Is there really such a thing as a “Slump Buster?”

We credit Mark Grace, former first baseman for the Chicago Cubs and then the Arizona Diamondbacks, with the creation of the term.  After being pressed by Jim Rome to define and clarify the expression in a now-famous 2003 interview on Jim Rome’s show, “Rome is Burning,” Grace said:  “A slump buster is if a team's in a slump, or if you personally are in a slump, you gotta find the fattest, gnarliest, grossest chick and you just gotta lay the wood to her. And when you do that, you're just gonna have instant success. And it could also be called jumping on a grenade for the team.”

Now while this may seem offensive, Grace, who is known for his unique sense of humor as well as consistency at bat and on base, sheds light on an elusive subject for baseball players and athletes alike: How do you bust out of a slump?

There is no one size fits all slump busting remedy.  Baseball, in particular, has a way of averaging out over the course of a season and sometimes slumps are just a natural baseball progression that you can blame on statistical averages.  Slumping is a normal part of baseball if you play it for any significant amount of time.  It happens to hall of famers and it happens to little leaguers.  Yogi Berra said: "Everybody has slumps. Hitters and pitchers struggle for no good reason. The big thing is not to change who you are."

Tell that to Tim Lincecum.  Though the media seems less concerned about his lack luster throwing as of late and more concerned with Matt “Mr. Perfect” Cain or even Vogelsong’s All-Star snub, fans are scratching their heads in confusion and wondering should Bochy really “Let Tim Choke?”

High pitch counts and scary walk rates are making it difficult for Lincecum to navigate his way through games lately.  By the numbers, Lincecum is averaging 5.2 innings per start after 8 games, a career low strikeout-to-walk ratio of 2.08, a career high walk rate and an alarming 1.58 WHIP (walks plus hits per inning pitched).  All that combined with a 5.77 earned run average makes it hard not to freak out as a fan.  The numbers are bound to improve, but the question on everyone’s mind going into the second half of the season is when?

Do not let his respectable strikeout rate fool you.  Both he and the Giants continue to struggle while fans search for a cause.  One of the most popular scapegoats: his alleged drug use, but where there is smoke, there is not always fire and his numbers are not the only ones going up in flames.   The Giant’s entire outfield is in a batting slump with batting averages the lowest they have been all year.  It won’t be long before even the stubborn Bruce Bochy pulls out his dance card and shuffles the pitchers around, bumping the two-time Cy Young award winner out of his number one spot.  But who steps up to the coveted top of the rotation: Cain, Bumgarner or Vogelsong? My money’s on Mr. Perfect himself.

With the Giants going 46-40 at the All-Star break, some serious changes/efforts/slumpbusting solutions need to happen. The All-Star game was a success for Cabrera, Posey, Cain and especially Sandoval, but will those hits, runs and strikes translate into wins down the home stretch?  If they are going to make a serious playoff push, Lincecum needs to get into gear, the higher ups need to secure a closer and a big time hitter needs to step up and cash in on their RISP (runners in scoring position).

With the All-Star break almost over, San Francisco Giants players, Lincecum in particular, need to figure out a solution to their pitching and hitting woes.  They could take advice from arguably one of the best starting pitchers in the history of the games, Tom “The Franchise” Seaver: “Slumps are very difficult things to try to decipher or decide which way to go to get out of them…The thing is to discipline yourself mentally, to build on what's positive and dismiss what's negative...”

If all else fails they should consider calling up Mark Grace to hang out.  Or at the very least contemplate his slump busting advice. After all, October is right around the corner and high-octane baseball is crucial for post-season play.