This is a charity auction to benefit Swish’s Wishes foundation.

Click HERE for more information and to place a bid!

Join in promoting this campaign by voting and encouraging your friends, family and co-workers to vote Swisher now.

By casting your ballots for Swisher, you’ll also be supporting my campaign to become his official MLB.com Final Vote Campaign Manager.

Thanks for your support!

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Swish’s Wishes, my foundation dedicated to helping children in need and helping people cope in difficult times, will donate 100% of the proceeds from this auction to families that lost love ones in the April 5, 2010 tragic coal-mining disaster in West Virginia.

Also, remember to check back on July 6th to find out about a very special chance to bid on a once in a lifetime Yankee experience!

Update – The winner of my biggest fan of the month has been picked!  Congrats to Erica Winn! Check out the video below where I called and surprised her at work to inform her she is the winner!

Just as spring training kicked off, Nick Swisher sat down with the New York Daily News’ Mark Feinsand to talk about what he’s been up to during the off season and what fans can expect from the Yankee in 2010. As usual, Nick didn’t hold back and gave fans a good look at where he’s at and where he’s going.

To nobody’s surprise, Swisher has a lot to say

By Mark Feinsand

I spoke with Nick Swisher this week for a story that appears in today’s Daily News, and as you can imagine, once you get Swisher going, it’s hard to stop him.

As is typically the case, Swisher had a lot more to say than I had room to write, but that’s the great thing about this blog – I get to share it with you anyway.

I decided that the best way to go about this was to present it in Q&A form, so without further ado, here’s the starting right fielder on his clubhouse persona, his game and why being a Yankee is so important to him.

Daily News: What kind of impact do you think you had on the Yankees clubhouse last year?

Swisher: “It’s nice to be recognized for that stuff in the clubhouse, but I want to be recognized for what I do on the field as well. I feel like I had a monster year last year compared to the year before, and it was a great stepping stone to get me going in the right direction.”

Daily News: Did you prepare any differently this winter than you have in the past?

Swisher: “I felt if I wanted to take my game to the next level, I had to change some things. I made some adjustments, changed the way my body looks, changed my batting stance a little bit. I think the confidence factor is there, and I’m really excited to have that back.”

Daily News: Looking back a year later, how tough was your year in Chicago?

Swisher: “I don’t have any bad feelings about anything that happened to me in Chicago. Chicago is a great city and a great organization, it just wasn’t the spot for me. When I got the call from Brian Cashman last offseason, I was like, ‘All right man, here we go.’

“Last year definitely brought back the fun for me and let everybody else know how fun baseball can be. I’m an emotional guy; I wear my heart on my sleeve and you’re going to know what kind of day I’m having.”

Daily News: Could you have imagined landing in a better situation?

Swisher: “I wake up every morning and feel amazing. I play for the greatest franchise in sports, my family is amazing and I have a beautiful girlfriend – I love my life. I don’t want to sound cocky in any sense of the word, but I feel that my life is perfect. There is nothing else I’d rather be doing, and I know how many people out there would give their left arm to change spots with me. Every time I come to the ballpark, this is my getaway and I want to have as much fun as I can.”

Daily News: You probably didn’t feel the same way last spring when Xavier Nady was named the starting right fielder, right?

Swisher: “X had a monster year in 2008, so if they thought he was the guy to start, that was that. That was definitely a tough day, there’s no doubt. I just thought to myself, if I get the opportunity to get in there, I would have to make the most of it.”

Daily News: Do you ever worry about your boisterous personality rubbing people the wrong way?

Swisher: “This is all I know. I’m going to bust my (butt) every day and give it everything I’ve got, because I don’t want to sit back when I’m 50 years old and say, ‘Man, I wish I would have done that.’ I want to live my life, have a blast doing it, do things the right way, be a good person and enjoy every second of it.”

Daily News: Is playing in New York different than you thought it would be?

Swisher: “There’s so many things that come along with it. You always think you might not be ready, and I’m not talking about on the playing field. There are a lot of things that come with being a Yankee that don’t come with a lot of other teams. The way you represent yourself on and off the field is a major factor, and I take a lot of pride in that. To be in here with our Core Four, to learn from them, to rub elbows with them in here every day, what’s better than that?”

Daily News: Is it hard not to get caught up in everything that comes with playing in New York?

Swisher: “I’ve been taught my whole life to take things in stride. Baseball isn’t going to be easy, or else everybody would do it. When times are good, you have to stay on that same level. Same thing when times are bad. Look at Derek; he’s the same every single day.”

Daily News: Do you like having the “class clown” image?

Swisher: “I’m going to be me. I think there are times when I’m a little too hyper, but I’m getting older. After bouncing around from team to team the past couple years, coming back here to a family atmosphere is amazing.”

Daily News: With the power numbers you put up, do you ever wonder how you’re hitting eighth?

Swisher: “The guy batting seventh hit .325. That’s how dominant this offense was. It’s all good.”

Daily News: Are the Yankees the favorites in 2010?

Swisher: “I’m sure in some people’s minds, we’re the favorites, but we know we have to go out and prove it.”
The original article was published on March 3^rd, 2010 by New York Daily News.

My new site is live!

Firstly, thanks for checking out my website, I really appreciate it. While I’m currently working hard on my off-season training, I recently collaborated with some talented individuals to create the new and improved NickSwisher.com. Here you will find easy access to everything I’m up to, from on field updates and news stories to everything I’m doing off the field like new videos and events. So come back here often to stay up to date and let’s do some big things in 2010!

-Swish

Born in Columbus, Ohio to Lillian and Steve Swisher, and growing up in both Ohio and West Virginia, no one questioned that Nick had baseball flowing in his veins. He certainly had the pedigree as his father Steve was a former major league catcher who played 8 seasons, including a 1976 All-Star campaign. The gift for the game was passed down to Nick who had a stellar high school career at Parkersburg High School. Next he went on to play at Ohio State University where his success followed him. He made his presence felt on campus immediately, bringing home the Big 10 freshman of the year award in 1999 and earning all Big 10 honors in his sophomore and junior years.

Scouts took notice and that’s when the A’s came calling. Nick was chosen with the 16th overall pick in the talent-laden 2002 amateur draft. He jumped into the minor league system and finished out the 2002 season by hitting 13 homers in just 49 games with the A’s single A affiliate.

Going Pro

In 2003, he split time between single and double A honing his batting eye. Then in 2004, Nick put it all together with the Sacramento River Cats where he torched the Pacific Coast League to the tune of 29 home runs, 109 runs scored and 92 RBI in only 129 games. His time was coming.

His success in Sacramento was closely watched by the big club and it earned Nick a September call-up in 2004. Since then, he’s never looked back. His first official at-bat came against then Toronto Blue Jay pitcher Ted Lilly on September 3rd. Despite the nerves that come with stepping into a major league batter’s box for the first time, especially on a team battling for the playoffs, Nick wasn’t overmatched. He worked a walk. Later in the game, he’d get his first major hit under his belt as he blasted a double. Most importantly to Nick, the A’s won the game.

To the Bigs

Heading into the offseason, it appeared as though a chance to break into the A’s everyday lineup was a real possibility. He worked as hard as he’s ever worked and came into training camp ready to compete to be the A’s everyday right fielder. He delivered a strong performance and won the starting job. Everything was going according to plan. But as with every rookie year, there were ups and downs. He came out of the gate slowly in May. Then with al little experience under his belt, he hit full stride showing signs of the patient hitter and flashing some of that immense power potential that the A’s were counting on when they drafted him. He raised his average over 50 points in June and July. He finished 7th in the American League rookie of the year voting and tied for the homerun lead among rookies in the AL with 21. Just for the record, that’s one more than his dad Steve had in his entire 8 year career.

Knowing what a full year of baseball at the highest level could do to your body and determined to build on his 21 homers, Nick worked out even harder than before. His dedication paid off as he followed up his strong rookie campaign in 2005 by taking it to another level. In his sophomore year, Nick crushed 35 homers which were good for 8th in the American League. He also filled up the rest of the stat sheet by finishing top 10 in runs scored (106), walks (97) and games played (157), all while improving his batting average 18 points. Having that kind of success, while not unfamiliar to Nick, isn’t going to stop him from doing everything he can to get even better.

He also got a taste of the playoffs in 2006, helping to lead the A’s to a first round sweep of the Minnesota Twins. As Nick wrote in his ESPN Sophomore Season entry, regular season baseball is fun but the playoffs are where the legends are made.

“When I was a kid I dreamed of winning playoff games and playing on teams that were as fun as this one. But no matter how big I dreamed, it doesn’t come close to touching what it feels like to win a playoff series. There are so many great players who never got a chance to make the playoffs let alone win in the playoffs and I’m humbled and honored that I’m living in this moment.”

He finished the 2007 season hitting .262 with 22 home runs and 78 RBI in his third full season in the Majors, the second consecutive season he improved his batting average and he added 100 walks for a .381 on base percentage, which also improved for the second consecutive season. In May 2007 he signed a 5 year contract extension with the Oakland A’s and on January 3, 2008 he was traded to the Chicago White Sox.

His first and only season with the White Sox was arguably Nick’s most challenging. In his fourth season, he carried his signature power, finishing with 24 homers. He also proved to be the versatile player that all teams crave. White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen used Swisher almost equally at 1B and in the OF. He also batted him up and down the order. To top it off, Nick was never able to get comfortable at the plate and struggled with his average. There were certainly some highlights from the 2008 season that Nick can build on. He scored 86 runs, the 2nd highest of his career and kept his top-notch batting eye, finishing 8th in the American League in walks. Of course, a huge highlight was that Nick got to once again take part in post season play.

On November 13, 2008, Nick was traded to the New York Yankees. “I’ve been blessed to be put in such a wonderful situation to be over here with the Yankees. I’m just really, really excited to learn from these guys and to be part of it all,” said Swisher.

Nick’s hard work in the off season paid off as he put together one of his best seasons and helped the Yankees win their 27^th World Series. Once again Nick played a variety of positions and roles within the organization including a brief stint as a relief pitcher. As a Yankees Nick has quickly become a fan favorite due to his hard work, big plays and the now famous Swish Salute.

Off the field

Nick is almost just as active off the field as he is on it. From a charitable point of view, Nick Swisher is more than just a typical baseball player. He strives to give back as much or more than he’s been given.

While with the Athletics, he was active in the Oakland community with a number of different charitable organizations. He introduced The Nick Swisher Foundation’s “Swish’s Wishes” and former teammate Barry Zito’s Strikeouts for Troops. He also served as an ambassador for the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), and has worked with the Women’s Cancer Research Fund, the Make-A-Wish foundation, the Special Olympics and recently donated his hair to Pantene’s Beautiful Lengths program in support of cancer patients.

In 2008, he continued his community focus in Chicago hosting several Swish’s Wishes days for sick children, dyed his goatee pink to raise the profile of the fight against breast cancer, and invited and paid for 8 year old cancer survivor Adam Bender and his family to travel from Kentucky to Chicago offering hope and inspiration to all while celebrating the first anniversary of Swish’s Wishes.

Nick’s off field activities go beyond charity as well. He has over 1.2 million followers on Twitter, he has chronicled his season for ESPN.com in a segment called “Swish’s Sophomore Year,” he hosted weekly pre-game TV show of which he won an Emmy for his work on “Swisher Unscripted,” he has had a weekly national radio appearance on Fox Sports Radio in 2008 was heard weekly on THE SCORE and seen on “Swish on Sox” Comcast Sports Net, Chicago. In addition, he is often heard on ESPN Radio with Scott Van Pelt and recently had a cameo on the CBS show “How I Met Your Mother.”

Moneyball

And yes, he’s the same Nick Swisher that was made famous before he ever put on a major league uniform. He was one of the featured players covered in Michael Lewis’ 2003 book Moneyball which followed the Oakland A’s through the 2002 season, including the 2002 amateur draft. Being the focus of this critically acclaimed book was an amazing experience but it didn’t come without its burden. Nick’s game was viewed through a microscope because his development was so critical to the A’s future success. Luckily, Nick was up for the challenge and the A’s bet on someone who hates losing. The early returns have been stellar for all parties. That shouldn’t be a surprise though; Nick’s wanted to do this since he was old enough to start hacking at a tee-ball set up in his backyard.

Manager

Kate Gordon
Apoko Group
kate@apokogroup.com
310-581-1939
www.apokogroup.com

Sports Agent

Joe Bick
Prostar Management
513.762.7676
www.prostarmanagement.com