OF Nick Swisher (World Champion New York Yankees)

[Buckskin86]

Chance to Lift the Yankees Is Another Missed Opportunity for Swisher
By JACK CURRY
Published: October 23, 2009


Barton Silverman/The New York TimesNick Swisher, popping up with the bases loaded to end Game 5, is hitting. 103 this postseason.

ANAHEIM, Calif. ? The path to Nick Swisher?s locker was blocked by a few dozen reporters Thursday night, so he waited. Swisher never said a word about needing to get around them, preferring to let others do it for him. It was more patience than Swisher showed at the start of his at-bat in the ninth inning of Game 5.

When Swisher marched to the plate with two outs and the bases loaded and the Yankees trailing by a run, he was one hit away from expunging his dreary October. A two-run single and the Yankees could have been on their way to the World Series. But Swisher popped out, the Los Angeles Angels won, 7-6, and the American League Championship Series moved back to the Bronx for Game 6 on Saturday night.

What might concern the Yankees is that Swisher acknowledged after the game that he felt tense when he came to the plate with a chance to end the series.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/24/sp...24yankees.html

Yankees could sit slumping Swisher
Girardi considering lineup change, batting order flip-flop
By Tim Britton / MLB.com
10/23/09

NEW YORK -- Nick Swisher sauntered to his locker Friday, opened up a pair of Louisville Slugger boxes storing new bats and turned to the cluster of reporters slowly encroaching.

"Let's get this over with," Swisher said with a smile.

Swisher was still upbeat a day after he went 0-for-5 and popped up with the bases loaded to end Game 5 of the American League Championship Series. Eager to turn the page and break out of a postseason slump, Swisher was one of the first Yankees to arrive in the clubhouse for the team's optional workout, although catcher Jorge Posada later admitted that "in the postseason, it's not optional."

"For me personally, it was a long flight," Swisher said of the cross-country trip from Anaheim. "You get up in those situations and you want to come through. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn't. Today's a new day, and tomorrow's a new game."

Yankees could sit slumping Swisher | MLB.com: News

[n8butch]

huge yankee fan.....met swisher when he played in chi-town and was excited when he went to the yanks. hard fought at bat, probably the biggest at bat he has ever had, you play for the yanks now, there will be bigger at bats to come and i'll be pulling for him.....get you head right and win the world series!!

[Buckskin86]

Manager Joe Girardi sticking with Nick Swisher
The Yankees outfielder has been in a slump, hitting .103 with one run batted in and 10 strikeouts in 29 postseason at-bats. He was in the lineup for the postponed Game 6.
By Kevin Baxter
October 25, 2009


Nick Swisher has hit .103 with one run batted in and 10 strikeouts in 29 postseason at-bats. (John Munson / The Star-Ledger via US Presswire)

Reporting from New York - Yankees Manager Joe Girardi is sticking with outfielder Nick Swisher for the American League Championship Series despite a slump in which he has hit .103 with one run batted in and 10 strikeouts in 29 postseason at-bats. And Swisher, who was in the lineup for Game 6 before it was postponed by rain, is appreciative of his manager's confidence.

"We've had some talks in the past couple of days," Swisher said in the Yankee Stadium clubhouse. "Obviously I know it's not going exactly the way I wanted it to. But you've got to keep battling. You've got to keep grinding."

Swisher had a similar slump in May, when he went hit .094 with 16 strikeouts in 32 at-bats but "no one seemed to care," he said.

"It's at that point now where it's on the biggest stage," he said. "The postseason in New York, there's no better place to play. And you want to go out there and you want to do so well. Maybe I'm just pressing a little too much."

Manager Joe Girardi sticking with Nick Swisher -- latimes.com

[Buckskin86]

Q&A with Nick Swisher
Outfielder plays key role in punching World Series ticket
By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com
10/26/09



NEW YORK -- Taking over as the Yankees' starting right fielder in April, Nick Swisher fit right into the potent lineup, bringing a patient switch-hitting approach that saw him become one of five Yankees players to belt 25 or more home runs while driving in 82 runs for the American League East champions.

Throughout the 2009 postseason, Swisher will take part in a Q&A with MLB.com, sharing his thoughts after every game. Swisher spoke after the Yankees defeated the Angels, 5-2, in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series on Sunday, earning the right to advance to the World Series against the Phillies.

MLB.com: You're standing here, soaked in champagne, wearing a T-shirt that says you're going to the World Series -- your first World Series. What does this all feel like?

Swisher: To tell you the God's honest truth, I'm looking at it now and it feels pretty dang good. I don't know, man. Right now, it feels amazing. This beer is tremendous, the champagne is amazing, and I really just could not be more happy right now.

MLB.com: You had a big hit to help start the rally in the fourth inning, and an important bunt later -- on the night the Swish-Hawk makes its return. Coincidence?

Swisher: The Swish-Hawk is back, man! I'm telling you. I don't know. Maybe it was time for a little adjustment. I got a haircut today and my dad always told me that getting a haircut was worth at least one hit for the day. I got a hit today, that felt good, and I got a big bunt late in the game. It's a tremendous win for us.

Q&A with Nick Swisher | MLB.com: News

[Buckskin86]

Charles Barkley joins Augusta National. Wanda Sykes is elected to the Supreme Court. "Dilbert" cartoons hang at the Met.

That gives you an idea of what it's been like having Nick Swisher suddenly join the New York Yankees.

Swisher is a guy who won't stop laughing even when he brushes his teeth. The only time he says "no" is when they ask him if he's had enough. He could make a colonoscopy fun.

It's actually a problem for the Yankee right fielder. "I smile so much, my cheek muscles are too built up and it makes my face look fat," he says.

Not a problem you usually find with Yankees, who are generally stiffer than the center field monuments. Even moreso: the Yankees clubhouse, which has always been just slightly tighter than Jerry Jones' face. Bounding into all this stodginess came the unsinkably happy kid from Ohio State and nothing's been dull since.

"The first couple days I was here, it was a little stuffy, everybody was a little quiet, not talking too much," Swisher says. " ... I guess the Yankees were more known for having a corporate-type atmosphere."

Rick Reilly's Go Fish - ESPN The Magazine

[Buckskin86]

Hometown fans root for Swisher
By KERRY PATRICK, kpatrick@newsandsentinel.com
POSTED: October 29, 2009


New York Yankees right fielder Nick Swisher is playing in his first World Series.

PARKERSBURG - A name familiar to Parkersburg Big Red baseball was introduced as the No. 8 hitter in the New York Yankees lineup during Wednesday's first game of the World Series.

Just as he has throughout the entire postseason, Nick Swisher started in right field for the newest version of the Bronx Bombers.

"Anybody in the Parkersburg area who is not rooting for the Yankees, boo on them," said Jim Procopio, who was an assistant coach with the Big Reds when Swisher clubbed what is believed to be a school-record 17 home runs during his senior year.

Even Alan Burns, Swisher's head coach at PHS, put aside his allegiance as a die-hard Pittsburgh Pirates fan to root for the Yankees against the Philadelphia Phillies.

"It's great to see a kid from Parkersburg being able to make it to the top of the baseball world," Burns said.

Swisher's career included four years as a varsity member of the PHS program. During his freshman year, the Big Reds reached the semifinal round of the state tournament before losing to Scott 3-2.

Even though they would never return to the state venue, PHS provided plenty of pop with the likes of Swisher, Eric Grimm and Nick Carter - all three major league prospects.

Burns remembers inserting Swisher into the No. 2 in the batting order to keep opponents from pitching around him. Swisher finished the season batting .517 with 31 walks versus only eight strikeouts.

Oddly enough, the switch-hitting first baseman/outfielder took batting practice from both sides of the plate but in game situations he refused to hit left-handed.

"Nick told me he didn't have the confidence that he didn't feel he was ready to hit lefthanded," Burns said. "When he got to Ohio State, his coach told him it doesn't matter what Nick thought, he was going to do it."

In his first of three seasons with Ohio State, Swisher was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year. He led the team in homers, doubles and RBIs during his sophomore and junior year, and was recognized as All-Big Ten both seasons.

Drafted by the Oakland Athletics as the 16th overall pick in the 2002 draft, Swisher made his major league debut on Sept. 3, 2004. He spent four seasons with the Athletics before getting traded to the Chicago White Sox in 2008. Last winter, Swisher again changed uniforms - this time into the infamous Yankee pinstripes. In 150 games, Swisher hit 29 home runs with 82 RBIs.

Offensively, the postseason hasn't been too kind for the Columbus native. In the American League division and championship series, he has batted .125 (4-for-32) with one RBI.

Hometown fans root for Swisher - NewsandSentinel.com | News, Sports, Jobs, Community Information - Parkersburg News and Sentinel

Q&A with Nick Swisher
By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com
10/29/09

NEW YORK -- Taking over as the Yankees' starting right fielder in April, Nick Swisher fit right into the potent lineup, bringing a patient switch-hitting approach that saw him become one of five Yankees players to belt 25 or more home runs while driving in 82 runs for the American League champions.


Throughout the 2009 postseason, Swisher will take part in a Q&A with MLB.com, sharing his thoughts after every game. Swisher spoke after the Yankees dropped Game 1 of the World Series to the Phillies on Wednesday at Yankee Stadium:

MLB.com: What was the discussion like on the bench as Cliff Lee kept going further and further through that game?

Swisher: We had some runners on there and this and that, but in a two-run game, one swing of the bat and the game is tied. We had some runners on, but hey, he had a great game. [Chase] Utley put the bat on the ball. But hey, what are you going to do? It's only one game. You've just got to keep going and forget about it.

MLB.com: What was your view of Utley's first home run? Did you think you had a chance to bring that one back?

Swisher: No, not really. That one was about five rows deep.

Q&A with Nick Swisher | MLB.com: News

[jimotis4heisman]

The Columbus Dispatch - News

NEW YORK (AP) -- Yankees manager Joe Girardi benched slumping outfielder Nick Swisher for Game 2 of the World Series on Thursday night and again put Jose Molina behind the plate to catch A.J. Burnett.
...
Swisher went 0 for 3 in New York's 6-1 loss in Wednesday night's World Series opener. He is batting .114, with no homers and 12 strikeouts in the postseason.
...

[westbrock]

Solo HR in the 6th, after a double earlier in the game.

[leroyjenkins]

Originally Posted by westbrock

Solo HR in the 6th, after a double earlier in the game.

He said he had a great batting practice and expected to break out in this game!!

[CentralMOBuck]

Originally Posted by westbrock

Solo HR in the 6th, after a double earlier in the game.

Hell yeah! I thought I saw barreling into home-plate on that Pettite RBI.

[Buckskin86]

Q&A with Nick Swisher
Savoring the moment of first World Series home run
11/01/09

PHILADELPHIA -- Taking over as the Yankees' starting right fielder in April, Nick Swisher fit right into the potent lineup, bringing a patient switch-hitting approach that saw him become one of five Bombers to belt 25 or more home runs while driving in 82 runs for the American League champions.

Throughout the 2009 postseason, Swisher will take part in a Q&A with MLB.com, sharing his thoughts after every game. Swisher doubled and homered in New York's 8-5 victory in Game 3 of the World Series on Saturday night, helping the Bombers take a 2-1 series lead. He stopped to chat briefly after completing his time at the interview podium:

MLB.com: Is it safe to assume you've probably waited your whole life to be able to say you hit a World Series home run?

Swisher: Dave Eiland actually came up to me after that at-bat. I sat down and I was just trying to soak up the moment as much as I could, but it's hard when you're in the game. He pulled me aside and said, "Hey, man, I just want to let you know -- you just hit a home run in the World Series." It still hasn't set in, I really don't think it has. That's the great thing about this team. You buy into everything, and for us, we're so focused and so driven on one goal. When this season is over and you sit back in the offseason, then I think that's when it will set in. Right now, it's all about business. You've got to keep putting up the W's, especially against a great team like these guys.

MLB.com: It looked like you were kind of trying to savor that moment with a slow trot around the bases. Were you?

Swisher: I was trying to. When it left my bat, I had a pretty good idea that it was going to leave. Against a guy like [J.A.] Happ, who has a good slider and a good changeup and throws hard, I just kind of got caught up in that moment at the time. Circling the bases was a great feeling, and then I pointed to my family.

Q&A with Nick Swisher | MLB.com: News

Tweaked stance turns Swisher's series around
by Ken Rosenthal
Updated: November 1, 2009

PHILADELPHIA - For Alex Rodriguez, the adjustment was simple ? swing at strikes, the way he did in the first two rounds of the playoffs.

For Nick Swisher, the change was far more dramatic ? stunning, in fact, considering that it came in the middle of the World Series.

Swisher, benched in Game 2, completely overhauled his stance for Game 3, spreading his legs far apart in the batter's box.

So much for his 4-for-35 slump in the postseason.

Swisher went 2-for-4 in the Yankees' 8-5 victory, hitting a double to start a three-run rally in the fifth inning and a solo home run in the sixth.

Yankees hitting coach Kevin Long said that Swisher's new stance is the first step of a major overhaul that will continue in the offseason.

Tweaked stance turns Swisher's series around - MLB News - FOX Sports on MSN

[CentralMOBuck]

Swisher has scored another run tonight!

[Buckskin86]

Q&A with Nick Swisher
By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com
11/02/09

PHILADELPHIA -- Taking over as the Yankees' starting right fielder in April, Nick Swisher fit right into the potent lineup, bringing a patient switch-hitting approach that saw him become one of five Bombers to belt 25 or more home runs while driving in 82 runs for the American League champions.


Throughout the 2009 postseason, Swisher will take part in a Q&A with MLB.com, sharing his thoughts after every game. Swisher walked twice and scored a run in the Yankees' 7-4 Game 4 victory over the Phillies and quickly discussed the thrilling contest:

MLB.com: You've seen this so much this season. Is there any late comeback you guys can pull off that would still surprise you?

Swisher: I think it shows how resilient this team is. We keep going out there and we battle until the final out. I've called us the "Comeback Kids" a couple of times, but it just seems that every time there has been an obstacle in front of us, we just take it head on. This is not only a group of great players, but great people. You know what they say -- good things happen to good people. I just want to keep this thing going.

Q&A with Nick Swisher | MLB.com: News

[Buckskin86]

Q&A with Nick Swisher
By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com
11/03/09

PHILADELPHIA -- Taking over as the Yankees' starting right fielder in April, Nick Swisher fit right into the potent lineup, bringing a patient switch-hitting approach that saw him become one of five Bombers to belt 25 or more home runs while driving in 82 runs for the American League champions.


Throughout the 2009 postseason, Swisher will take part in a Q&A with MLB.com, sharing his thoughts after every game. Swisher went 0-for-3 with a walk in the Yankees' 8-6 loss to the Phillies in Game 5 of the World Series, sending the Fall Classic back to the Bronx:

MLB.com: As that ninth inning is developing, did you let it enter your mind that this could be setting up a comeback and you might be celebrating tonight?

Swisher: I think we got down early, so it was a battle for us to come back. You've got to give them credit. They swung the bats extremely well tonight off a guy who did extremely well against them the first time. You've got to tip your hat. You can't win them all, but then again, we're going back to New York, and that brings a smile to everyone's face.

Q&A with Nick Swisher | MLB.com: News

['BusNative]

Congrats to Swish!!!!!!!