so that he can imagine what it will be like to round second base or slap the third base coach's hand. In any case, he knows that his current batting slump may result in his trade to another team.

As he contemplates the possible reasons for his slump, the narrator tells us that ironically, since the slump began, he actually feels less anxious before games. Before the slump, he would begin to get anxious as soon as he pulled into the stadium parking lot and this nervousness would increase in intensity as he prepared to take batting practice. Now, however, he confidently strides into the stadium, and during batting practice, he is easily able to hit the ball. However, once the game begins and he finds himself in the on-deck circle, he finds himself almost paralyzed with anxiety.

While some criticize him for not being hungry enough, the narrator tells us he now feels a kind of panic hunger. He compares his current state with that of a young child attempting to catch a ball: as the ball comes closer, the child usually closes his eyes. Similarly, when the narrator approaches the plate, he feels as though his eyes are closed and that he must force himself to see.

The narrator tells us that the slump has not only affected his professional life, it has had an impact on his personal life as well. He has stopped being intimate with his wife, compulsively mows the lawn to the point where the grass has turned brown, and is afraid to watch his children play baseball. He also tells us that while he used to enjoy spending time in Florida during the pre-season training period, the sun now seems like a fly ball he is about to lose track of and the waves never seem to stop pounding the shore. Additionally, when he tried to read a book, all he was able to see were lines of print, no words.

The narrator thinks that perhaps if he were "beaned" - hit by a pitch - he would break out of his slump. He recalls Joe DiMaggio's notorious slump that was broken after he followed his manager's suggestion to get drunk one evening. However, he knows that if he is not hitting, the pitches will never come close enough to hit him. As he settles into the batter's box, he can almost hear the catcher laughing at him. For just a moment, he is able to see the ball clearly: the stitches, the pitcher's thumbprint, even the manufacturer's guarantee, before it blurs. In searching for a possible explanation for this, the narrator concludes that nothing associated with baseball is important. "Just you are there," he concludes, "and it's not enough."