Newly acquired Atlanta Braves outfielder Nick Swisher is known for having one of baseball’s biggest personalities. While some love his enthusiasm for the game, others have grown tired of it, including some of his former Indian teammates according to Zach Meisel of Cleveland.com.
According to Meisel, Swisher’s attitude had become grating among some of his former teammates, and when he started to struggle, some fellow Indians thought his performance didn’t live up to his spunky attitude.
Not all teammates shed a tear when Swisher packed up his belongings and jetted to Georgia. His relentless enthusiasm wore on members of the clubhouse and the fan base, as they longed for numbers in his stat line worthy of those on his paychecks.
The energy and over-the-top bubbly attitude helped eliminate any lasting effects from a defeated team that amassed a 68-94 mark in 2012. When his performance went south, however, his insistence on being the club’s commander and cheerleader didn’t carry much weight.
Swisher seemed doomed in Cleveland since signing his four year, $56 million deal. He was 30+ outfielder coming off a solid season with the New York Yankees. He was paid like a star outfielder (for the time) and never lived up to the mammoth contract. In two and a half seasons, Swisher only appeared in 272 games due to multiple injuries. While he hit 22 home runs in first season with the Indians, he only managed 10 long bombs since the start of 2014. If your performance doesn’t match your aggressive enthusiasm, its easy to rub people on the wrong way – and that’s what Swisher seemed to do whether intentional or not.
It’s a far cry from when the Indians signed Swisher, and Craig Calcaterra of Hardball Talk wrote about how the team was excited to bring in a player of Swisher’s pedigree. Interestingly enough, Calcaterra wondered how Swisher’s attitude would effect the team should the club struggle.
I just spoke to Terry Francona and he said about Swisher that “he doesn’t just talk the talk, he walks the walk.”
Walking out of the clubhouse, I ran into some of the team media people. I told them that whatever they’re paying Swisher, it’s not enough. They all agreed. He’s probably paid off his contract in increased season ticket sales already.
Right now Swisher’s energy is exactly what the Indians and their fans need. It’s a totally different thing than this team has seen in years. But I do wonder: what happens once the season begins? What happens if the Tribe loses six of their first eight and Swisher struggles? Will the intensity lag? Will it stay where it is and rub teammates the wrong way? It’s long season and no one can keep up Swisher’s energy for seven months, can they?
Apparently they can’t.
The divorce, which saw Cleveland deal the 34 year old and Michael Bourn to the Atlanta Braves in a bad contract swap for Chris Johnson was best for both parties.
The Indians are currently seven games under .500 in a season which has been largely lost. Swisher seems to be one of those guys who’s attitude is great in a winning environment, but can be annoying in a losing one. The Indians aren’t on the track to become winners this season, so trading Swisher should serve as a huge sigh of relief for the ball club – meanwhile, Swisher gets a fresh start and a chance to inspire new teammates in Atlanta.
Based on this interview, the enthusiasm won’t just be limited to Cleveland.
How long until the act gets old in Atlanta, too?
