Nick Swisher has been a first baseman for 31 percent of his career in the majors. He has spent 29 percent of his time in right field, 22 percent in center and 18 percent in left.
The juggling act was frenetic with the Chicago White Sox last season. Swisher started most of his games in the outfield but also played 56 games at first. He played more than one position in the same game 17 times.
One of the reasons the Yankees acquired Swisher from the White Sox last week was for his versatility. But during a conference call with reporters yesterday, he sounded wistful when asked about the idea of focusing on one position.
"It would be fun to see what that would be like," he said.
He could get that chance. General manager Brian Cashman said last week that the Yankees believe Swisher can replace Jason Giambi at first base and that the winter would be devoted to acquiring starting pitchers.
To that end, the Yankees have extended offers to Derek Lowe and CC Sabathia and will soon make an offer to A.J. Burnett. But they have not yet bid on free-agent first baseman Mark Teixeira.
While acknowledging that it's a long way from the start of spring training and that the roster could change, Swisher lobbied for first base, saying it is the position he plays best.
"Defensively, yes, although I really haven't had the opportunity to play there very much," Swisher said. "If that would happen, I'd be very excited to see what I'd be able to do for a full season over there."
Swisher was primarily an outfielder with the White Sox last season and hit leadoff for the first time in his career. He never got comfortable and had the worst season of his career, hitting .219 with 135 strikeouts and only 69 RBI.
The Yankees believe that season was an anomaly and that Swisher will have a high on-base percentage, hit for power and be an upgrade defensively. The switch hitter, who turns 28 later this month, believes he will rebound.
"All those tough times I went through, I know in my mind I not only grew as a man but as a player in general," he said. "In most situations you only grow through the tough times and I definitely went through some tough times. Last year was a very humbling year for me, and I learned a lot from it. I do know that all that stuff's behind me and I'm really looking forward to this year.
"Obviously last year was a rough one. But, hey, sometimes that's going to happen. ... It made me a better player, I'll tell you that."
Swisher did not go into detail about his 2008 season, saying there was no one factor that led to his poor performance. But hitting first in Ozzie Guillen's lineup did not suit him. He had only six extra-base hits in 105 at-bats while hitting first. That experiment lasted only until May, but the effects lingered throughout the season.
"I did a lot of things that I was not used to doing," Swisher said. "(Leading off) was a little bit of a change."
The news Swisher wanted came last Thursday when he and minor-league right-hander Kanekoa Texeira were obtained from the White Sox in exchange for backup infielder Wilson Betemit and two pitching prospects.
Swisher has since spoken to Alex Rodriguez and swapped text messages with hitting coach Kevin Long while pondering where to live in New York. He's also hoping to get a tour of the new Yankee Stadium.
"It's a dream come true," he said. "I think every little kid in America, at one point or another, dreams about playing for the New York Yankees. Lucky for me it's coming true. I couldn't be more excited."
Swisher is a friend of Sabathia but has not spoken to the left-hander since the trade. His enthusiasm won't outweigh the $140 million the Yankees have offered Sabathia, but it could bolster the recruiting pitch.
"I've known CC for a couple of years now. Just a great guy," Swisher said. "If all works out everyone would be super ecstatic if we can pull him out of Milwaukee and get him. We're going to have to see what happens."
No comments:
Post a Comment