New York Nick: Yanks Need Healthy Swisher

New York Yankees outfielder Nick Swisher being out of the lineup for a week recently with an injured groin is like a kick in the same area for the team.

OK, maybe not that bad since we’re still in Spring Training … but it still hurts a bit. The pain decreased for Swish, and Yankee fans, with his 4-for-8 performance in intrasquad action. He singled twice, doubled and homered and also drew a pair of walks in what has become the Yankee way.

If Swisher isn’t the soul of the Yankees—that honor understandably belongs to a Derek Jeter or Mariano Rivera—Swisher may well be the heart. No one plays the game with more joy and passion than “Swish” and he happily draws attention from other players who otherwise may not want it.

Swisher’s more than just a happy-go-lucky guy though, he can put up big-time numbers with 53 extra-base hits last season, including 23 home runs. He also drove in 85 runs and drew 95 bases-on-balls.

While Swisher may not be a future Hall of Famer he has become a fan-favorite and very important New York Yankee contributor. That’s pretty cool stuff as it is, as Swisher himself would certainly agree.