Where Swish Is At

Nick Swisher is exactly where he’s always wanted to be – living a dream.

He knows just how lucky he is to be able to play a game for a living, the same one he grew up loving in Columbus, Ohio and Parkersburg, West Virginia. But if you ask Nick, it doesn’t matter that it’s a game. Every time he steps to the plate against one of the game’s best pitchers or sacrifices his body going full bore after a foul ball he does it with everything he has because this is what he’s worked so hard for. And frankly, he just doesn’t know any other way. Passion, hard work, drive, enthusiasm, determination and of course, the ability to take things in stride, count your blessings and stay smiling. That’s his recipe for success.

That’s why coming off an up-and-down season with the Chicago White Sox, Nick stayed positive and went right to work, ensuring he’d have his swing back for his fifth full season in the Big Leagues. After taking 5 days after the season to decompress, it was straight to West Virginia and back to basics. Nick camped out in his father’s basement, hitting the gym and the batting cage all winter. The way Nick tells it, he didn’t do his work in a fancy, high-tech sports facility. Instead, it couldn’t have been more basic; a cold brick building with not much more than his space heater, the cage and his bat. Of course, he also had some tunes to join him. In doing so, he found that when things aren’t going the way you want, that’s the perfect time to ground yourself. “It’s when you go through the tougher times that you really learn and grow,” said Swisher.

All of the hard work paid off in a hurry as Nick got his old swing back and carved out a place for himself on his new team, the New York Yankees. His simple, compact and powerful swing coupled with passionate defensive play in the field helped Nick solidify a starting spot on one of the most decorated organizations in all of sport. Further, Nick’s on field performance helped the Yankees win the World Series Championship, which allowed Swisher to etch his name into the history books.

Entering his second season with the Yankees and his sixth season in the majors, Nick continues to live the dream. He also maintains his positive outlook and dedication to hard work because he knows those are the things that brought him to where he is and those are the same things that will allow him to achieve back to back championships.