Nick Swisher is my least favorite Yankee. He is to me the John Cena of the Yankees – the girls and the kids love him but guys hate him.
Swisher looks lost at times in the outfield. Last night, however, he made a sliding catch and the announcers made it sound like he was Willie Mays.
When the Yankees traded for Ichiro, they said that Ichiro would not play in right field although he is a much better fielder. Even Brian Cashman, the Yankees GM, got into the act and said that he didn’t want to “shake up the chemistry” by moving Swisher from RF.
Swisher was injured for over 7 days, yet the Yankees didn’t put him on the DL, and released a faster, more agile outfielder in DeWayne Wise when they could have utilized the roster spot and kept Wise around.
To me, this is a pattern of favoritism. Over and over, the Yankees have made exceptions for this guy and to me it is the start of something that does not have a good ending. Because he is a “fan favorite”, they coddle him and make exceptions.
I don’t blame Swisher for this, I blame management. And much like in business, when management plays favor of one person over another, it leads to chaos.
So Nick, sorry, but I hope you sign with another team next year. It will create better chemistry for the Yankees and open the door to new opportunities.