As he took his practice swings on the McAfee Coliseum field in Oakland Monday, Athletics' right fielder Nick Swisher knew the four-game series about to begin between the A's and division-leading Los Angeles was going to be the biggest series of his career.
"I played in some big games at OSU, but this is the kind of series where legends are made. We have put ourselves in a position to make history if we play like we are capable of playing in this series," Swisher said. "This right here is how great stories are finished."
Swisher, the former Ohio State star who played for the Buckeyes from 2000-2002, has experienced a roller coaster of a rookie year, both in his personal and team performance. After dominating Big Ten pitchers for three seasons, Swisher has struggled with his average against Major League pitching as a rookie, yet has managed to put up impressive power numbers.
"These guys not only have amazing talent, but they know how to use it to exploit your every weakness," Swisher said. "Facing guys like Pedro (Martinez), (Curt) Schilling and (Mariano) Rivera is a lot different than the pitchers I faced in college or the minors."
In college Swisher was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2000 after hitting .299 with 10 home runs and 48 RBIs. He was an All-Big Ten selection as a sophomore in 2001 after hitting .322 with 56 RBIs and a league-leading 15 home runs. He earned All-Big Ten honors again in 2002 after batting .348 with 10 home runs and 52 RBIs.
After helping the Buckeyes capture the 2002 Big Ten Tournament title, he was drafted by Oakland with the 16th pick in the first round. Swisher then spent most of his first two seasons in the minor leagues before being called up at the end of the 2004 season. He became the first OSU baseball player to make his Major League debut since catcher Mike Durant did with the Minnesota Twins in 1996.
Swisher's baseball talents are not surprising given his upbringing. He was born at Riverside Hospital, most likely with a bat in his hand.
"Nick grew up around baseball," said OSU baseball coach Bob Todd. "I guess you could say he's been a baseball junkie all his life."
Swisher's father Steve played nine Major League seasons as a catcher for the Cubs, Cardinals and Padres, and Swisher credits him with much of his success.
"I remember when I was six years old and I told my dad I wanted to be a pro baseball player like him someday," Nick Swisher said. "My dad looked at me, and I'll never forget what he said. He said, 'Son, there is so much great talent out there, so if you really want it, you have to work hard for it. Never let anyone outwork you.'"
This advice has helped produced successful results.
"Swish is simply an outstanding athlete," Todd said. "He never stops hustling, never stops fighting."
That hustle, combined with his obvious talent and natural confidence, has sometimes been misinterpreted.
"Some call me confident, some might even call me cocky," Swisher said. "But you have to be a little cocky to play at this level. Baseball is a game based on failure. What other job can you fail seven out of 10 times and be considered successful?"
"Nick always played with confidence, and I had no problem with that," Todd said. "He understood that baseball is a team game, but it's played individually."
Swisher's confidence might be in part because of the success he has experienced at every level. After hitting 29 home runs last season with Triple-A Sacramento, Swisher is second among American League rookies this season with 20 home runs - he trails only Devil Rays outfielder Jonny Gomes, who has 21 - and leads all AL rookies in RBIs with 72.
Oakland's ability to produce young stars that have an immediate impact like Swisher has been essential in one of the greatest turnarounds in recent history.
On May 29 the A's were 17-32, a season-high 12-and-a-half games out of first place in the AL West, but they started to get hot right before the All-Star break. They won 13 of their final 16 games before the break and 17 of 21.
Oakland has gone 42-28 in the second half, and at one point was tied with the Angels for first place, becoming just the third team in Major League history to go from 15 games below .500 to 15 games above.
This historic turnaround has answered many of the questions raised by critics of A's General Manager Billy Beane, whose controversial approach to running a baseball organization was widely publicized in Michael Lewis' book "Moneyball." Much of the book focuses on Swisher and the A's six other first-round draft picks in 2002.
"'Moneyball' changed the way people look at baseball, and a lot of people didn't like that," Swisher said. "A lot of them wanted us to fail, but if nothing else, this season has been vindication for Billy and for his 'Moneyball' philosophy."
Since 2000 the A's are a major-league best 281-157 - a winning percentage of .642 - after the All-Star break. Unfortunately, all that regular-season success has not translated into much post-season success; the A's have not managed to get out of the first round of the playoffs.
This year, they probably will not make it that far. After Monday's devastating 4-3 defeat to Anaheim, the A's find themselves five games back of the Angels and with only six games to go.
"No matter what we've been able to accomplish in the second half of this season," Swisher said, "It all goes to waste if we don't make the playoffs."
Regardless of whether the A's make the playoffs, his former coach feels the future remains bright for the 24-year-old switch-hitter.
"If he can stay healthy, I have no doubt he will have tremendous success," Todd said. "The sky is the limit for Nick, and I wish him all the success."
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