WHEN Nick Swisher stands in right field to salute the Bleacher Creatures, he’s not just doing that to get a pre-game ovation.
He’s there to salute his grandfather as well as the fans. From that single gesture, you can tell this Yankees team offers more substance and appreciation of the game than the last three playoff teams that were bounced in the first round. Before the ALDS begins, there will be analysis of every aspect of the Yankees.
Through it all, don’t overlook the obvious. This club has more fight than the last three postseason productions.
On a night over-thinking starter Joba Chamberlain had no rhythm and figures to be shuffled to the bullpen the first round, Swisher slugged his 29th home run in a 4-3 loss to the Royals at the Stadium. How important has Swisher been to the Yankees? Only team MVP Mark Teixeira has more home runs.
One of general manager Brian Cashman’s goals after last season’s terrible failure was to add players that have more grit, players willing to get their pinstripes dirty. It’s not just about talent; it’s about having a burning desire to win, yet knowing how to have fun. It takes more than talent to succeed in the postseason.
“It’s an honor for me to come in here and play every day,” Swisher said. “That’s how I approach the game. I never knew how lucky I was to play the game until I came over here to experience this.”
These Yankees understand the weight of expectations. They know they will have to produce in a big way or the season is a failure. It’s that’s simple. There are different ways to release pressure. This is how Swisher’s salute came about.
“My grandfather, this past offseason, Nov. 26, passed away,” Swisher said. “That’s a day after my birthday. When the roll-call thing started, I didn’t know what I was going to do and it just kind of popped in my head that my grandfather was a military man. It was a salute to him and a salute to the fans the way they have welcomed me in. Those are my Creatures out there. They give this stadium the character that it needs.
“It’s been a blast out there, I can’t wait to do more of it and we’re looking forward to a great post-season coming up.”
The biggest part of succeeding in New York is embracing that pressure. Asked what he likes best about this team, Cashman answered, “Their fight. They’re extremely talented, but they got a lot of fight, a lot of desire.”
To that end, Swisher was upset after the game because he got turned around on a fly ball he played into a triple in the seventh that produced the winning run.
“It ended up being the run that won the game. So am I happy about it? No,” Swisher said.
In the postseason every inning is the ninth inning. The Yankees believe they have the pitching, the talent, and the intangibles to win.
Swisher loosens up a clubhouse. These are not the button-down Yankees of years past.
“He’s been great in the clubhouse, just keeping everybody loose, having fun,” said Teixeira. “Sometimes we laugh at him, sometimes we laugh with him.”
Derek Jeter, who is not into theatrics, agreed, saying, “That pretty much sums it up. Swish likes to have a good time. You can laugh with him, you can laugh at him, he’s a good guy to have on our team.”
Come that first postseason game, Swisher’s pre-game salute will mean that much more.