The Next Great White Sox?

By: Angie Wiatrowski

Zipping up and down the halls with a child-like grin on his face, Chicago White Sox outfielder Nick Swisher prepares for another day of baseball at spring training in Tucson, Az. After a morning practice, the players settle down, grab some lunch and just relax in the clubhouse until it’s time to suit up for the game. You can hear the commotion inside the locker room as Director of Media Relations Bob Beghtol comes out and warns reporters, “I’d wait a bit, (Swisher) is playing dominos.”

That’s not the only game Swisher takes seriously. He makes sure he gets to the park early so he’s ready to play. When it’s game time, Swisher says, “I go out and play the game hard, bring some intensity. I play the game with a lot of passion, a lot of fire.”

You can see the energy he brings just watching the dugout during a game. You’ll see Swisher bouncing around, handing out random high fives and sometimes swinging from the roof of the dugout. The energy definitely translates out onto the field, considering his first at-bat was a double to right field.

According to Swisher, he started playing baseball “from the womb.” However, he didn’t start playing organized baseball until he was in the sixth grade. Swisher said his father, former Chicago Cubs catcher Steve Swisher, was always coaching and he was always with him. Swisher said, without any hesitation in his voice, that his father is his role model, and that he “always wanted to follow in his footsteps.”

Swisher was signed by the Oakland Athletics and had mixed feelings about his trade to Chicago.

“The first thought that goes through your mind is you did something wrong,” he explains. “I thought Oakland was the place for me to be. It was unexpected, but I think in the end Chicago’s going to be the best place for me. Just looking around the locker room and seeing all these big names, I’m like, ‘Man, I’m excited to be a part of this franchise.’”

Swisher is now in the running for center field for the Sox, but didn’t always play in the outfield.

“When I was drafted, they threw me in center field, so I’m still kind of learning on the fly,” says the ex-first baseman.

Swisher says he is looking forward to start the season.

“I think it’s going to be great. Just from meeting the guys, everyone has been super nice so far.”

While Swisher throws left-handed, he is also a switch-hitter. He didn’t start switch-hitting until his freshman year of college. A scout told Swisher that he would get more home-runs if he switched.

“Wherever that guy is, I want to give him a big hug and a thank-you,” Swisher says.

Besides his baseball career, Swisher is also involved in a few community organizations such as Swish’s Wishes, which is an organization to help kids in need of medical care and education, and Strikeouts for Troops where he works with Barry Zito, Alex Rodriguez, and other professional baseball players who will donate money for every strikeout on their record to help wounded soldiers. He is also in the process of growing out his hair to donate it to cancer patients.

Swisher is very passionate about both baseball and the community.

“We’re doing a great thing,” he says. “I’m out there having fun, this is the only thing I’ve ever wanted to do.”

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    Angie Wiatrowski is a journalism student at Columbia College Chicago and has been an active journalist since freshman year of high school. She attended Minooka Community High school, where she was the Special Features editor for the school newspaper. She was born and raised around baseball and is a diehard Chicago White Sox fan. Also, check out her blog.

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