Long-time MLB outfielder Nick Swisher has announced his retirement in a post at the Player’s Tribune. The 36-year-old will join FOX Sports as a studio analyst — in addition to spending time at home with his kids, he writes.
Swisher, one of the game’s most jubilant personalities, was a first-round pick by the Athletics out of Ohio State. The switch hitter made it up to the majors in his third professional season, and went on to play in a dozen MLB campaigns.
Over his four years in Moneyball-era Oakland, Swisher provided the team with nearly 2,000 plate appearances of .251/.361/.464 hitting. Renowned for his plate discipline, he took 260 walks against 404 strikeouts in that span.
Despite signing an extension with the A’s, Swisher was dealt to the White Sox early in 2008. The deal sent Gio Gonzalez and others back to the Oakland. But Swisher fell shy of expectations in Chicago, and was flipped at season’s end to the Yankees.
In New York, Swisher thrived once again. He compiled 2,501 plate appearances there, slashing a robust .268/.367/.483 and swatting 105 home runs over four campaigns. Swisher was a model of consistency with the Yanks, taking over 600 plate appearances in every season and posting OPS+ marks between 120 and 129.
After declining a qualifying offer following the 2012 season, Swisher hit the open market for the first time entering his age-32 season. He ultimately landed a four-year, $56MM pact with the Indians. While the first year went reasonably well — Swisher hit .246/.341/.423 in 634 trips to the plate — that represented the end of his productivity in the majors.
Swisher endured an injury-plagued 2014 season that ended with double knee surgery. He made it back the following year, but was ultimately dealt to the Braves along with Michael Bourn in a salary-swapping deal that sent Chris Johnson to Cleveland. While he showed a bit of life late in 2015 with Atlanta — he hit just .195 and didn’t hit for power, but drew 27 walks and posted a .349 OBP — Swisher was cut loose late in camp in 2016 and never made it back to the bigs after inking a minor-league pact with the Yankees.
While he was never much of a defender or baserunner, Swisher managed to contribute 25.4 fWAR and 21.7 rWAR over his career. At his best, between 2006 and 2013, he was a steady 3-to-4 win player. Swisher’s sole All-Star berth came in 2010.
MLBTR wishes Swisher a pleasant retirement and the best of luck with his new gig.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
you were kinda a bust in cleveland, but a big part of a special team in 2013. good luck, swish!
Not kinda, more like definitely.
true lmao
I still remember all the ads for “BrOhio”
Nick Swisher had the best personality but the worst knees
noooooo
Actually… thank god!!
He was a good player and a cool guy and the game will miss him.
One of the most annoying, overrated players in this time. Reminds me of Kevin Millar without the terrible MLB show.
lol…ouch!
Unfortunately, he is probably headed to the MLB channel.
Why is that bad? Maybe he’ll replace. Eric Byrnes. At least Swisher has a personality. They just added Jim Thome.
at least you’re not uptight about it
Intentional Talk is where it’s at dude
“Got em” is the stupidest thing to hit television since The Big Bang Theory.
Um… Got HEEEEM**
Bazinga!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kill me
Haha no way!! BBT is the best… you poor humour soul haha
Zero humor in those two morons. People who like them also like Mike the Mad Dog too. Worst.
I was a fan of swisher when the white sox acquired him, then I saw him play everyday. The absolute worst is Christopher Russo, guy is a moron. I feel bad for the cameras on his show. Say it don’t spray it mad dog. “HIiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiighello everybody!”
The big bang theory is probably the best show on CBS. Although Kevin can wait and man with a plan are very good too. Got Heeem is funny.
Yes he was annoying, certainly a goofball and I wasn’t happy when the Tribe wasted all that $$$ on him and Bourne.
… agreed. Who is more obnoxious, Millar or Swisher? It’s close, but I’d say Millar. Can you imagine having dinner with Millar, Swisher, and Jonny Gomes? That would be exhausting.
Swisher definitely more annoying. Millar helped break and curse and Swisher was a guy who benefitted from the 8 hole
It can’t be worse than Eric Byrnes. His entire career was diving for routine fly balls.
Brian N. Anderson did the same exact thing.
Don’t forget Pilar
Terribly overrated? He never viewed as a premier player and was somehow overrated? He had 9 straight seasons with 20+ HR, had an OPS+ of at least 120 in 6 of those (the others being 93,102,115) He was always known as one of those players who could provide some thump with the bat and be a great clubhouse presence. You make it seem as if people touted him as a perennial all star.
People DID tout him as a perennial all star. Coming from a city full of fans who see a guy hit a home run and they’re ready to retire his number- he was definitely overrated. He benefited from being the guy everyone pitched to for his time in NY, and everyone else was very much so average.
Agree 100%!
Except about Millar.
I’m not a huge fan of got heem, but other than that IT is a hilarious show and at least sometimes has interesting predictions and stuff. Not sure why the hate.
Not sure, though I do prefer the 80’s style racial humor of Harold and Matt on Hot Stove.
Yep. Likable only if you played alongside him (maybe). Congrats to him on his MLB career but he’ll not be missed!
Critics of Swisher here ……..You are nothing but non productive baseball armchair losers! Every major leaguer is the very best of Triple A. Less than 10% of Triple A players get the call to the bigs. Fewer than that become regulars. Swisher is in the top 5% of major leaguers whoever played and that is why he signed big contracts. The Indians made a mistake in signing a 32 year old player and most 32 year olds are going downhill — their bodies are used up. It is rare to find a .250 hitter with an on base percentage of .350 or so. Get real —–
Perfect picture lol
Don’t let the Door hit ya were the Good lord Split ya —- Chicago White Sox Fan
Yes, adios please don’t let him in any TV studio s maybe he can suit up as Ronald McDonald soon
I agree “comebacktrail28”! His act got old in Chicago. Cry baby when benched. Good riddance!
Nick Swisher and Ozzie Guillen were like “oil and water”, two ego-maniacs who couldn’t stand each other. Ozzie won that battle but would eventually lose the war with Kenny Williams 3 year later when the White Sox traded their manager to the Florida Marlins following the 2011 season.
He didn’t retire, MLB retired him as nobody wanted him. He didn’t do anything special in AAA last year and then cried the Yankees didn’t call him up.
His schtick got old a long time ago. Seems like a genuinely nice guy but all this surfer bro talk was a joke.
At least two years too late, maybe even 3. lol
I got to see him hit a dinger in Anaheim once. Helped my Tribe beat the Halos that game. But he was never even close to a favorite of mine, because of his posing and preening at the plate…..after striking out.
MLBTR wishes Swisher a pleasant retirement over the next 50 to 60 years.
Best retirement picture ever
What the Padres didn’t sign him?
Never liked him, and won’t miss him at all.
Good dude. I used to work in visiting clubhouse at Yankee Stadium. Gave one of the guys $100 tip for getting him a box of condoms from the deli up the street.
Im sure his wife loves reading that. Hopefully they were for her.
Knowing how off the wall Swish was, they probably weren’t used for what they were intended….He probably used them to make balloon animals in the clubhouse or something.
Condoms from a deli? Perhaps they had some left over casings from their sausages and found another use for them. lol
Nice response, funny as hell.
Smell ya later!
Not sure why all the hate as he was always great with the fans. I enjoyed his time with the Yankees (his salute to the bleacher creatures was always great) and can’t fault him for taking the money Cleveland offered him. Had a nice career and earned a ring in ’09!
He was awesome with the fans!
I can’t speak for his previous teams but when he played in Cleveland he had a great attitude.
He just declined rapidly and having problems in both knees doesn’t help.
Don’t know why so many people are being hateful
Sad day for BROs everywhere. Wondering if he is “retiring” in BROhio? Later dude.
sheesh are people uptight on this site. The man was in the big leagues and enjoyed every second of it, congrats to him
Lol its not this just this site, everyone wants to stick out as that one on social media that goes against the grain just to make themselves feel a notch higher and better about themselves rather than just a “thanks for committing yourself to something we love and enjoy the same as you do, you are/were just much better at it than we!”
It’s not racism in this nation that’s the problem, it’s all the bullshit social media, I personally don’t see a miniscule of the lippy sarcastic people in public that I see online….hmmmm…
Thanks for the baseball mems Swish and also for the love of the game man! Happy retirement and you’ll excel on TV..
I agree. Dude was a decent ball player with a wild personality. Never messed around with ped’s and did a lot of charity work for kids. He did what he loved for as long as he could. Best of luck to him.
And how do you know he never messed around with PEDs? For all we know he abused the hell out of them and it led to him falling apart physically.
Innocent until proven guilty.
That’s how the legal system works. Your “For all we know” argument is flimsy and can be used on anyone or anything. Here’s an example:
For all we know you sleep in your parents’ basement and cry yourself to sleep every night.
One of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet …
I remember Swish. He was always so happy when he played. he was good for 20-30 bombs, and a **** ton of walks, with a serviceable .260ish batting average.
He wasn’t known for his defense, but he was a serviceable 1B (Rarely played 1B for the Yanks tho), and LF/RF.
I always remembered Girardi substituted him in the 7th inning or 8th inning for a defensive LF/RF whether or not the game was out of reach.
But When it came to fan interaction I don’t think I’ve seen better then Swish in my lifetime. He would always salute the Bleacher creatures every game, and he loved to play for us.
Unfortunately, he may have also been the worst post season performer in the history of the game. His postseason struggles were well documented which led to his downfall and ugly divorce from the Yankees after many great years. For his Yankee career, he went 19-for-123 in 34 playoff games (a .154 batting average) Yankee fans booed him his last year here (I believe during one of his postseason failures, the 2012 ALCS in which the Yankees were swept 4-0 by the Tigers)
The Yankees made no effort to re-sign him and he left to sign a four year $56 million contract with the Indians.
Some may say he was unfairly scapegoated for the Yankees postseason failures and didn’t deserve the fans jeers because he’s a nice guy but Swish’s postseason performance was out of this world.
I would like to add, I really wish it worked the second time he signed a minor league contract with us. I don’t know why we never called him up.
I’m glad the ugly divorce with the Yankees was somewhat mitigated when he signed a minor league contract with us in 2016.
I wish they called him up to see what he got they just let him fade away into obscurity in the minor leagues.
I remember seeing this guy in some show where he went to some special athlete/fitness gym to train for a little bit in the offseason. I forgot the name of the show, but I think it was on Discovery channel. All I remember is that he looked like he didn’t want to be there.
American Muscle – Mike Barwis.
Swish is a good guy. He gave things from his own personal collection of memorabilia to give to those less fortunate. He enjoyed playing the game and made a pile of $$$$ doing it. He will make whatever show he’s on better and he will have fun.
good!!
Swish was a fans’ player, always reporting for duty in right field of Yankee Stadium with a salute to the Bleacher Creatures. He always gave it his all, both physically and with heart.
I will most remember the game that the Yankees played after the Boss died. Emotion filled the stadium and it was a must win feeling. Swish was the hero that game to give one for the boss.
I look forward to him on the screen and hope he spends lots of time being a great dad!
not surprised. He didn’t mean much to the Indians. Only to the yankees.
Good Luck Swish!