Nick Swisher’s Yankees Honeymoon Quickly Turns into Married Life

Yankees outfielder Nick Swisher was all smiles when the season began. He was ecstatic to be in New York, and the city was likewise elated to have him.

Swisher’s personality and youthful enthusiasm are infectious, and his playful antics added an uplifting dynamic to a once stale and businesslike clubhouse.

After a torrid start at the plate that made even Hell appear to have a cool and refreshing breeze, Swisher instantly became a fan favorite.

He engaged the fans with a genuine sense of interest and appreciation, and had an endearing “every man” quality about him.

Swisher was even given the opportunity to pitch an inning during the month of April, and his excitement and unyielding smile could have illuminated the stadium without the use of its light fixtures.

Smiles and laughs have quickly turned into expressions of doubt and concern, as Swisher has been nothing short of a disaster in the month of May.

In 22 May games, Swisher is hitting just 8-for-67 (.119) with 2 HR, 8 RBI, and 25 K. He has transformed into the same automatic out that made him expendable in Chicago during the offseason.

The discrepancy between home and away performance is even more startling.

In the undeniably “hitter-friendly” confines of Yankee Stadium, Swisher is just 8-for-65 (.123). He has produced just one of his nine home runs and three of his 27 runs batted in at home.

Unfortunately for “Swish,” the statistics don’t get any better from here.

In Yankee losses, he is hitting just .158, which helps to illustrate his inability to drive in key runs late in ball games.

Swish’s propensity to fail in clutch situations is further emphasized by his efforts in big games in general.

When playing against Toronto, Boston, and Philadelphia—the two biggest divisional threats and defending World Series Champions—he is 3-for-37 (.081).

Swish is also just 4-for-18 against Tampa Bay, and went 2-for-14 during the magical four-game sweep of the Minnesota twins—which involved three walk-off victories he clearly played no role in.

He has officially been placed on Yankees life support after hitting into a seventh inning double play with the bases loaded of a 4-3 deficit last night. He is now 0-for-5 with the bases loaded this season.

The numbers speak very loudly for themselves, and there are many more to focus on if a horde of stats had not already been forced down your throats like baby food.

Perhaps Swish needed the presence of Xavier Nady to push him to succeed. Perhaps the worry of losing his job gave him the extra edge he needed to maximize his contributions.

Nady and Jorge Posada appear set to return within the next 1-2 weeks, so Swish better begin to heat up—or face being returned to a utility role on the roster.

Luckily for Swish, it appears that Nady will be relegated to a DH role during his first few weeks back in pinstripes, which will help to expand his “rejuvenation” time frame.

Fans have every reason to love him, and he still has helped to positively change the clubhouse and dugout atmosphere.

However…it is becoming more and more obvious as to why he is a career .242 hitter. We may never see another month as productive as April 2009 for Mr. Swisher.

Yankees Lineup Dissected, Evaluated: Where Do the Bronx Bombers Stand?

In the wake of countless college graduation ceremonies being performed across the Untied States, it is once again time to put the Yankees through the GPA gauntlet.

After giving out the individual April awards during a May 1 banquet, we will now focus on where New York stands after a 2-6 stretch following that date.

The issues surrounding New York’s starting rotation and middle relief have been well documented and assessed, and represent a major catalyst for the team’s 15-16 start to 2009.

This grading evaluation will instead focus on the Yankee lineup; a group of men that were anticipated to pummel opponents’ rotations until they cried in the corner of the dugout in the fetal position.

Before I hand out the A’s, C’s, and F’s, let’s first focus on the strengths and weaknesses of the offensive attack at this juncture of a marathon baseball season.

Offensive Strengths:

The Yankees currently stand at 8th in MLB with a .273 team batting average, as well as 6th with a .353 on-base percentage. Additionally, they are 2nd in the league in slugging (.468), 4th in OPS (.821), 2nd in home runs (48), and 5th in runs scored overall (172).

They have shown flashes of greatness, and have had a knack for hitting the long ball when they need it most in recent weeks. The bullpen has helped to mask this fact, but there is some reason to view the situation as “half full” moving forward.

New York sits near the top of baseball in a bevy of offensive categories, all while performing far below its expectations and skill set.

Offensive Weaknesses:

The season has produced many games that have been first round knockouts, as the starting rotation has left New York with seven and eight run deficits to overcome.

Many other games have come down to clutch performance, a skill once the lifeblood of any Bronx lineup. This season, however, the team is currently third to last in the AL with a .244 AVG with runners in scoring position (RISP).

The RISP number is also slightly skewed toward the positive, as many of these hits have occurred in convincing victories. The reality is even more dismal than the statistics indicate.

To make matters worse, the Yankees hit just .240 with RISP and two outs, a stat that truly encompasses the team’s struggles to produce with pressures magnified.

The inability to drives in back-breaking runs late in games has left the bullpen in a position to instead break the hearts of Yankees fans.

Semester One Grading Assessment

Valedictorian: Johnny Damon (A+)

After yet another clutch home run against the Orioles on Sunday, Damon now has 9 HR, 25 RBI, 23 R, and a .314 batting average.

Damon has had an incredible resurgence in 2009, and has helped to keep a struggling lineup afloat in recent weeks. In nine May games alone, he has produced 5 HR, 15 RBI, and a .350 average.

The Good:

1. Melky Cabrera (A)

Once left for dead within the Yankees organization, Cabrera was as much trade bait as he was a prospective starter. He has saved a center field situation that had become a black hole, hitting .333 in 81 at bats. He has also added 4 HR, 10 RBI, and a .407 OBP.

2. Robinson Cano (A-)

Cano has often been considered a lazy or nonchalant athlete, appearing to approach the task at hand without full dedication. His hard work during the offseason has paid off, as he is hitting .321 with 6 HR, 18 RBI, and 21 R. A recent homecoming of certain bad habits at the plate has caused Cano’s consistency to slip, preventing an A grade.

3. Nick Swisher (B+)

The true darling of the Yankees roster in 2009, Swisher had box scores treating him as kindly as fans during April. He ended the month at .312 with 7 HR, 19 RBI, and a stellar .430 OBP.

An ‘A’ grade has quickly fallen to a ‘B+’, as Swisher is just 3-for-23 in May (.130). The three hits have occurred in consecutive games, however, so perhaps he is ready to get back on track.

The Bad:

1. Derek Jeter (C+)
If Jeter’s stats were stretched over a full season, he would produce the lowest AVG, OBP, and RBI totals of his entire career. He had two 0-for-5 games in the last week alone, and has been rather pedestrian overall.

The Captain nearly climbed out of the “bad” category as a result of numerous clutch performances in the early weeks of April, helping to prevent an even more embarrassing start for the Yankees.

2. Hideki Matsui (C-)

“Godzilla” was counted on to provide pop from the middle of the lineup in order to compensate for the losses of Alex Rodriguez and Xavier Nady. In 98 at bats, he has produced just 2 HR and 12 RBI, offering nothing more than a keen eye to New York.

A .410 OBP for the month of April is the only thing saving Matsui from the “ugly” category, as he is just 7-for-33 in May (.212) with 3 RBI and a .250 OBP. He also has a propensity to clog up the bases due to his damaged knees.

The Ugly:

1. Mark Teixeira (D-)

Teixeira arrived in New York with a $180 million contract and lofty expectations. The subsequent injury to A-Rod then placed the lineup squarely onto his shoulders, and he couldn’t handle the responsibility. Still hitting an appalling .198, Teixeira has turned a “historically slow starter” moniker into fears of a never-ending train wreck.

While “Big Tex” is still on pace for 40 HR and 97 RBI, he has come up very small. He has resembled Pedro Cerrano from Major League, as he looks as though he has never seen a professional curveball before. Boos will turn into disownment is he does not turn it around with A-Rod hitting behind him.

2. Third Base (F)

The combination of Cody Ransom, Angel Berroa, and Alex Rodriguez collected just 1 HR, 9 RBI, .178 AVG, and .233 OBP in 25 games. Yankees 3B were also leading the league in errors at the point of A-Rod’s return. Ramiro Pena played admirably, but his individual moments cannot overcome the calamity of New York’s “frigid corner.”

The Infirmary:

1. Jorge Posada (A-)

Before an injury placed him on the DL, Posada was also in the running for valedictorian. His .312 AVG, 5 HR, 20 RBI, and .402 OBP in just 23 games were numbers fit for an All-Star starter at the position. He reenergized the lineup, and had proven that a surgically repaired throwing shoulder would not at all affect his production in the batter’s box.

2. Xavier Nady (Incomplete)
Nady played just seven games before injuring his throwing arm, hitting .286 with 2 RBI. He is very important to New York’s second half success, but has not played enough to earn a grading evaluation.

3. Jose Molina (B)

Molina is potentially the best backup catcher in all of baseball. His defensive prowess is unquestioned, and he quickly became the biggest luxury on New York’s bench.

Not known for his offense, Molina’s .273 AVG is more than serviceable considering his expectations. Unfortunately, a recent quad injury has left the Yankees scrambling for a worthy and dependable backstop.

Cumulative GPA:

After calculating all of these grades on an even scale for each grade, the Yankees offense possesses a 2.74 GPA. This causes them to fall somewhere between a C+ and B- in terms of an overall grading evaluation.

Considering the consistent pitching struggles and strength of schedule, New York is going to have to hit closer to an A- in order to earn itself a playoff spot come October.

Nady Diagnosed with Strain NOT Tear in Elbow Ligament

After countless medical opinions and reviews of tests performed on Xavier Nady's injured elbow, it appears he has not torn a ligament after all.

According to SI's Jon Heyman, Nady will in fact not require season-ending surgery, and will instead require a rehabilitation program of "a period of weeks."

It has not yet been released exactly how long this rehab period will last, but Nady should be back in pinstripes in 2009.

This is excellent news for a Yankees team that has struggled offensively to start the season, and has been in desperate need of a right-handed power bat.

The imminent return of Alex Rodriguez will greatly help this issue as well, but Nady will re-energize a suddenly weak bench. Placing Nick Swisher in the starting lineup day after day had left New York with no late-inning weapons as pinch-hitters.

Stay tuned as more information is leaked hour by hour, but there seems to be reason to smile in the Bronx today.

The "X-Man" can dry last week's tears; his season is not yet lost.

Nady Likely Out for the Year: Elbow Surgery Cripples Yankees' Depth

Those who had hoped for Nick Swisher to become an everyday player have just gotten their wish.

Unfortunately, this comes at the expense of the Yankees current right fielder's entire season in pinstripes.

It appears that OF Xavier Nady has torn a ligament in his elbow, and will likely require season-ending Tommy John surgery.

Nothing is official as of yet, but there is no reason to believe that Nady could return from any extensive surgery before next season.

The news was first reported by Peter Abraham of the LoHud Yankees Blog, and comes as a shock to many fans from the Bronx.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi has now been robbed of one of his biggest assets, and will now find himself with a much shorter and less potent bench attack.

New York will be able to replace Nady's production on a daily basis with Swisher's presence, but will now encounter the same late-season and October issues of years past.

Without experienced and dangerous hitters on the Yankee bench, Girardi can no longer strike fear into the hearts of opposing managers at the end of games.

This will undoubtedly be a weakness that Brian Cashman will attempt to eliminate before the July 31 trading deadline.

Stay tuned for the official word from Nady's selected surgeon, but expect nothing less than a lost season for the Yankees Opening Day right fielder.

Xavier Nady, George McFly from Back to the Future: Separated at Birth?

Whenever I watched a pregame or postgame interview involving Yankees outfielder Xavier Nady, something seemed familiar.



In an odd instance of déjà vu, I was given the notion that I had seen this all before.

After months of pondering, the thought completely slipped from my mind. It was not worth analyzing something so trivial any longer.

Then I met with a few of my friends to watch the cult classic film Back to the Future.

The movie of course starred Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd, but another prominent actor caught my attention.

Crispin Glover, otherwise known as George McFly, gave me that same strange feeling of déjà vu.

Bearing a distinguished family resemblance, Nady and Glover must at worst be distant cousins.



Add a helmet to Glover’s head and shave Nady’s facial growth, and the likeness becomes even more alarming.

Perhaps the similarity also stems from the way the two enunciate their words, particularly the “s” sounds.

Ironically, I was also able to get my hands on Crispin Glover giving a sports report with exclusively baseball updates. It is the perfect tie-in to getting my point across.



If VH1 were to do a Where Are They Now?: Crispin Glover episode, they would not have to look far to find his whereabouts.

Glover is in fact posing as a backup right fielder on the Yankees 25-man roster.

If he is in fact Xavier Nady, we can all thank Michael J. Fox for Glover’s increased confidence.

By knocking out bully and Back to the Future nemesis Biff Tannen, Glover (McFly) got the woman of his dreams.

Glover’s newfound confidence and swagger led him to the baseball diamond, where he now felt untouchable.

The days of swinging through breaking balls and cowering away from hard fastballs had finally ceased to exist.

Glover could now realize his full potential, eventually being drafted by the San Diego Padres in the second round of the MLB draft.

He clawed his way into the Padres lineup in 2003, and the rest is history.

Though obviously intended to generate a few laughs and poke fun at Nady, I certainly would love to have a No. 22 Yankee jersey with “McFly” written across the back.

Xavier Nady: Your 2009 Yankee RF? Or Simply Being Showcased?

According to Yankees Manager Joe Girardi, Xavier Nady has a leg up for the starting job in RF.

Coming as a surprise to many including myself, Girardi has appeared to have gone against his heart by not sticking with personal favorite Nick Swisher.

Instead, the Yankees brass decided to think in terms of July 31 as opposed to April 6.

Swisher is the more dynamic offensive player, possessing more power and the ability to hit successfully from both sides of the plate.

Defensively, Swisher has greater range and the tendency to get dirty to make an inning-changing play.

Nady is more than adequate as a defensive outfielder, but lacks the hard-nosed mindset to commit to sacrificing his body. He has always been perceived as a glider as opposed to a sprinter.

It is clear that 2008 was a season Swisher could not have cooked up even in his worst nightmares.

He managed to hit just .219, and seemed lost at the plate in his first year in Chicago. He generated just 69 RBIs and 21 doubles, the lowest such totals of his career.

However, Swisher still managed to post a higher American League OBP than Nady in 2008.

Nady had a .320 OBP in New York, as opposed to Swisher’s .332 OBP in Chicago. This is a telling stat considering the abnormally low batting average Swisher carried.

Nady was able to capitalize off of one superb half of baseball in Pittsburgh in order to skyrocket his worth.

The Yankees are now hoping he can do the same in the first half of 2009.

With Swisher under contract through the end of 2011, Nady is the expendable piece in a crowded Yankee OF puzzle.

If the Yankees are to receive solid trade value in return for Nady, he will have to play on a consistent basis.

By handing him the starting RF job before the end of spring training, they will hope to jumpstart his confidence heading into April.

The Yankees would have traded Nady months ago had the right opportunity presented itself.

However, the discounted prices teams received for Pat Burrell, Bobby Abreu, and Raul Ibanez severely crippled their chances of finding interested suitors.

A salary dump is always available, but GM Brian Cashman is in no hurry to give away a valuable player for nothing more than minor league journeyman.

If Nady is hitting .300 or above heading into July, teams will come calling in droves for his services. Cashman will be ready to listen, likely in search of ML-ready bullpen help for the stretch run.

Perhaps Girardi is making sure a lineup without Alex Rodriguez does not become left-hand dominant. Swisher has always generated much more power from the left side.

Ironically, Nady struggled last year against left-handed pitching. He hit only .262 against lefties in 2008, while his season average stood at .305.

If this trend continues, the Yankees may be left wondering what advantage Nady holds over Swisher.

Do not be surprised if this “victory” is no more than a marketing campaign for Nady’s services come July.