WHY SWISHER MAKES ME SWOON

Taking into consideration that it's the season of Lent, as a “recovering” Catholic, I feel the strong urge to purge myself of one of the greatest sins I’ve ever committed. I am not proud. Saying 100 rosaries hasn’t given me freedom from the shame I feel. I even started eating meat again, especially on Fridays, in the hopes that the guilt I felt over that would overshadow the disgust I feel with regard to this “mortal sin”. It didn’t work. So now, in front of God, Babe Ruth, and all of my fellow Yankee Fans..I make this solemn confession.

“Forgive me, Babe. It has been 25 years since my last confession. I have committed the sin of disdain for Nick Swisher. It all started like this…”

When Swisher played for Oakland, I didn’t like him. In fact, I hated him. He was a Yankee killer, so in my mind, he was on my list of enemies from the start. I called him “Swiffer”, in the hopes that every time the Yanks faced him, we’d sweep his butt off the field.

To me, he looked like a Red Sox wanna-be, with that long hair and casual attitude. Who did he think he was? The world had one Johnny Damon (he played for the Sox then), we didn’t need another one. He ran around the bases, smiling and laughing, taunting me as he crossed home plate to score against my beloved team. Nothing, I mean nothing could make me use four letter words in front of my child more than his casual display of his baseball skills.

Fast forward a little…there was a story on Nick Swisher published that explained WHY he had grown his hair. He had met a woman who was diagnosed with a potentially terminal cancer. He was so touched by her story, that he grew his hair out, in order to donate it for cancer patients. Furthermore, this woman was a fan...a regular, ordinary, baseball loving person like you or me. Complete absence of ego, Nick acted with complete unselfishness on behalf of a fan. He still keeps her picture in his locker to remind him of the connection he made with her. You just don’t see that kind of thing these days with anyone, not to mention a guy who makes millions every year.(photo: getty)
Okay, Swish. You now have my attention, and the four letter words I used to say about you have been replaced with others, such as “Love” “Care” “Hope” and “Life”. Very, very cool.

Fast forward a little more- Swish signs with the Yankees. Clean shaven, short haired Nick stood for a photo-op proudly wearing his newly assigned pinstripes as if he’d just been knighted. His smile was real, sincere, and genuine. He looked like he was going to explode with excitement. He was the newest knight in King George Steinbrenner’s court, and no one was happier than we were to see it happen.Right away, there was a new feel for the team. It was lighter, more fun, even a little crazy at times. Swish would come out onto the field sporting crazy hair-do’s, like his famous “faux-hawk”, but on the field, he was as serious as a heart attack. You could look over at the bench and see him dancing around, listening to music, or cracking up with the guys. I truly believe that Swish made a huge difference in the team’s overall mentality, and brought the fun back to baseball for a team known as “The Corporate Clubhouse”.Remember the game that was going so bad for the Yankees, with the pitching rotation literally in traction and a spent bullpen, Swish came out to pitch an inning? I loved this…okay, so he’s no Mariano Rivera. He was having fun, but still took it seriously enough to try and throw a decent pitch. Instead of pouting on the bench, throwing things around Youkilis-style, Swish got out there. This, my friends, is what true sportsmanship looks like.

Swish still reaches out to fans, whether it’s from the field before the first pitch, on Facebook, Twitter, or the shout-outs he gives during interviews. He understands that the fans are just as important as players, owners, or corporate sponsors. And the fans truly love him too, check out WE WANT NICK SWISHER TO HOST SNL on Facebook. It's a real thing, and with support, it will happen.

So, while I can’t say that Nick Swisher “had me at hello”, he’s got me now. He’s not only a fan favorite, but a member of the Yankee family that has contributed so much to the team, in a short period of time. Now, if you’ll excuse me, let the swooning begin…



--Christy Lee, BYB Staff Writer
Follow me on Twitter @christylee127



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