My Philosophy

This is who I am

I love helping people, anyway I can. I’m fortunate to be in a position where I can use my position in baseball positively to make a difference in people’s lives. I want to do great things in the community and having a public profile gives me a unique opportunity to do just that.

I started getting involved in the community and charity work when I was in the Bay Area playing for the Oakland Athletics, and quickly got to work while I was in Chicago with the White Sox. Now I’m in the biggest city in America and proud to be a New York Yankee, so I’ve got more opportunities than ever to get to work and really make a difference in the lives of children.

It doesn’t always have to be a big new story to help someone, the way I see it, it’s reading a story to a child in the hospital, visiting with our injured troops and shaking hands and talking baseball, growing out my hair so a wig can be made for a woman dealing with hair loss from chemotherapy, or simply making sure I sign as many autographs as I can. Every action I take can make a difference in someone’s life. It’s the challenge and the opportunity that we all have to give back to others. This is what drives me. This is who I am.

- Swish