jcollingsworth
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Making The List: Nick Swisher
jcollingsworth via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
(photo courtesy: deadspin.com)
Baseball is fully upon us. The NBA is having their playoffs and some of us aren’t quite ready to let basketball go. But all the same as the baseball season is beginning it seems appropriate to announce a baseball star for the Buckeyes.
Back on January 3rd of this year I included Frank Howard in the Making the List family. Undoubtedly he was a great baseball player for the Buckeyes – but my focus that day was to remind us all of his great accomplishments in basketball.
So let’s go strictly baseball.
Personally – the first name that comes to my mind is Nick Swisher.
Nick was born November 25, 1980 in Columbus, Ohio. He would grow up in Parkersburg, West Virginia. His father, Steve Swisher, a catcher, played in MLB in the 1970’s & 80’s.
Swisher was a two-sport star at Parkersburg High School in football and baseball, lettering also in basketball. In football he was a dominant strong safety and was recruited by several Division I-A football programs, Notre Dame being one of them. But Nick chose to chase baseball.
Out of High School Nick wasn’t drafted by any team in MLB. He then decided to enroll into The Ohio State University. Besides the Buckeyes only Ohio University would seek him out to play baseball in Athens. Nick would be named Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2000, after hitting .299 with 10 home runs and 48 RBI’s. He would also be named All-Big Ten selection as a first baseman as a sophomore in 2001, after hitting .322 with 56 RBI’s and a league-leading 15 home runs. He earned All-Big Ten honors as an outfielder in 2002, after batting .348 with 10 home runs and 52 RBI’s.
In 2002 The Oakland A’s would take him in the MLB Draft.
In the course of Nick’s MLB career after the A’s (2004-07) he would find homes with the White Sox (2008) The New York Yankees (2009-12) where he’d get a Championship ring in 2009. From there the Indians signed him (2013-14). The Atlanta Braves would employ him in 2015. And currently he is back with the Yankees and has been assigned to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Rail Riders of the Class AAA International League.
I look for Nick to be back up in pinstripes soon enough. He is a competitor.
Nick Swisher is a great Buckeye. The Ohio State University clearly thinks so – The baseball program honored Nick with a field dedication ceremony Nov. 3, 2011 at the newly-renovated Nick Swisher Field at Bill Davis Stadium.
In addition to his commitment on the field and with his Alma Mater, Swisher has done a great amount of work with those less fortunate. He has a charity – Swish’s Wishes, which benefits children facing health crises.
I am proud to include Nick Swisher in the growing Making the List. I, some may not like hearing this, have become a Yankees fan – since living here for quite sometime now. I recall Nick’s days with the Yankees vividly. He is fun to watch. And knowing that he was also a Buckeye just made it so much easier to like him and enjoy his game. Nick’s days in Columbus clearly has him deserving of any recognition … he has done it the old fashion way – he has earned it.
The post Making The List: Nick Swisher appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.
Continue reading...
jcollingsworth via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
(photo courtesy: deadspin.com)
Baseball is fully upon us. The NBA is having their playoffs and some of us aren’t quite ready to let basketball go. But all the same as the baseball season is beginning it seems appropriate to announce a baseball star for the Buckeyes.
Back on January 3rd of this year I included Frank Howard in the Making the List family. Undoubtedly he was a great baseball player for the Buckeyes – but my focus that day was to remind us all of his great accomplishments in basketball.
So let’s go strictly baseball.
Personally – the first name that comes to my mind is Nick Swisher.
Nick was born November 25, 1980 in Columbus, Ohio. He would grow up in Parkersburg, West Virginia. His father, Steve Swisher, a catcher, played in MLB in the 1970’s & 80’s.
Swisher was a two-sport star at Parkersburg High School in football and baseball, lettering also in basketball. In football he was a dominant strong safety and was recruited by several Division I-A football programs, Notre Dame being one of them. But Nick chose to chase baseball.
Out of High School Nick wasn’t drafted by any team in MLB. He then decided to enroll into The Ohio State University. Besides the Buckeyes only Ohio University would seek him out to play baseball in Athens. Nick would be named Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2000, after hitting .299 with 10 home runs and 48 RBI’s. He would also be named All-Big Ten selection as a first baseman as a sophomore in 2001, after hitting .322 with 56 RBI’s and a league-leading 15 home runs. He earned All-Big Ten honors as an outfielder in 2002, after batting .348 with 10 home runs and 52 RBI’s.
In 2002 The Oakland A’s would take him in the MLB Draft.
In the course of Nick’s MLB career after the A’s (2004-07) he would find homes with the White Sox (2008) The New York Yankees (2009-12) where he’d get a Championship ring in 2009. From there the Indians signed him (2013-14). The Atlanta Braves would employ him in 2015. And currently he is back with the Yankees and has been assigned to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Rail Riders of the Class AAA International League.
I look for Nick to be back up in pinstripes soon enough. He is a competitor.
Nick Swisher is a great Buckeye. The Ohio State University clearly thinks so – The baseball program honored Nick with a field dedication ceremony Nov. 3, 2011 at the newly-renovated Nick Swisher Field at Bill Davis Stadium.
In addition to his commitment on the field and with his Alma Mater, Swisher has done a great amount of work with those less fortunate. He has a charity – Swish’s Wishes, which benefits children facing health crises.
I am proud to include Nick Swisher in the growing Making the List. I, some may not like hearing this, have become a Yankees fan – since living here for quite sometime now. I recall Nick’s days with the Yankees vividly. He is fun to watch. And knowing that he was also a Buckeye just made it so much easier to like him and enjoy his game. Nick’s days in Columbus clearly has him deserving of any recognition … he has done it the old fashion way – he has earned it.
The post Making The List: Nick Swisher appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.
Continue reading...