Peanuts, popcorn, home runs: In the sixth inning Sunday, Drew Stubbs hit his first homer as an Indian, a line drive to right field that landed in a fan's tub of popcorn just beyond the fence. The shower of popcorn covered Houston's Rick Ankiel, who almost made a great catch.
He was close. SportsTime Ohio reporter Katie Witham interviewed the fan, but not before springing for a new tub of popcorn. He earned All-Big Ten honors as an outfielder in , after batting. He batted. That season, he led all minor league baseball players with walks. Ranked on the list of most popular Baseball Player. Also ranked in the elit list of famous celebrity born in United States.
Nick Swisher celebrates birthday on November 25 of every year. Swisher made his MLB debut in for the Athletics, playing in 20 games.
Retaining his rookie status for , Swisher hit 21 home runs and recorded 74 RBI in games for the Athletics. He finished 6th in the American League Rookie of the Year voting. Teammate Huston Street won the award, while fellow Oakland draftee Joe Blanton finished seventh.
Following his rookie season, Swisher improved in most offensive categories. During the regular season, Swisher compiled a. He also improved his on-base percentage by raising it to. Swisher finished second for the team in on-base plus slugging behind the veteran slugger Frank Thomas.
Swisher spent about half of his playing time in left field, and the other half at first base. Swisher routinely looks up to the sky to honor his parents and grandparents.
His mother was of Italian ancestry; her grandfather immigrated to the Buffalo, New York area from the Sicilian town of Oliveri. When Swisher was 11 years old, his parents divorced.
He then moved to Parkersburg, West Virginia, to live with his grandparents, who raised him during his adolescence. Swisher had a close relationship with his paternal grandmother, Betty Lorraine Swisher. In , she died of brain cancer. In what passes for "austerity" in New York, the Yankees had to make tough for them financial decisions over the past few years.
Not re-signing Swisher falls into that category. His departure was a foregone conclusion given the Yankees' overweight payroll. The question now as the "homecoming" chapter of Swisher's career unfolds isn't so much the fit between Swisher and his new city.
He's about to become a father, so while he'll miss New York, the move to a smaller Midwest market comes at a good time. Nick Swisher on free agency and the Indians. Even if he considers West Virginia home, Columbus is a close second. Nick Swisher Field was dedicated in March To give back to Ohio State, to help a northern school battling against teams from around the country, I couldn't be happier.
His next priority is helping the Indians battle teams with higher MLB payrolls. Indians reliever Joe Smith was asked recently what he knew of Swisher and what he expected from his new teammate. What is it? Hey, we need a little energy in our clubhouse anyway.
In June of last year, Men's Journal released the results of a poll based on a survey of major-league players. Swisher finished third with 9 percent behind Alex Rodriguez 10 and A. Pierzynski The list? The most hated players in baseball. The poll results carried a quote from an unnamed American League veteran saying: "Everything about Swisher is annoying, from his mannerisms to his always wanting to 'bro' it down.
Being around him is just exhausting. His friends laugh off those perceptions. Pat Chun, a longtime OSU athletic department official before becoming the AD at Florida Atlantic last year, says Swisher has "more energy than anyone on the planet" and says he'll make friends of "everybody in Cleveland from the groundskeepers to the concession workers.
The Indians are counting on Swisher at the gate, on the field, and in the clubhouse. They believe his attitude and approach are the perfect fit on a young team in a sport that beats players down with a season that stretches over nine months and approaches games when you count spring training. Swisher says he can't wait.
He promises he'll be "the first one at spring training. Whether he arrives by car, or catapult, remains to be seen. On Twitter: budshaw. Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission. All rights reserved About Us.
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