Hometown fans root for Swisher
By KERRY PATRICK,
[email protected]
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.
