OF Nick Swisher (All Star, World Series Champion)

[brodybuck21]

that commercial is hilarious.....

 

[Buckskin86]

Apr 02, 2010
Yankees' Nick Swisher learns how to take a blow, hit back

Nick Swisher turns his torso to get in a fighting stance, then rotates his hips the way he would swing a bat. There's a connectivity to both actions he believes could be beneficial in the coming season.

And even if that doesn't prove accurate, his offseason weight loss from boxing workouts figures to help keep him feeling lighter and more agile.

The Yankees right fielder took up boxing after moving to Los Angeles in the offseason and found himself quickly shedding pounds. He has been at 203 since spring training began, 15 fewer than when he checked in last year, yet he feels just as strong as before.

"It's amazing to see the correlation with the hips and the core and everything from baseball to boxing,'' Swisher said. "I enjoyed it a lot.''

Yankees' Nick Swisher learns how to take a blow, hit back - Daily Pitch: MLB News, Standings, Schedules & More - USATODAY.com

 

[Buckskin86]

A little added weight gain works out for Yankees' Nick Swisher
By Marc Carig/The Star-Ledger
April 12, 2010

PETERSBURG -- Tired of getting out just in front of every ball he had hit on Sunday afternoon, Nick Swisher made a snap decision that may pay off again as the season unfolds.

Swisher made the quick call in the on-deck circle during the Yankees' 7-3 victory against the Rays. Before his at-bats, he typically swings a 34-ounce bat to get loose before switching over to his gamer, a 31-ounce model that allows him to uncork faster swings.

Apparently, it's sometimes, too fast. Which is why he took the heavier bat with him to the batter's box against soft-tossing Rays reliever Andy Sonnanstine. With the heavier lumber --- he had never used a 34-ounce bat during a game -- Swisher squared up a ball for the first time all day.

Home run.

"When you swing a heavy bat, you swing it so much that when you get a lighter bat in your hand you get a feeling of dominance," Swisher said. "It feels like a toothpick. Everybody likes that dominant feeling."

A little added weight gain works out for Yankees' Nick Swisher | - NJ.com

 

[Buckskin86]

Ex-Sox Swisher's fist pump noticed by Guillen
May 1, 2010
By Mark Gonzales

NEW YORK -- The White Sox expected bigger things from Nick Swisher in 2008, when they traded three young players for him.

Swisher was dealt to the Yankees before the following season after batting .219 and not having a true position available for him.

The Sox were well-aware of Swisher's outgoing nature that could be viewed as being self-absorbed, especially after one incident in which he showed his bobblehead doll to his teammates in the clubhouse.

Sox manager Ozzie Guillen took note of Swisher pumping his right arm after hitting a two-run home run in the sixth inning that put the New York Yankees ahead. But the Sox rallied for a 7-6 win, and Guillen had a quick answer when asked about Swisher's gesture.

"That's the way he is," Guillen said. "Good for him. Enjoy it. I wish he could do it for me, he was a very horse(bleep) player for me.''

Ex-Sox Swisher's fist pump noticed by Guillen - Chicago Breaking Sports

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFiuPj0rEc0]YouTube - Nick Swisher Discusses New York Media and Fans to Maroon PR[/ame]

 

[Buckskin86]

Hard work pays off for Swisher
Yankees BlogBy JOEL SHERMAN
Last Updated: May 9, 2010

BOSTON -- Nick Swisher ended Josh Beckett's early stranglehold on the Yankees' lineup Friday night by launching a curveball to center for a three-run homer. He could not have done that with his old swing.

One inning later, with the Yankees holding a two-run advantage in the fifth, Swisher raced over toward the right-field line to assure that Darnell McDonald's two-out smash was limited to a single. He would not have gotten over in time with his old body.

That Swisher has both a refined swing and a more streamlined physique shows a seriousness that belies Swisher's class-clown persona.

"People see him as a happy-go-lucky guy," Yankees third base coach Rob Thomson said. "They don't realize how much pride this guy takes in his game and how smart a player he is."

There also is another important element key to this transformation: To Swisher, the Yankees represent baseball heaven and he wants to do what he can to stay there. As an extrovert, he loves both what New York and being a member of the sport's biggest team offers. And the baseball in his soul is stoked by being involved with a winning, professional team with strong fraternity in the clubhouse.

"I'm so fortunate and blessed because I'm in the greatest spot in the world," Swisher said.

Read more: Hard work pays off for Swisher - NYPOST.com

 

[Buckskin86]

Swisher pulled

RF Nick Swisher (left biceps) was back in the Yankees? starting lineup Friday, but his return didn?t last long. He was replaced by Randy Winn in the top of the fourth inning. Swisher batted only once, grimacing after a strikeout out in the second inning. He was taken to New York Presbyterian Hospital for a precautionary MRI, which was negative, and he remains day to day with a slight strain.

NorthJersey.com: Yankees notes: Nick Swisher pulled

 

[CentralMOBuck]

Swisher was #4 on ESPN's Top Ten for Saturday May 15th!

 

[Buckskin86]

Injury prevents Swisher from facing righties
By Bryan Hoch and Tim Britton / MLB.com
05/16/10

NEW YORK -- With the Twins starting right-hander Nick Blackburn on Sunday, switch-hitter Nick Swisher was out of the lineup again with the slight strain in his left biceps that prevents him from batting left-handed.
Swisher has been nursing the problem since Wednesday, when he felt a tug in his arm during the first game of the Yankees' day-night doubleheader in Detroit. He sat out the nightcap and the following day game before leaving Friday's game in the fourth inning after one left-handed at-bat.

"We're at this point now where we don't want to push it, because we'd much rather take two to three days to let this heal than snap this thing and miss the rest of the season," Swisher said, adding that he has not taken a left-handed swing in the past two days and doesn't plan to try until Monday. "I'll be the best cheerleader I can be."

Swisher did play on Saturday because he could bat righty against Francisco Liriano. He even went so far as to hit from the right side against right-handed reliever Jesse Crain in the seventh. Swisher said it was the first time he had done that since high school, but he has actually batted righty against knuckleballer Tim Wakefield five times in his career, with one bunt base hit.

"I was like maybe he'd throw me a first-pitch get-me-over fastball, and he threw me a righty-on-righty curveball," Swisher said of the at-bat, which ended with a walk. "I told [hitting coach] Kevin Long before I went up there, 'If I'm bailing out, don't you all be laughing at me.'"

Swisher remains available to pinch-hit against a lefty on Sunday and hopes to be back in the lineup for Monday's opener with the Red Sox, even with righty Daisuke Matsuzaka on the hill. For the time being, however, he's still characteristically upbeat.

"Any chance you get time to spend with our training staff is a blessing," he joked.

Injury prevents Swisher from facing righties | MLB.com: News

 

[Tonyank]

not sure if its been posted.....

Nick doing the O-H-I-O!!!

 

[Buckskin86]

Yankees outfielder Nick Swisher engaged to 'Privileged' star Joanna Garcia
BY Lia Eustachewich
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Updated: Saturday, May 29th 2010

Marriott/Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
New York Yankees outfielder Nick Swisher and 'Privileged' star Joanna Garcia are engaged.

Here's the dish on Swish: the Yankee outfielder has been keeping one big secret.

Nick Swisher told reporters Friday he's been engaged to "Privileged" actress Joanna Garcia since May 19.

The news came just before Swisher hit a two-run homer in the opener of the Yankees' four-game series against the Cleveland Indians in the Bronx. The Bombers beat the Indians, 8-2.

Swisher, 29, confirmed he was seeing Garcia to Sports Illustrated in September.

"Joanna is my lady," he said.

This is the second engagement for Garcia, who was previously engaged to Justin Timberlake's business partner Trace Ayala in 2008.

Garcia, 30, will star in ABC's comedy "Better Together" next fall.

Read more: Yankees outfielder Nick Swisher engaged to 'Privileged' star Joanna Garcia

 

[Buckskin86]

Nick Swisher's offseason work with Yankees hitting coach Kevin Long shows in his batting average
BY Mark Feinsand
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
Wednesday, June 9th 2010

Burton/AP
New York Yankees' right fielder Nick Swisher is more efficient at the plate after steadying his swing during winter workouts.

TORONTO - By most people's standards, 2009 was a wildly successful year for Nick Swisher.

After being traded from the White Sox to the Yankees in November of 2008, Swisher took over the starting right field job, hit 29 homers and captured the first World Series ring of his career.

But Swisher's performance in the postseason - he hit .128 in 14 games - left a sour taste in his mouth.

"Last year was a pretty good year, but it was so overshadowed by how bad my postseason was," Swisher said. "That really fueled me to get back to work this winter."

Swisher traveled to Arizona in December for an intense week of work with hitting coach Kevin Long, who adjusted Swisher's swing by calming down the constant movement in his body.

"I watched some tape from last year, and there wasn't one part of my body that wasn't moving," Swisher said. "People talk about how loud and hyper I am, how I never stop talking, but that's not good in the batter's box."

The results have been obvious, with Swisher having entered last night hitting .305, 56 points above his career average.

Read more: Nick Swisher's offseason work with Yankees hitting coach Kevin Long shows in his batting average

 

[Buckskin86]

Nick Swisher's offense is now in full swing
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
BY PETE CALDERA
The Record
STAFF WRITER

NEW YORK ? Nick Swisher?s jittery personality used to mirror his at-bats.
"His hands had a lot of movement. Sometimes a toe tap, sometimes a leg kick. He was always changing, always tinkering, always doing something different," said Yankees batting coach Kevin Long.

"Now, you look at a guy who is so calm, so relaxed."

It is a swing rebuilt from the rubble of October.

Looking back, "That?s the best thing that ever happened to me," Swisher said of batting .128 in his first pinstriped postseason. "That?s really when I said, ?Hey, it?s time to turn it on.? "

The new and improved Nick Swisher takes a .298 batting average into tonight?s game, as the reigning National League-champion Phillies return to Yankee Stadium for interleague play ? seven months after the Yanks? Game 6 clincher.

NorthJersey.com: Swisher’s offense is now in full swing

 

[Buckskin86]

Yankees? Swisher in runoff for MLB all-star spot
By DAVE POE, [email protected]
POSTED: July 5, 2010

Although Parkersburg High School graduate Nick Swisher wasn't one of 33 American League All-Stars announced on Sunday, he still has a chance to become the 34th and final member of the AL squad that will participate in the July 13 game in Anaheim, Calif.

Fans, who selected the starters for both the American and National League teams, also will be picking the final member of each squad in an Internet runoff.

Swisher, a member of the World Champion New York Yankees, is one of five American League Internet candidates. Joining him in the competition to become an all-star are:

* Chicago White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko.

* Minnesota Twins outfielder Delmon Young.

* Texas Rangers third baseman Michael Young.

* Boston Red Sox first baseman Kevin Youkilis.

Balloting already is under way at mlb.com. It will conclude at 4 p.m. on Thursday, when the winner of the final all-star slot in each league will be announced.

Swisher, in his sixth Major League season, never has made the all-star squad. If he makes it this year, he will join his father, Steve Swisher, a member of the 1976 National League team while playing for the Chicago Cubs, as just the 13th father-son combination in all-star history.

Swisher, who had three hits on Sunday against the Toronto Blue Jays, raised his batting average to .293, well above his career average of .249. He has 13 home runs and 47 RBIs.

Yankees’ Swisher in runoff for MLB?all-star spot - NewsandSentinel.com | News, Sports, Jobs, Community Information - Parkersburg News and Sentinel

vote here....

The Official Site of Major League Baseball: Events: 2010 All-Star Game Sprint Final Vote

 

[Buckskin86]

JULY 7, 2010.Swisher Eagerly Toots His Own Horn
Yankees Right Fielder Embraces the Lead Role in Effort to Get Him an All-Star Berth in Anaheim.
By BRIAN COSTA


OAKLAND, Calif.?Alex Rodriguez found Nick Swisher in the Yankees' clubhouse Monday afternoon and told him what he thought the right fielder wanted to hear.

Nick Swisher quickly agreed to pose with a surfboard and a Tommy Bahama shirt as part of a campaign by the Yankees to have him elected to the AL All-Star team.

"I put in my vote," Mr. Rodriguez said as he high-fived Mr. Swisher. Only Mr. Swisher still wasn't satisfied.

"No," he said, shaking his head, "you have to do it a second time."

From the clubhouse to the internet, the get-out-the-vote operation is in full force this week for Mr. Swisher, who is one of five players vying for the last spot on the American League All-Star team.

Major League Baseball allows fans to choose the last player on each team through online and mobile phone voting, which ends at 4 p.m. Thursday. It's another way for baseball to promote one of its signature events. And teams typically use their websites to promote their All-Star candidates.

But few, if any, players have campaigned for themselves as unabashedly as Mr. Swisher is doing this week. That campaign is being driven more by the Yankees' marketing and public relations departments than by Mr. Swisher. But rather than shy away from it, as other players often do, Mr. Swisher seems to be thoroughly relishing it.

"I think Swish is probably the perfect guy for campaigning for himself," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "Swish is a personality that loves to have fun and is not afraid to do anything on a video board, no matter what they ask him to do. Swish is good at it. And the thing about Swish is, all these things that he does, it's usually in one take."

Yankees Swisher Campaigns for All-Star Votes - WSJ.com

 

[jlb1705]

Votto, Swisher win tight Final Vote | MLB.com: News

Swisher, the Yankees' right-fielder and social-media titan, held off Kevin Youkilis of the rival Red Sox in the closest race in the nine-year history of the Final Vote to claim the 34th and final spot on the All-Star roster with a final tally of 9.8 million votes. Swisher and Youkilis were followed by Paul Konerko of the White Sox, Michael Young of the Rangers and Delmon Young of the Twins.